totalhealth’s Special Report
Obesity, Weight Loss and Glucose Control
Dear Reader,
Welcome to the Resource Guide on Obesity,
Weight Loss and Glucose Control.
Obesity is truly the plague of the 21st
century. In November 2003, we reported
that over half of our adult population was
considered overweight, with 18 percent
classified as obese.
Less than 18 months later estimates
indicate that nearly two-thirds of
adults over 20 are overweight, over 30 percent
are obese, and nearly 5 percent are
classified as severely obese (more than 100
pounds overweight).
Obesity is about to pass smoking as the
number one preventable cause of death in
the United States, claiming the lives of
approximately 400,000 individuals a year.
And if you take into account its impact on
other chronic diseases, it may well be the
number one cause of death in our society.
Given the dramatic increases in adult
obesity, it is no surprise that childhood obesity
has also followed course. Over the last
25 years, the number of children in the U.S.
who are overweight has tripled—22 percent
of kids are overweight. Specifically, 13 percent
of children aged 6 to 11 and 14 percent
of kids aged 12 to 19 are obese. Indications
show an even higher prevalence of obesity
in some minority groups, e.g., 17 percent in
African Americans and 27.3 percent in
Mexican American youth (ages 6–11 years).
In fact, 60 percent of overweight children
aged 5 to 10 have at least one risk
factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD); 25
percent have over two risk factors. Tied to
obesity, sugar-packed diets and physical
inactivity, type II diabetes in children is now
the “new children’s epidemic,” a disease
which used to develop almost exclusively in
adulthood. Tragically, it is projected that
children who contract type II diabetes prior
to the age of 15 will lose somewhere
between 17 to 24 years of their life span as a
result of the disease.
Individuals who are overweight as adolescents
also have an 80 percent chance of
being overweight or obese as adults.
Commenting on her report on children’s
health, issued this year by the National
Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Nancy Krebs, a
pediatrician at the University of Colorado,
says, “If you look at the number of kids
who are overweight or at risk, you’re
talking over 25 percent of our kids. If some
infectious disease was affecting 25 percent
or 30 percent of our children, you can be
sure we’d be looking for some kind of
vaccine.”
In totalhealth’s article “Healthy Families
Healthy Bodies Preventing Obesity” (Vol. 25
No. 5), Kathy Shadle James, DNSC, N.P.,
advised, “Prevention can begin early by following
some of these guidelines:
- Breast-feed infants
- Don’t overfeed children
- As a parent, look at your height, weight and behaviors
- Use skim milk after age two
- Encourage fruits and vegetables for snacks
- Limit juices
- Limit TV and computer time (Hours of television watching are associated with overweight. Over one fourth of children report watching four or more hours a day.)
- Plan family activities—get everyone moving
- Monitor children’s BMI at yearly checkups
- Have family meals
- Love and accept your child”
She also suggests that, “Parents who have
recognized that their child is growing wider
at an unusually increased rate take him/her
to a health professional for a physical exam.
Don’t overreact. As a parent it is your role to
provide regular healthy meals at home.
Trends across time: |
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1980s
- 1000 fast food restaurants
- 6 billion dollars spent on fast food
- 1.3 of mothers work outside the home
- 75 percent of meals eaten at home
- children eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables
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2000
- 23,000 fast food restaurants
- 100 billion dollars spent on fast food
- 2.3 mothers work outside the home
- majority of meals eaten away from home
- 1.5 of children eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables
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You decide what foods are served and when to
offer meals and snacks. It is your child’s
decision whether or not to eat, which foods
to eat and how much. If your child has not
grown up on fat and sugar, he/she is less
likely to ask for it. It is okay to say, ‘I want us
to have healthy bodies.’
“Other tips include:
- Be supportive and encouraging—not a policeman
- Focus on changing your families eating habits
- Include your children—let him/her select the fruits and vegetable that they want to eat
- Prepare daily dinner menus with two vegetables
- Review the school lunch menu, pack lunches giving your child choices
- Find physical activities that your family enjoys—older children often like to do their own things (that’s okay)
- Don’t place your child on a restrictive diet—begin by increasing the number of fruits and vegetables in their diets; use low fat dairy, and choose lean meats and beans; use fats sparingly (if you are unsure how to prepare foods, see a dietician or check out some Web sites for suggestions)
- Allow sweets or treats in moderation you want to avoid having a child who sneaks and hides food because he is afraid to eat in front of you
- Be a good example—if you role model healthy eating and activity without being extreme, your child is more likely to learn positive habits from you
“With early and ‘careful’ interventions, your
child will have a good chance of becoming a
normal weight adult. There are trained professionals
who specialize in the care of
obese children and adolescents. You can
find a referral through the Web site
www.childobesity.com, or call 415.453.8886.”
