Obesity risks higher in poorer areas

The rates of obesity and diabetes can depend on one’s living area, a new research suggests. According to the study, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, moving to more affluent areas may lower the risk of gaining weight and developing diabetes, whereas a poorer environment can increase those risks.

Even though the study does not explore the relation between permanent living in various regions, its findings about moving to areas with better socioeconomic conditions are quite conclusive. The researchers think that the results may have some important implications for the potential reduction of obesity and diabetes prevalence.

Poverty is linked to Obesity

More than 4,500 mothers living in public housing in poor areas in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York were monitored for a period of 20 years for the research.

The results indicate that only 16% of those who moved to a better-off neighbourhood developed diabetes, whereas the figures stood at 20% for those wh o did not change their accommodation. Similarly, the rates of obesity were lower in those who moved – 14%, compared to 18% in the non-migrant group.

According to the researchers, the study proves that people’s health is more heavily influenced by the living environment than by genetics. That is why, moving to an area with better living conditions may have a positive influence over health, the duration of life and stress, they claim.

Using pushchairs for too long can lead to obesity

Parents are being advised to encourage their pre-schoolers to walk and get rid of pushchairs, in order to prevent obesity and other health problems that children might develop.

Anne Milton, the public minister for health, thinks that children should walk on their own at the age of three and it is parents’ responsibility to teach their kids to eat healthy food, to be physically active and later, to walk to school. Although she agrees that local authorities have a role to play, adopting a generally more healthy lifestyle in the family could be key for obesity prevention in childhood.

Strollers have been blamed for causing childhood obesity

The latest data available from the Department of Public Health shows that in England more than one in 10 children between the ages of two and ten are obese, with numbers soaring to one in five at the age of 11 and over. Statistics show that obesity very often onsets well before school age, so it is never too early for prevention.

The UK’s chief medical officer, Professor Dame S ally Davies, said that in order to stay fit, young children should stay active for at least three hours daily but data indicates that only one-third meet that requirement. At the same time, children eat significantly larger quantities of food, compared to previous generations.

Parents often rely on pushchairs for time-saving purposes, but they should rather consider investing in their children’s health, experts believe.

Families may benefit from one member’s Weight Loss Surgery

A new US study has suggested that when one member of a family undergoes bariatric (weight loss) surgery, other members may lose weight as well. The study, led by Dr John Morton of Stanford University, was presented in this months’ Archives of Surgery.

After having a weight loss surgery, patients need to follow a strict diet, eating only healthy products, because their ability to process food is typically very limited following the procedure. This makes it much more likely that the entire family makes more sensible food choices and in result, lose weight.

The report chimes in with related research, revealing that weight loss is socially contagious. Figures show that if a husband and wife join a weight-loss programme together, they are going to shed more pounds on average, compared to cases of only one spouse slimming down.

The positive effect of bariatric surgery was observed not only in weight, but also in waist circumference, physical activity levels, al cohol consumption and impulsive eating control. There was even a slight downturn in children’s TV watching time, showing that the effect was noticeable in all aspects of the family’s lifestyle.

The researchers conclude that the so-called ‘halo effect’ of weight loss surgery could prove a powerful tool for reducing obesity levels and raising awareness of the positive effect of weight loss.

UK Government's anti-obesity campaign faces criticism

Shortly after the UK government’s campaign to called on people to be more responsible about their own health and urged Britons to eat less and exercise more, critics from various organisations and sectors of industry have opposed the campaign, labelling it “naive” and “inadequate” .

The strongest negative reaction came from TV chef Jamie Oliver, who has been leading an anti-obesity campaign of his own for a few months now. He called the campaign “patronising rubbish” because it tells people what they already know. He added that the country’s health will only be heading for the worse, if appropriate actions are not taken soon.

The associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, Dr Mike Knapton, also opposed the government’s call by saying that simply cutting down on calories will not be effective, as there are other things to take into account, like saturated fats, for instance. He expressed his conviction that the food and drink industry should have a significant role to play.

