Obesity
Obesity, Alcohol Among Factors Linked to Women’s Gout Risk
|
|
Obesity, high blood pressure and alcohol consumption are among the major risk factors for gout in women, a new study finds.
Gout, a common and painful inflammatory arthritis, is caused by elevated uric acids levels in the blood.
U.S. researchers analyzed data from 2,476 women and 1,951 men who took part in the Framingham Heart Study. The participants were in their mid-40s and free of gout at the start of the study.
Obesity to blame for breast cancer
|
|
Obesity has been associated with some serious diseases in the past but a new study has now found that obese women face a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Carol La Vecchia who ran the study is a qualified health expert at the University of Milan. She subscribes to the opinion that 30% of women suffering with breast cancer are also obese. These conclusions were given at a conference in Barcelona.
Although it is difficult to say exactly why obese women run more of a risk, one theory put forward is that obesity can affect the chemicals in the body, raising the odds of developing oestrogen-related tumours. Whilst the details are somewhat unclear, the main details are – obese women are more likely to develop breast cancer.
Food Makers and Obesity
|
|
“From Mrs. Obama’s Garden” (editorial, March 25) highlights one of our nation’s serious challenges: childhood obesity. The first lady deserves great credit for uniting the country around this complex problem, and the food and beverage industry is answering her call to improve childhood nutrition and health.
Already, we have changed more than 10,000 product recipes to reduce calories, sugar, sodium and fat and are working with the Food and Drug Administration and the Agriculture Department to improve nutrition labels. We support child nutrition laws that feed more children and science-based nutrition standards for food sold to students during the school day.
Thirty percent breast cancer caused by obesity
|
|
Up to a third of breast cancer cases could be avoided if women ate less and exercised more, researchers claim.
Experts believe more than 14,000 women a year would probably not develop the disease if they had adopted healthier behaviour from an early age.
Modern lifestyles which feature regular drinking, lack of exercise and increased obesity are fuelling the rise of the disease, reported dailymail.co.uk.
Childhood obesity a growing problem
|
|
Here’s something to ponder over your breakfast: Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Obesity among children 6 to 11 years old increased from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 19.6 percent in 2008 — that’s one in five children. The prevalence of obesity among kids 12 to 19 increased from 5 percent to 18.1 percent — again, almost one in five.
Children are eating too much, choosing the wrong things to eat and not exercising enough. They are living sedentary lives, preferring a BlackBerry or Wii to a playground or outdoor activity.
Obese children are more likely to have risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. They are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as poor self-esteem. And here’s the scary part: Obese children are more likely to become overweight or obese adults, and therefore more at risk for adult health problems.
Healthcare reform bill tackles obesity
|
|
While many are focused on the effect the recent healthcare bill will have on insurance and coverage, a number of other health provisions are included. Obesity prevention and treatment is among these.
Successful obesity treatment and prevention requires a multi-pronged approach. Smaller scale attempts, such as state or city taxes on unhealthy foods, may result in small changes. But this isn’t enough. Treating the level of obesity, and related diseases, currently found in the U.S. will require an organized nationwide effort.
Obesity has pervasive effects at an individual, family and community level. Individuals are at greater risk for diseases such as hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, stroke and some cancers. Loss of health and lost work days negatively impacts families emotionally and financially. In communities where obesity rates are high, health care treatment costs are higher for employers and the community as a whole.
Too Fat For Reality: Is TV Exploiting Obesity?
|
|
I’ve been noticing a number of weight-themed shows on television lately. While The Biggest Loser certainly isn’t new, ABC recently premiered Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and Kirstie Alley’s new series Kirstie Alley’s Big Life also just premiered on A&E. I’m sure there are other series out there, between cable and network TV that feature some sort of diet/weight-centric theme but it’s those three in particular that got me wondering whether or not series like these are changing people’s perspective on the issue of obesity in this country.
Obesity’s been a problem in America for quite some time now, but looking beyond the health issues that arise, there’s also the issue of how obese people are treated socially. Speaking in generalities of course, there’s definitely a stigma with being overweight and it seems likely that a lot of people trying to shed a few (or more) pounds aren’t just doing it to lower their blood pressure or decrease their chances of getting diabetes. Thin’s in. That’s no secret. There’s a fair amount of judgment passed on the obese for their weight and appearance. I’m talking about anything from being called names or picked last in gym to being publicly ejected from an airplane because someone decides you’re taking up too much room. This seems to go beyond the concern for health problems. It’s more an attitude (by some) that overweight people deserve the ridicule they get.
High fructose corn syrup the cause of obesity epidemic, new study suggests
|
|
Bad news for the high fructose corn syrup industry. A new study led by a Princeton University research team suggests that high fructose corn syrup may be at least partially responsible for the increase in the obesity rate in the United States.
