Conquering obesity begins with a lifestyle change

Jessica Coate

Michael Pollen, who is known for his books “Food Rules” and “In Defense of Food,” said the food industry in the United States has changed more over the past 50 years than in the previous 10,000. With the obesity rates continuing to rise, related health problems are also increasing. Billions of dollars are spent each year just on health care related to obesity.

Samantha Easterly, a registered dietitian at Scottsdale Healthcare Bariatric Center, said, “According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) 300,000 premature deaths occur each year in the U.S. related to obesity.

“The risk of developing a number of chronic diseases and life expectancy is significantly reduced for patients with a BMI over 30.”

BMI (body mass index) is the measure of a person’s body fat in relation to their height and weight.

BMI is used as a screening tool to determine a person’s weight and risks for diseases.

Some medical problems associated with being overweight or obese are diabetes, sleep apnea, stroke, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

“Emotional suffering may be one of the most painful parts of obesity,” Easterly said.

American society puts so much emphasis on appearance, linking health and beauty to being slim and fit.

“This can lead to obese individuals feeling unattractive, isolated, lonely and depressed,” Easterly said.

With a McDonalds and Starbucks on every corner, is there any surprise that 25 percent of adults and 30 percent of children — ranging in age from 10 to 17 — are suffering from being overweight or obese.

“I don’t know that I would say it is the primary cause but it is definitely a contributing factor,” Easterly said.

American society has become fast paced and become a culture that revolves around convenience foods and an overabundance of diet options.

“We have taken the healthful components out of food and replaced them with artificial ingredients and preservatives that interfere with our natural cues of hunger as well as our metabolism. We seem to be focused on the quantity versus quality,” Easterly said.

And with so many diets available why is it becoming so hard for people to lose weight? A diet implies a beginning and an end, which is not a successful treatment for obesity.

The only long-term option is to adopt new behaviors that work to establish a new culture around diet and exercise Easterly said.

Also, it is important to consider the impact of ghrelin, an amino acid peptide produced by the stomach that is linked to the secretion of growth hormones, increased food intake, and weight gain.

Ghrelin levels increase during periods of fasting or during negative energy balance, such as starvation or calorie-restricted diets.

“This is a big reason why diets do not work on a long-term basis,” she said.

  • Mesa Legend Staff

    These are archived stories from Mesa Legend editions before Fall 2018. See article for corresponding author.

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