Obesity Goes Where the Money Goes

I wanted to address something I touched on last post--obesity as a condition of prosperity.  The obesity epidemic that we are witnessing today in western society is only possible in an environment of abundance.  I am not talking individual wealth here, but prosperity of nations; and American obesity statistics, and pretty much that of the rest of the world, support this claim.  Obesity is rampant in North America and Europe, with Japan and South Korea having the highest rates in the east.

But wait, what about the rising powers of China and India?  They are experiencing rapid economic growth, but have they an obesity epidemic?  According to a recent report, extreme fatness is making its way to India.  As India's economy grows, the middle class increases as well, and western fast food companies are smelling opportunity like they haven't since, well, 1950s America.

And which demographic do you suppose the fast-food industry is targeting?...You got it--youngsters.  Let's go to the Hop... Reports disclose that one in three children in private schools in New Delhi are obese compared with one in ten in government schools.


"Obesity is emerging in India which has serious implications for metabolic health in the future," says researcher Seema Gulati. "Schoolchildren are attracted to the way it (junk food) is advertised," she said. "They feel it is something that is high status. They want to try it out."

Exactly...convenience, good taste, high status, western, bourgeois, you know...you've been there America, but now look atcha: 30% obesity in most states.  That's not overweight...that's obese...and it's crazy.  And I'm certain the trend will continue in the East, as Asian countries get more powerful.

Brazil is there already, and India is on its way...China anyone?  We'll see.  A major 2010 study called "The Rise of Asia's Middle Class" by the Asian Development Bank warned that in the next 20-30 years Asia will be faced with "an increasing number of chronic diseases on a scale previously unseen".

Obesity is a natural consequence of prosperity.  As money flows, so does the drive for convenience, and nothing more convenient than ready-made food for the go.  Wealth comes from work--lots of it--and this means limited time.  We Americans know that lifestyle all too well--the burning candles, chasing sensory stimuli and seeking greater and greater conveniences--and how it can lead to greater excesses.  Ultimately these excesses cause problems, like rising chronic diseases and epidemics of addiction: food, drugs, sex, and so on.

Hey I'm not knocking any of it...just pointing out the truths of the bigger picture.  We can waste time looking for new and novel causes of obesity--heck, lots of money to be made there--but if we really wish to make a dent in the obesity numbers, then understanding how the condition arises and develops over time is a hell of a lot more useful than trying to create new fantasies about genes and hormones, especially as we see it unfolding in other cultures mirroring our own.  Let's put two and two together, find real solutions to help those that truly want them, and then maybe we might even pave the way for others to understand and resolve their own issues.  But it won't happen anytime soon if we continue to foolishly blame outside forces when the problem is completely man-made.

Obesity Epidemic A Sign of Prosperity

Over the last several posts I have discussed a few aspects of obesity that I think are important in understanding the condition.  There is no doubt that obesity is a multi-factorial issue in adults--I've always contended that.  But I do not feel that way when it comes to kids, because children often do not have the same mental factors, which I believe play such a strong role in chronic obesity (the factor most involved in the I-just-can't-seem-to-lose-weight-no-matter-what-I try-syndrome).  More on this in a future post.

But we already defined obesity--a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems--so the question should now be: How has obesity become epidemic?  How have so many people gained weight to such degree as to be detrimental to their health?  The numbers today are harrowing--in the U.S. no state has a prevalence of obesity less than 20%, with some states having 30% or more of their population obese.

This is a fairly new phenomenon, as the numbers in the U.S. have gone through their most dramatic increase only over the last twenty years.  This is one reason I do not buy into the genetic or hormonal-cause theories.  Gene pools don't change that quickly, especially not with regard to a trait that has neither survival nor reproductive advantages.

One major benefit we are experiencing as a result of the current obesity epidemic is that we have learned quite a bit about human physiology, particularly the changes in autonomic function.  What is particularly interesting for me is to see the body's response to an extreme change in condition--an excess weight gain.  It shows, once again, the incredible intelligence of the human body.  The body responds to to a perceived stress in a very predictable way, it tries to reestablish balance, and it does so through the autonomic nervous system (ANS).

