Obesity from 1985-2009

An short video clip that can be found on the Center for Disease Control's website that show the ever expanding problem of obesity from state to state from 1985 on to 2009. According to the Center for Disease Control, in 1985 there were no states in the US above the 15% obesity (BMI greater than 30) mark. By 2009 there was only one state BELOW the 20% mark. Even though we spent nearly $47 billion trying to "solve it." Apparently we are doing something wrong.

The Growth of American Food Portions

http://www.visualnews.com/2012/01/25/the-growth-of-american-food-portions/

It’s no secret that waistlines and food portions have been ballooning across America, the land of the free and home of the artery clogging super-sized value menu. The last few decades have seen a massive shift in the thinking of American consumers, restaurants, fast-food chains and food manufacturers. The emphasis has changed into giving the consumer more food for less money; hasn’t anyone noticed that a small soda has turned into a medium, a medium into a large, and so on? This focus on more for less doesn’t just stop at out-of-home options either: packaged food companies are making portions larger, plates are getting bigger, and we’re so surrounded by this growth that we don’t know how much we really need to eat.

Why is eating more a problem? Because the obesity prevalence in the US has been growing steadily since the 60s; in the US, obesity has grown from 14% in 1960, to 35% in 2005. A study by the American Medical Association has shown that the worst offenders are packaged foods like salty snacks, fruit juice drinks, and soft drinks. Manufacturers of these packaged goods are among the top culprits making us fat.

There is one question that needs to be answered: Do bigger portions really make us eat more? Absolutely. Short-term studies show subjects consumed 30% more food when given a larger portion (see the pizza example below), and the problem with that is, even though people are eating more, they are feeling 0% fuller, and regularly eating the larger portion after a year will make someone 8.3 pounds fatter. Here, we take a closer look at how portions have grown over the years, and how we can regain control.

The Journal of the American Medical Associationhttp://www.visualnews.com/2012/01/25/the-growth-of-american-food-portions/

This goes back to what I discussed earlier in the semester in regards to eating with our eyes and not our stomachs. I think at one point or another we are all guilty of this, but as Americans we are greedy in the sense that we waste so much food each year versus other countries. A question that really interest me in regards to obesity is: why are do food portions continue to grow? Why does the food and beverage industry feel they must continue to make larger, fattier portions of food? An interesting theory I've read up on is that many of these items are packed with sugar and salt, in return some researchers believe that these two ingredients have the ability  trick the senses into believing the body is still hungry. As a result the human body consumes more than they should. Another additional theory is that of the sugar substitute, high fructose corn syrup. Some researcher speculate that high fructose corn syrup triggers the mind into believing that the human body is still hungry when in reality it is not. Some of these are just a few problems to the ever expanding issue of obesity. Obviously there are multiple variables that influence the obesity epidemic in the United States, but identifying some of the most basic problems is an important step in reducing the obesity epidemic.

Prevention: Doctor’s Weight Affects Obesity Diagnoses

In this article posted in the New York Times, the research findings concluded that overweight doctors may be less likely than other physicians to discuss diet and exercise with patients, and less likely to make a diagnosis of obesity. The researchers surveyed a random sample of 498 general practitioners and internists, more than half of whom were overweight themselves, about their diagnosis and treatment of overweight patients. They found that at times, doctors more frequently made a diagnosis of obesity when a patient’s weight was higher than their own, and overweight doctors were less likely to believe a patient would follow their diet advice.

This brings me back to what I had previously discussed in an earlier post, where obesity is becoming more of social norm in today’s society. What I take away from this article is that doctors who are overweight feel that they may not need to address the topic of obesity to many of their clients, due to the simple fact that they are overweight. Perhaps they wake up every day and they see themselves in the mirror, thus they are used to seeing themselves as overweight or obese, in return they don't address this topic to their patients because they have it fixated in their head that being overweight or obese is somewhat normal. Perhaps they are more concerned with addressing topics that are related to obesity such as high blood pressure or diabetes. In return they prescribe medicine to their patients to lower high blood pressure or treat diabetes, when in reality the first step to help reduce a lot of these problems is addressing the patients eating habits and daily routines.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/20/health/research/overweight-doctors-less-likely-to-address-obesity.html?_r=1