A Weight-y Matter

References

America is so fat ... two-thirds of U.S. adults are officially overweight and about half of those have graduated to full-blown obesity, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). New info from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found in 2006, only four states had a prevalence of obesity less than 20 percent. Twenty-two states had a prevalence equal to or greater than 25 percent—in Mississippi and West Virginia, the prevalence of obesity was equal to or greater than 30 percent. 

America is so fat ... among kids 6 to 19 years old, one in six are overweight, and another 15 percent are headed that way. And studies have found overweight children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults, further weighing down the health care system with concomitant concerns with Type II diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and more. 

America is so fat ... even our pets need Jenny Craig! The National Academy of Science estimates one in four pets is overweight or obese. 

 However, the situation is not funny, and the consequences— much discussed—are even worse. Two recent revelations underscore the seriousness of the issue. A Finnish study in almost 1,300 men and women found teenagers who were obese had up to 38-percent fewer children in adulthood, due to negative effects on fertility.¹ Dutch researchers who examined data from 21 previous studies of 302,000 people revealed being overweight independently increases a person’s risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).² In fact, they found the adverse effects of excess weight on blood pressure and cholesterol levels could account for about 45 percent of the increased risk of CHD. The response of most Americans? Confusion and helplessness. ACNielsen reported in 2006 that 82 percent of consumers acknowledged individuals are the most responsible party for weight gain in the U.S. population; but very few recognize their own weight issues or heed advice to manage their weight and improve their diet. 

Further, many who decided to change their ways find it hard to go all the way. Market research company, InsightExpress, conducted a survey sponsored by PacificHealth Laboratories in which 400 women who had been on at least one diet in the past 24 months were profiled. Over 33 percent of the respondents stayed on a diet for two weeks or fewer, while 67 percent of the respondents lost 10 pounds or less. Half of the individuals in the survey were 20 to 40 pounds overweight. 

Unfortunately, for consumers seeking that “magic pill,” changing diet is a critical component in weight management. Eliminating sugars, watching overall caloric intake and balancing fat consumption are all keys, as is increasing consumption of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. 

Several diets have been studied for their impact on the battle of the bulge. Last year, members of the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine reported vegetarian diets were linked to lower body weight and body mass index (BMI) scores than were diets containing meat.³ The 87 observational studies included also showed lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and other conditions linked to excess weight and obesity. 

Complete with fruits, vegetables, legumes and olive oil, the Mediterranean diet has been hailed for its impact on weight and complications of obesity, including diabetes and heart disease.⁴ Greek scientists observed an inverse relation between adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern and prevalence of obesity in a free-eating, population-based sample of men and women.⁵ Another recent Greek study supported the link, finding the food consumption pattern of overweight children showed less adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet.⁶ 

Another option is eating foods based on glycemic index (GI). Low GI foods are often higher in fiber, supplying more long–term energy and satiety. A Mexican study concluded this approach “might contribute to the prevention of obesity by increasing the perception of satiety, while also improving metabolic control of diabetics,” and was a low-cost approach for the cash-strapped.⁷ 

The low-GI approach is an offshoot of the low carb or Atkins approach, which emphasizes greater protein intake to aid satiety. A 2005 study from the University of Washington’s School of Medicine reported an increased intake of dietary protein to 30 percent of the overall diet, in conjunction with a reduction of dietary fat to 20 percent of the diet, resulted in significant weight loss.⁸ A study out of Maastricht University, Netherlands, reported: “A 20-percent higher protein intake, that is, 18 percent of energy versus 15 percent of energy during weight maintenance after weight loss, resulted in a 50-percent lower body weight regain, only consisting of fat-free mass, and related to increased satiety and decreased energy efficiency.”⁹ 

Specific proteins have also been studied for their impact on weight. Researchers at Taipei Medical University in Taiwan divided 30 obese adults into two groups: a soy-based low-calorie group that consumed soy protein as its only protein source, and a traditional low-calorie group that consumed two-thirds animal protein and one-third plant protein.¹⁰ After eight weeks on the respective diets, the soy group “decreased serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, and had a greater effect on reducing body fat percentage than traditional low-calorie diets.” However, when compared to soy protein, a recent study in Iran concluded “short-term soy-nut consumption improved glycemic control and lipid profiles in postmenopausal women with the metabolic syndrome.”¹¹ 

A dairy diet has shown promise, with research results from the University of Tennessee (UT). A 2004 study noted clinical trials and epidemiologic data shows that three or more daily servings of dairy “result in significant reductions in adipose tissue mass in obese humans in the absence of caloric restriction and markedly accelerate weight and body fat loss secondary to caloric restriction compared with diets low in dairy products.”¹² The researchers added 100 percent whey protein may be more effective in increasing muscle mass and strength, while decreasing fat, compared to casein. UT researchers also observed high calcium diets “elicit a shift in energy partitioning and reduction of weight gain” during the re-feeding of mice induced with obesity, but noted dairy sources of calcium had greater effects.¹³