Super Size Me
If you have, or anyone you know has, or
ever had, a weight problem you should
absolutely rent the movie “SUPER SIZE ME.”
Director Morgan Spurlock’s work explores
obesity in America by interviewing experts
and subjecting himself to a fast food-only
diet for 30 days, and is a profound commentary
on the evolution of our most critical
health care crisis. In a society where
over half of our meals are eaten away from
home (the majority of which are consumed
at a fast food restaurant or perhaps a
school lunch room, serviced through a contract
with a fast food chain) it is no wonder
we are overweight, obese and diabetic.
An important point made in the movie is
that your body can literally become
addicted to poor nutrition. This certainly
reinforces the following comment by totalhealth
associate editor, Jacob Teitelbaum,
M.D., in his article “How Stress Can Make
You Gain Weight”(Vol. 25
No. 5). He
states, “The standard American diet
SAD), contains excessive sugar and fat. In
addition, food processing results in the loss
of even more vitamins and minerals,
resulting in ‘high calorie malnutrition.’ It is
quite possible that this is the first time in
the history of the human race that this has
occurred. Being nutritionally deficient in
numerous vitamins and minerals is one of
many causes of excessive food cravings.
Unfortunately, it is hard to get adequate
nutrition out of our American diet, even if
one’s diet is relatively healthy.”
What it really comes down to is that no
one really sets out to become overweight or
obese, as it is unlikely that no one purposely
decides to become addicted to nicotine,
alcohol and prescription or street drugs.
The difference is that, as a society, we seem
to be oblivious to the cumulative impact
that thousands of calories and chemicalladen
processed Big Macs with cheese,
fries, 64 ounce sodas, shakes, and apple pie
fast food dinners can have on our health
and longevity.
It is imperative that our society realize
that the bene.ts of being in the average or
low average range on the weight-to-height
or body mass index (BMI) scales is far more
important than just its cosmetic benefits. It
is the key to overall health maintenance,
disease avoidance and longevity. We are
also learning that fat loss is the ultimate
goal. Even though we seem to be achieving
an ideal weight, it is a favorable ratio of fatty
tissue to muscle mass that counts.
For those of you who are considering a
commitment to healthy weight management,
we offer the following advice from
America’s first lady of nutrition, and totalhealth
associate editor, Ann Louis
Gittleman: “If you are like most people, you
are probably thoroughly confused when it
comes to choosing a weight loss plan.
You’ve been bombarded by new miracle
diets yet constantly alerted to the health
risks associated with these fads. There are
no quick fixes. An intelligent weight loss
program should combine common sense
and sound science. It should show you how
to shed unwanted pounds while actually
improving your health. Whether a first time
dieter or someone who has had varying
levels of success on other programs, it
should provide the tools both to achieve
your goals and maintain an acceptable
weight throughout your lifetime.
“As you embark on your quest for
healthy weight loss, I would like you to keep
a few things in mind. You are an individual
and so is your rate of weight loss. Your body
is unique, which means your weight loss
challenges are not necessarily like your best
friend’s or even other family members. You
will discover your own roadblocks and learn
how to remove them, one step at a time, at
your own pace.”
For information on Ms. Gittleman’s
newest program to help win the weight
wars, read about The Fast Track One-Day Detox Diet in this issue.
What it really comes down to is that
weight management is definitely one of the
key ingredients in achieving optimum
health, both from the standpoint of the dangers
caused by the stress of carrying the
extra pounds, as well as the toxic processed
food and sugar and alcohol laden-beverages
we consume.
The excellent article “Fat City” by totalhealth
associate editor James J. Gormley
offers a comprehensive look at what he
terms the “sobering stats” on where we are
as a nation of individuals who drink on the
average of 49 gallons of soda annually. He
also provides a number of valuable tips on
breaking out of the soda and junk food
lifestyle.
Continuing in this issue we review the
established benefits of 11 ingredients
designed to support you on the journey to
your ideal BMI and a favorable ratio of fatty
tissue to lean muscle mass.
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