A study of 1,006 obese children by the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center indicates that unhealthy habits are the cause of the obesity epidemic in children and the results are also directly relateable to adult obesity.
Birmingham and Alabama are the most obese city and state in the union by choice of adults. The children of Birmingham and Alabama are obese by choice of the adults responsible for the children and the children’s choice of food according to the study released on January 31, 2011, in American Heart Journal and reviewed at the EurekaAlert web site.
Some of the study's findings are:
"58 percent of obese children had watched two hours of TV in the previous day, compared to 41 percent of non-obese children. "
"Forty-five percent of obese students always ate school lunch, but only 34 percent of non-obese students ate school lunch."
"fewer obese kids exercised regularly, took physical education classes, or were a member of a sports team."
"More than 30 percent had consumed regular soda the previous day, and less than half remembered eating two portions of fruits and vegetables within the past 24 hours."
"Only one-third of students said they exercised for 30 minutes for five days in the previous week."
Obesity is linked to lifestyle not genetics.
Race, sex, leptin deficiency, and other social and health factors play an insignificant role compared to health habits. Health habits are a result of decision not genetically programmed. Health habits are not a result of poverty but may be a result of lack of education and a refusal to make use of that education in a constructive manner.
Who pays? Everyone pays. The child pays with poor health and an early death, the parents pay, and every taxpayer pays for treatment of a condition that is predominately a result of choice.
Alabama has a plethora of weight loss programs that are federally and state sponsored. Michele Obama’s direct participation in one such program was shown to be a failure in Alabama because the rate of obesity increased in Alabama in 2010.
The problem is not genetics it is self will run riot.
Authors:
Taylor F. Eagle, Roopa Gurm, M.S., Caren S. Goldberg, M.D., Jean DuRussell-Weston, R.N., M.P.H., Eva Kline-Rogers, R.N., LaVaughn Palma-Davis, M.A., Susan Aaronson, M.S., Catherine Fitzgerald, M.P.H., Lindsey R. Mitchell, M.P.H., Bruce Rogers, Patricia Bruenger, Elizabeth Jackson, M.D., and Kim A. Eagle, M.D.
Reference:
"Health status and behavior among middle-school children in a Midwest community: What are the underpinnings of childhood obesity?" American Heart Journal, Vol. 160, Issue 6, December 2010. http://www.ahjonline.com/article/S0002-8703(10)00888-4/abstract
In a press release on January 31, 2010, the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners (ABMA) was informed of the opposition of American Society of Bariatric Physicians (ASBP) in Alabama to the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners program that recommend diet and exercise alone. "The ASBP believes that diet and exercise alone rarely work for treatment in overweight and obese patients" and have prepared a special research paper that emphasizes the use of drugs in combination with exercise and diet.
THE ABMA program would reduce direct costs to patient and taxpayer and is consistent with the most recent (same day) findings from the University of Michigan. Could it be the ASBP would lose money if people lost weight without using their services and drugs?
Comments