Posts Tagged ‘obesity’

An article in the September 17th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine proposes that a national “soda tax” of 1 cent per ounce of soda and other sugar-laden drinks could curb the United State’s obesity epidemic while generating funds to promote obesity prevention programs. While this tax strategy has reduced cigarette and alcohol use, will it would work with food? That remains to be seen. “There are certain products which make a strong contribution to the obesity epidemic while, conversely, there is no plausible public health benefit [from them],” noted Dr. David Ludwig, senior author of the paper and associate professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Opponents of such an idea say that singling out a specific food type sends the wrong public health message. Rather, they say, the government should promote proper nutrition education. Would a heftier price stem your appetite for soda? [via BusinessWeek]

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We know that a diet high in sugar can contribute to obesity, which in turn can cause hypertension. But now scientists have discovered that sugar, especially fructose, can have a direct bearing on one’s blood pressure. The connection? Uric acid. If you have gout, you probably know a bit about uric acid. It’s the substance that builds up in joints during a painful gout attack. But it seems that uric acid can also inhibit the production of nitric oxide, a compound that is essential for keeping our blood vessels flexible – when our blood vessels are less flexible and compliant, hypertension sets in. Researchers tested this theory by placing subjects on a high-fructose diet and giving some of them allopurinol, a drug commonly used to reduce uric acid levels in patients with gout. Those who weren’t on the drug had a 6 mm Hg-increase in systolic blood pressure and a 3 mm Hg-increase in diastolic pressure, compared to those on allopurinol. These findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s High Blood Pressure Research Conference in Chicago. [via ABC News]

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New research from the UK is suggesting that not only do children learn from their parents, they tend to learn from their parents of the same sex, at least when it comes to the issue of obesity.  After studying 226 families, researchers found that daughters of obese mothers were 10 times more likely to be obese, compared to daughters of normal-weight mothers. Sons were 6 times more likely to be obese if they have an obese father. Researchers attribute this finding to a phenomenon called “behavioral sympathy” where children will adopt the lifestyles of their same-sex parent. The obesity epidemic has innumerable causes, but the fight against it has to involve educating both parents and children. Healthy eating and living are learned behaviors, not a consequence of genetics.

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You may have noticed some new foods as of late if you are a Starbucks patron. As of July 1st Starbucks started selling baked goods free of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), artificial flavors and dyes. The new campaign comes with the tag line “Real Food. Simply Delicious”. As much as this is commendable, some critics are saying that the move towards unprocessed sugars is simply a marketing ploy. Pepsi, for example, has already introduced new soda products made with cane sugar. But is cane or beet sugar healthier? Some research has shown that highly processed sugars like HFCS can more readily lead to hepatic steatosis (aka fatty liver disease) and contribute to obesity. But from a caloric standpoint, there’s essentially no difference. Cane or beet sugar contains 50% fructose and 50% glucose and HFCS contains 55% fructose and 45% glucose. All three sugars deliver about 15-20 calories per teaspoon. Therefore, the only way still to reduce caloric intake from sugars is to consume less sugar.

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The EndoBarrier is a new technology that may be an alternative to gastric surgery for people who are dangerously obese. It’s an impermeable sleeve that can be deployed in the stomach to line the first 60 centimeters of the small intestine. The barrier is designed to remain in place for a few months and prevents the intestine from absorbing calories.  In animal experiments and preliminary human trials, it reduces weight and rapidly brings type 2 diabetes under control. Weight gain (especially around the waist) is associated with type 2 diabetes.

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New findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week points to a gene that may be present in 20% of caucasians with high blood pressure. The STK39 gene directs the production of a protein that controls how kidneys process salt – a key factor in blood pressure fluctuation. When the body retains too much salt it also retains water, which is why those with hypertension are always advised to eat a low salt diet. Although this discovery will likely lead to new treatments, hypertension is a complex disease that can have many contributing factors – family history, diabetes, poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, obesity, just to name a few. So as you can see, even if you don’t have the STK39 gene there are plenty of ways to get hypertension. And if you do have the gene there are likely other risk factors which you can do something about.

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The American Chemical Society reports new evidence that humans can make their own salicylic acid (SA), the compound largely responsible for aspirin’s effects on pain, fever, and inflammation. SA is a naturally occurring substance that can be obtained directly from eating fruits and vegetables. Researchers have previously shown that vegetarians have much higher levels of SA in their bodies (sometimes as high as in those who take low doses of aspirin). Now, the same research group claims that new evidence suggest that our bodies can actually manufacture SA from compounds we consume in our diet. Could SA be one of the chemicals responsible for the health benefits of a vegetarian diet? Numerous studies have shown that vegetarians seem to have a lower risk of obesity, coronary heart disease (which can cause heart attacks), high blood pressure, and diabetes.

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The CDC reported earlier this year that approximately 32% of US children were overweight, 16% were obese, and 11% were extremely obese. With concerns about weight on the minds of most Americans these days, many food companies have voluntarily began campaigns to combat the obesity epidemic by categorizing a certain amount of their products as “healthy alternatives.” But do these wellness initiatives truly have the consumer in mind? In a recent JAMA article pediatrician David Ludwig and Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University, argues that makers of popular junk foods ultimately have obligations to their stockholders to encourage children to consume more, not less. In an interview with U.S. News they outlined the top 10 things that the food industry doesn’t want you to know, including the following:

- Junk food makers donate large sums of money to professional nutrition associations.

- Less-processed foods are generally more satiating than their highly processed counterparts.

- The food industry funds front groups that fight antiobesity public health initiatives.

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“TOGA” is the acronym for transoral gastroplasty, a new type of weight loss surgery that involves making the stomach smaller by stapling it – by way of the mouth, rather than through incisions on the outside of the body. The procedure has now been performed on 98 individuals in Europe and and Mexico and, on average, those who have passed the one year mark have lost about 40% of their excess body weight. Only a few patients have tried it so far in the US as part of a study funded by Satiety, Inc., the company which makes the staplers. They are hoping to get FDA approval for the procedure, which falls in line with a current trend to make surgery less invasive and less painful. By not making incisions, you minimize many of the risks and side effects of surgery.

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New research concurrently published by Montreal’s major medical centers in the International Journal of Obesity show that kids who are surrounded by peers and family who are overweight are more likely to misperceive their own weight. “When children’s parents and schoolmates are overweight or obese, their own overweight status may seem normal by comparison. The higher the BMI of their friends and family, the more kids are likely to underestimate their weight – a trend consistent for both sexes, regardless of the socioeconomic levels of their school or family,” said lead author Katerina Maximova. This is an important issue because “Accurately perceiving oneself as overweight or obese is an important cue to take action,” says Jennifer J. McGrath, director of the Pediatric Public Health Psychology Lab at Concordia University. Full story.