The study published online March 18 by the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior showed consumption of high fructose corn syrup caused more weight gain in lab animals than table sugar when both sweeteners were consumed in equal quantity.
In addition, long term consumption of high fructose corn syrup caused abnormal increases in body fat, particularly in the abdomen, and an increase in circulating blood fats called triglycerides. Both are signs of metabolic syndrome.
Thoughts on health, obesity test readers’ ‘Precious’ beliefs
|
|
LAST WEEK’S column about obesity and Gabourey Sidibe, star of the critically acclaimed, Academy Award-winning movie “Precious,” generated impassioned responses from Daily News readers.
Here’s what several had to say:
Truly disturbed
Just read your column about Sis Sidibe. My disclaimer is that I’m 62, in recovery and have a bucket list. I’ve completed a marathon and have jogged five half-marathons, am currently taking a rigorous self-defense class and either jog or lift four to five times a week.
Ask the Task Force on Childhood Obesity to Promote Vegan Food in Schools
|
|
The Task Force on Childhood Obesity, which was established last month by the Obama administration, will guide federal agencies in the creation of a national plan to solve the childhood obesity problem within one generation. The task force is now asking the public to submit comments, so here’s your chance to remind the federal government that kids would be healthier if they ate less meat, eggs, and dairy products and more nourishing vegan meals.
We want to make sure that the task force knows that more and more American kids are obese in large part because of all the chicken nuggets, burgers, and fish sticks that they are served in school cafeterias. Vegans are, on average, significantly slimmer than meat- and dairy-eaters. A well-rounded vegan diet gives children all the protein, calcium, and vitamins that they need to be strong and healthy without all the saturated fat and cholesterol that are found in animal-derived products. According to the American Dietetic Association, well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets are appropriate for all ages and slash the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
The Task Force on Childhood Obesity should note the growing popularity of the Meat-Free Monday program in schools and urge all school districts to offer exclusively vegan meals to students on Mondays, in addition to increasing the availability of delicious vegan food during the rest of the week.
Smoking, Obesity’s Toll on Life Span
|
|
Smoking, high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, and obesity—four preventable risk factors—are robbing years from the lives of Americans.
The new findings—almost five years from men, and just over four years from women—suggest that disparities in these risk factors help explain why some ethnic and socioeconomic groups have lower life expectancies.
“Our results demonstrate that a small number of risk factors for chronic disease account for a noticeable part of the disparities in life expectancy in the U.S., with the largest contributions from smoking and high blood pressure,” say the researchers, led by Majid Ezzati, PhD, an associate professor of International Health at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. The findings appear in the journal PLoS Medicine.
Obesity tied to poorer colon cancer survival
|
|
Obese people are known to have a higher risk of colon cancer. Now, a new study suggests they may have poorer long-term survival odds than their thinner counterparts if they do develop the disease.
The latest findings, reported in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, suggest that excess weight may particularly affect male survivors’ long-term prognosis.
In a study of nearly 4,400 U.S. adults treated for colon cancer, researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester found that obese patients were one-quarter to one-third more likely to die over the next eight years than their normal-weight counterparts.
Junk Food Tax Could Curb Obesity Trend
|
|
A junk food tax would be effective in reducing obesity rates and improving the overall health of the country, a new study suggests.
We Americans love our junk food, but all those empty calories are hurting our pocketbook in the form of skyrocketing health care costs to treat medical conditions related to obesity, including diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.
Now, a new study indicates that putting a tax on junk food could help reduce obesity rates and improve our nation’s health – both physically and fiscally.
Get Schooled Can schools stop obesity? Should they even try?
|
|
As an editorial writer, I met with representatives of national groups advocating dozens of good and worthy causes, from physical fitness to drug awareness to improved civics literacy.
In many cases, ground zero for the advocacy groups was the schoolhouse. Advocates felt that they needed to reach children to achieve the necessary changes/improvements.
But if all these well-meaning groups prevailed, we’d have two options: Reduce the class time for actual reading and math instruction or expand to a 12-hour school day.
Santa Clara County’s next stab at obesity: No toys for fatty fast foods
|
|
As 5-year-old Jena Rosetta chomped down a “yummy” lunch of Burger King chicken nuggets on Monday and slurped down a soda, her mother dug into the Club BK kids meal box and presented Jena with her reward: a Pinkalicious plastic doll that perfectly matched her pink blouse.
“We like the toys,” said Jena’s mother, Susan Barragan.
But if Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager gets his way, there may be no more dolls, race cars or toys of any sort to entice kids like Jena — and their parents — to feast on fried, fatty fast-food.
