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August 24, 2007 Dear Readers: The last days of August are upon us: parents are at least thinking about the upcoming school year, and planning back-to-school supply lists, scheduling even more extracurricular activities, and shopping for their children's wardrobes. Many parents will be purchasing larger sized clothes for their children to accommodate increases in weight more than height. Obesity and healthy weight should be one of the top items on every parents' list. |
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Whether you're a parent or not, the problem of obesity is certain to touch you. Everyone has a relative, friend, co-worker or boss who is diabetic, "pre-diabetic," or obese. The dangers of obesity for heart and pancreatic damage are well known. Not as well known is the link between obesity and Alzheimer's Disease.
Caring about your or your child's weight is not about vanity, and not about giving in to the culture of unhealthy thinness. Excess fat and the metabolic conditions that result in it carry dangers that should concern, if not, alarm, everyone in the U.S. As you approach another season of school lunches, hurry-up dinners, tailgating, and other occasions notorious for nutrient-poor consumption, start a resolution now-- to eat foods that truly nourish the body and brain-- Susan Hardwicke, Ph.D., Editor |
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By Marc S. Micozzi, MD, Ph.D.
Obesity is still on the rise. A new study released by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that by 2015, 75% of adults will be overweight and 41% will be obese.
The study was a meta-analysis of 20 different journal papers, reports, online data sets, and four different national surveys from 1960 -2004. The study found that the obesity rate between those years had risen from 13% to 32%.
The lead author of the study, You-fa Wang, MD, Ph.D. called obesity a public health crisis, stating, "The obesity rate in the United States has increased at an alarming rate over the past three decades. We set out to estimate the average annual increase in prevalence, as well as the variation between population groups, to predict the future situation regarding obesity and overweight among U.S. adults and children."
The study also found that people in specific groups such as non-Hispanic black women and children, Mexican-American women and children, low socioeconomic status black men and white women and children, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders-are all disproportionately affected. For instance, the study found that among black women aged 40 years or over 80% are overweight, and 50% are obese. May A. Beydoun, coauthor of the study said, "Our analysis showed patterns of obesity or overweight for various groups of Americans. All groups .... increased in obesity or overweight prevalence, but the increase varied by group, making this public health issue complex."
Increasingly, doctors are looking for ways to treat obesity as a public health and environmental issue as rates continue to rise.. Otherwise, Beydoun said, "it will soon become the leading preventable cause of death in the United States."
By Susan Hardwicke, Ph.D.
Unless you've lived in a cave for the past five years, you are now familiar with the warnings about obesity greatly increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Less well known, but equally dire, is the link between diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). This mind-ravaging disease terrifies middle-aged adults. Unfortunately, the fear of AD rarely changes anyone's eating habits, perhaps because of a lack of media attention to the diet-obesity-diabetes-AD connection. There's no blockbuster story involved with long-term healthy food choices.
The federal government sinks billions into research and organizations looking for cures for diseases, and little into prevention. Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are searching for "silver bullet"-type cures, with the underlying assumption that AD can't be prevented.
Logic needs to prevail. If the rate of AD is rising faster than the rate of increase in the middle-aged and elderly population, which it is, then causal factors need to be identified. If diabetes increases the risk of AD by at least 30%, which studies indicate that it does, and the rate of diabetes is increasing dramatically, then diabetes prevention (NOT treatment!) urgently merits attention and resources. Adults need to take responsibility for their and their children's health, and not trust that a future treatment will mitigate the consequences of their unhealthy habits.
If you're concerned about your long-term brain health, take the following actions without delay. These recommendations apply to children as well as adults.
- Exercise your body. It helps your insulin response to sugar (ever wonder why endurance athletes can eat all the sweets they want?).
- Forget the food pyramid, and cut down on carbs (grains, pastas, sweets, fruit juices). In particular, quit eating cereal for breakfast and replace it with a high-protein meal or beverage.
- Eat more raw foods. A lot more.
- Get enough protein (eggs, fish, meat, cheese).
- When you do eat sugar, make sure that you have small amounts of fat and protein with it. This will reduce the spike and then drop in blood sugar, the repetition of which leads to insulin resistance.
- Eliminate high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from your food and beverage choices. This harmful carbohydrate is pervasive in processed foods. Learn to read labels and take the time when you shop, even in convenience stores.
- Greatly reduce chemicals (colors, flavors) in your diet. These can block the communications between brain cells.