Many experts and organisations have supported the idea of clearer food product labelling, indicating the amount of salt, sugar and saturated fat included, thus facilitating healthier choices for consumers.

The negative reactions followed a recent statement made by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, who announced that reducing obesity levels by 2020 was an ambition for the whole country but added that he did not support the opinion that food and drink manufacturers should be involved. Instead, he thought that people should take care of themselves.

Obese girls more prone to high blood pressure than boys

Obesity has a more serious impact on the blood pressure in girls than in boys, a US study presented at the American Physiological Society conference has revealed.

The study found out that teenage girls with excessive weight were three times more likely to develop high blood pressure than obese boys at the same age. This also suggests that the risk of heart disease and stroke later in life is greater in teenage girls. The results from the study could have serious implications for the UK health system, as one in three British teenagers are either overweight or obese, according to data from the British Heart Foundation.

Obese Girls Are More Prone to High Blood Pressure

More than 1,700 students, aged 13-17, participated in a project for health check-ups in district schools, in which the teenagers’ body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure were measured. Results indicate that high pressure rates were 3.5 times higher in obese boys than in their normal-weight peers, whereas it was 9 times higher in obese girls, compa red to non-obese ones.

According to one of the researchers from the University of California, these findings may challenge the previously held belief that the female hormone oestrogen had a protective effect on the heart. In addition, the study also concludes that teenage girls are 50-60% less physically active than boys, which can explain the higher risk of heart problems they face.

Gastric Bypasses better for Appetite Control than Gastric Bands

Gastric bypass surgery may prove more effective in appetite control than gastric band surgery, according to a recent UK study, presented at the Obesity Society’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.

A team of British doctors examined patients who had undergone one of the two types of weight loss surgeries and people who had not had any weight loss procedure and compared their brain scan data and eating habits. The results show that gastric bypass patients found it easier to eat healthily because they did not feel any need to eat sweets and high-calorie products.

The results from the study demonstrate that gastric bypass patients lost more weight for a shorter period of time, compared to gastric band patients. In addition, the first group felt it easier to resist the temptation to eat sweets and junk food and to eat between meals. Gastric band patients, on the other hand, reported having more difficulties in eating healthy food only and avoiding poor quality prod ucts.

The two types of weight loss surgery are quite different in nature. The gastric bypass operation removes a part of the patient’s stomach and directly connects it to the small intestine, thus reducing the stomach’s capacity. The gastric band surgery is more common because it is reversible and simpler to perform – there is a silicon band wrapped around the top of the stomach, thus making it possible for the patient to feel full after eating very small amounts of food.

However, why the two types of surgeries have different results on weight loss and self-control is not yet clear.

Modern weight loss methods lead to inconclusive results

A review of various studies of about 4,000 people internationally, reveals that the most frequently suggested step-by-step behavioural strategy to lose weight does not grant good results.

The results from these studies were analysed by The Cochrane Library, which concluded that the model, typically recommended by clinics and physicians, leads to the loss of 2 kilos (4.4 lbs) on average. The researchers looked at studies from the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, the US and the UK which involved 1,834 obese patients and 2,076 people of normal weight.

The authors of the study, Prof Azeem Majeed and Dr Nik Tuah of Imperial College London, claimed that there is no direct link between weight loss and the popular method.

The method, which is called the transtheoretical model stages of change, encourages patients to adopt healthier forms of behaviour by realising the need for change and implementing it. It has been known to have helped people stop smoking or abuse alcohol.

However, most nutritionists agree that behavioural changes are not enough for effective weight loss. It would be very difficult to shed the excessive weight without cutting down on food portions and not exercising regularly, commented the spokesperson for the British Nutritional Foundation.

Moreover, Prof Majeed commented that it is extremely difficult to change people’s nutrition habits and this is one of the reasons why obesity is so serious a problem in many countries.