These observations have some in the field excited that they have now found the real underlying cause of obesity.  ANS changes and their associated hormonal imbalances are not the cause of obesity.  Emotional or economic stressors are not the cause of obesity.  While these issues are likely factors in the long-term maintenance of obesity, the reason why "weight stays relatively constant," they are not in and of themselves what causes obesity.  Taking in more energy than what is used is the primary cause of obesity.  This phenomenon is predominantly due to one or more of the following factors: 

• Eating more than is needed (we've all done this at one time or another, so it shouldn't be too hard to conceptualize how it could happen repeatedly, leading to a form of conditioning)
• Eating nutritionally-poor foods (more than occasionally)
• Chronic inactivity (which includes constantly challenging oneself)

Yes, hormonal issues like hypothyroidism can cause weight gain, so can medication side-effects, and genetics probably leaves some people more susceptible than others.  But these factors are not responsible for 20-30% obesity rates in the U.S.  No way.

So, once again, how has obesity become epidemic in the U.S. and other western societies?  As far as I can see, obesity is a consequence of prosperity.  When food is abundant, when we do not have to grow, hunt, trap or kill our own food sources, when high-energy foods (not in vibrancy, but calories: think pizza) is just a phone call away, 24-7, what do you think is going to happen?  Poor nations don't have obesity epidemics.  Oh they may have obese people...but not an epidemic.  Think about it.  Obesity is mostly a condition of abundance.

Obesity is also a consequence of population growth.  The more mouths we have to feed in rich, industrialized nations, the more we have to manufacture foods that will preserve long-term storage, transport and shelf-life.  Simple as this: To feed millions of people, foods are tweaked to prevent their perishing, and as a result we get chemical- and preservative-laden foodstuff, as well as the now prevalent, yet highly controversial, genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).  Ingesting these food-like substances, as I like to call them, in large quantities or over long periods can lead to excessive weight gain.

Sorry to foolish skeptic, but sodas do cause weight gain, plain and simple. It's no surprise to me that obesity has run concurrently with both American power and prosperity in the world, but also with the explosion of the food industry, particularly processed  foods (and junk food, and fast food, and soda consumption...)

As I've hinted in a previous post, I also believe a very strong mental component is involved in the obesity epidemic.  No doubt the psychological makeup of society is contributing to this massive inflation.  The coddling of the obese by searching for an it's-something-outside-of-you cause is no small factor in making obesity an epidemic.  Next post, I will discuss weight loss and what I think is a better approach to decreasing the prevalence of obesity in modern society.

Cap'n Crunch Sabathia No More: His Surefire Weight-Loss Plan

New York Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia is reporting to spring training 25 lbs lighter.  The secret: He kicked the Cap'n Crunch.  Aw yeh, the former fat-boy is weighing in at a svelte 290, not bad for a 6'7" frame.  And to think he did it all with one simple change.  Just think of what that might mean for you or your kids!

Sabathia, the Yankees ace, weighed in at a whopping 315 lbs last season, when he was knocking down a full box of Cap'n Crunch every day!  Each box of Cap'n Crunch has 12.59 servings, each serving has 12 grams of sugar, making a box of the sugary cereal contain a total of 151 grams of sugar.  Further, the nutritional info on the box lists the number of calories at 217 per double serving.  Therefore, a full box of Cap'n Crunch contains 1,366 calories.  Dang!

To put this into perspective, a soda (Coke, let's say) contains 40 grams of sugar and 150 calories per 12 oz. can.  More perspective: one teaspoon of sugar equals about six grams; therefore, a can of soda has about seven teaspoons of sugar (see video below**).  Even more perspective: Most sugar packets found in the U.S. have approximately 4 grams of sugar, thus a can of soda contains ten packets of sugar (U.S.).

Now back to Sabathia.  His one full box of Cap'n Crunch a day gave him a sugar equivalent of drinking 4 sodas, 25 teaspoons of sugar, or 38 sugar packets.  Nice, CC...nice.

*A report released in 2009 by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale gave Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries the worst nutritional score of any cereal marketed to children and families. ~ from Wikipedia

How about your kids?  Do they eat Cap'n Crunch?  Fruit Loops?  Frosted Flakes?  Do they drink soda?  These cereals and soft drinks have been staples in the American diet for the last fifty years, and it's not because people aren't consuming them.  It's not just 6'7" professional athletes eating this junk, either.  It's little Timmy, and little Rainflower, and maybe even you.

Listen, next time you're thinking about feeding Junior the Cap'n Crunch, why not just give him a Snickers bar?  Same amount of sugar as in a two-serving bowl of the Crunch.  And is it any wonder we are in the midst of an obesity (and diabetes) epidemic?