- Supplement. Consider Omega-3 fatty acids (the brain is composed mostly of fat), lecithin, niacin, folic acid, and cinnamon.
- Exercise your brain. Turn off the television and cut down dramatically on your electronic messaging, iPods, and passive activities. Repeated brain exercises (puzzles, games) and learning new skills and sports builds new brain structure. The "use it or lose it" principle applies.
All the contradictory information about how long to exercise, what exercises to do, and the right way to do them can itself be exhausting. The thought of joining a gym - the membership fees, the aromatic locker rooms, and the people who look like they live there can also be off putting. One simple solution: walking. As James Levitson MD, wrote in an editorial in the July issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings:
"You don't have to join a gym, you don't have to check your pulse. You just have to switch off the TV, get off the sofa and go for a walk." While there are conflicting facts and opinions, Dr. Levitson points out that walking is good, whether the outcome measurement is lower blood pressure, reducing diabetes, preventing cardiovascular disease, helping joint problems or improving mental health. Walking is good exercise at almost any age, weight, or level of physical health. It doesn't require special equipment, a membership card, or even a lot of time. It can also educational, entertaining, and inspirational. So this weekend get out of the house and go for a walk. Explore your neighborhood or city or find a park. Go with a friend or go alone. Just go.!
Editor's note: kSero recommends using a heart monitor and stopwatch/pedometer (available at most sporting goods stores and online) to help you understand your body and how much exercise you are actually getting. Whatever you do, don't give up!
Deficiencies in Choline May Pose Problems for Normal Brain Development
Researchers from top universities found that the average consumption of choline is considerably less than government health officials recommend. Choline, found in eggs, soybeans, chicken, and many types of fish and meats, is key for development of the brain during pregnancy. The government recommendation is 425 mg/day for women, about 100 mg more for men.
Read more . . .
Will Diet Foods Turn Your Children into Obese Adults?
Read more . . .
A study conducted by Dr. David Pierce of the University of Alberta led him to conclude that diet foods and beverages for children will result in obesity. Children apparently learn distorted relationships between taste and caloric content, causing them to overeat later in life. Dr. Pierce recommends "healthy, well-balanced diets" instead of reduced calorie meals and snacks.
Read more . . .
Government guidelines for children's exercise too low
Read more . . .
A European study reported in the prestigious journal The Lancet reveals that Federal guidelines for children's exercise are too low to produce healthy hearts. The article states that a full 90 minutes of moderately vigorous physical activity (that does not mean waiting on benches or bleachers for team sports!) is needed to prevent risk of cardiovascular disease. That's 30 minutes longer than the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control.
Read more (requires registration) . . .
Read more (requires registration) . . .
Don't wait until January to resolve to eat better. As the really hot days of summer give way (we hope) to weather more conducive to outdoor activities, you'll want real energy for walking, cycling, kayaking, running, golfing, tennis, or whatever your active life demands.
You can start now by cleaning out your pantry and cabinets. You can make a good first pass in about 15 minutes.
Forget that you spent money on the artificially flavored chips, white pasta, and sugar-coated cereals. Get rid of stuff you shouldn't be eating, or someday you'll find yourself or a family member tearing into it.
Here's a list of items you can throw away without guilt:
- Starchy snack foods, such as chips. Most of them have artificial colors and flavors, as well as trans fats. These are empty calories. Avoid starchy snacks even if they are "organic."
- White items: rice, pasta, bread, cream of wheat. White foods are mostly starches which convert to sugar in the body; they tend to be nutrient-poor.
- Instant ANYTHING-- drinks, cereals, potatoes, soups, dinner "helpers." These tend to have food additives that can be addictive, as well as few nutrients.
- Breakfast cereals other than old-fashioned oatmeal and high-protein organic cereals. Insufficient protein and fat are two strikes against a good start to a day.
- Candy that isn't good quality chocolate.
- Soft drinks
- Sports drinks that have high fructose corn syrup or are brightly colored.
- Low fat ANYTHING. It's almost always laden with extra sugar and artificial ingredients.
- Canned pudding, Jello, fruit cocktail.
- Crisco, vegetable oil, pie crust mixes.
One more final note: now that you've thrown these types of food out, don't buy any more unhealthy "food" to replace them. Keep out nutrient-poor food and chemical-laden items.
Sincerely,
Susan Hardwicke, Ph.D.
Director
kSero Centers for the Mind
©kSero Corporation Inc. 2007