**Please watch the video below to get great perspective on the amount of sugar contained in a soda:

Thin Not More Healthy

We keep hearing about the obesity epidemic, but are chubby people really less healthy? Not according to Japanese researchers who have found that slightly chubby people live longer than their thinner counterparts.

The study was conducted by a health ministry team at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine. They looked at 50,000 people between the ages of 40 and 79 for over twelve years in the northern Japanese prefecture of Miyagi. What they found was counter to the common wisdom: People who are slightly overweight at age 40 live six to seven years longer than very thin people. Even more startling is that very skinny people had shorter life span than even the obese--by five years!

"We had expected thin people would show the shortest life expectancy but didn't expect the difference to be this large," said Shinichi Kuriyama, an associate professor at Tohoku University. The prevailing thought among the researcher was that thinner people would have lower life spans because of underlying illness or smoking. The results remained unchanged, however, when eliminating those factors. The researchers believe the differences are due to thinner people being more susceptible to illness and having weaker blood vessels.

I don't know about those conclusions but I will say that I've always endorsed a "natural" body type and diet. What I mean by this is that I see far too many people pushing their limits to become thin, with the belief that thin is more beautiful and more healthy. I've told many a washboard ab desiring client that "zero body fat just ain't that healthy." When fantasizing about that Men's Health cover-boy physique, just know that those young studs are practically starving themselves for that shoot; but you can't be that way year round. A little spare tire never hurt anybody, but maintaining zero body fat can--and here's the study to prove it.

Saying that, I know that many of you reading this won't take heed. You'll still strive for zero body fat, and that's cool--no biggie. Just know which contract you are signing because in the end nothing comes without a price.

Campos note: Before taking these results as a license to party, the scientists did conclude that the healthiest people were at their "normal" body weight. Going to town on the Ben & Jerry's to plump-up a little is ill-advised. More important is that underweight people probably need to add a bit more weight. Again the take home lesson here is that too thin is not always in. Healthy and au natural is certainly better.

Fast Food Fascism

I don't mean to be obnoxious...well, OK, yes I do, but I couldn't help but notice today while lunching at The Cheesecake Factory the young girl at the table across from me enjoying a pizza (a large one solely for her) and a very large coke. Wow! As I watched this intriguing display of gluttony, I wondered: Health officials are really banging their heads trying to figure out the childhood obesity epidemic? Duh!!!

I, for one, do not blame the makers of junk food for the epidemic--temptation is all around all the time; discipline is a virtue. So I don't really applaud any research that proves junk food leads to obesity, like the latest study out of Columbia University and UC Berkeley, which showed that fast food restaurants near schools increase obesity rates. You don't say. That's where our research dollars are going? And do you think video arcades near schools lead to more sore thumbs? May I repeat--Duh!!!

Even worse is that the esteemed opinion of the researchers is that banning fast food restaurants will decrease obesity? Will it? Not without also banning Doritos, or Pop Tarts, or Dominos, or Frosted Flakes, or wait...how about Coke?!?! That's right, is the government ready to ban the biggest culprit of obesity in the modern world, soft drinks? Seeing that Coca Cola is one of the biggest companies on the planet, I doubt it.

Fast food is the new tobacco. Like smoking yesterday, indulging in fast food is getting blasted from all angles. Instead of calling it like it is--an educational issue, an upbringing issue, a cultural issue, a discipline issue--let's just play victim and blame the fast food itself. People don't get fat, buckets of chicken do.

It's not that I am so enthralled with fast food that I must defend it, or the businesses selling it; I just don't like the government stepping in and minimizing my choices of eateries. I don't personally make Taco Bell my first choice in grub, but I'll eat it in a pinch. And it's not like there's no benefit to fast food. You know if you're starving and have very little time, a Whopper will do--you know that. You know that if you are starving after your late night bar shift, you'll eat a damn Big Mac--don't lie to yourself.

So stop trying to feed me this useless science that says we need a ban on fast food. Maybe instead they can do fast food profiling like they do with antihistamine sales in pharmacies now (you know they do that, right?). Anyone entering Mickey D's will need to give up his or her ID card and have their fatty-grub usage tallied. More than two visits per month and you'll only be allowed the McSalad. Sound good? Yeah, not to me either. I guess we'll just have to kiss the neighborhood KFC goodbye.