Obesity Epidemic

June 18, 2014

Obesity Epidemic-Modern Sitting Furniture

We are using seats everywhere we are without knowing that some of these seat are the source of our health problems like obesity and weight gain

Did you know that the comfort of your living room, office, eateries and the like could be the reason why you can’t have proper control of your weight? Thanks to modernity we can today afford to live a life full of comforts around us. Take for example the kind of seats you use in your house, office, hotels, in your car, buses, planes and locomotives if the pocket allows you would go for the very best that would offer you the maximum comfort. This is the problem begins and for the purpose of this article we will be discussing the possible effects of our desired seat comfort and the endless problem of weight gain and obesity so stay tuned and let us learn together. If you were to carry out a simple research today beginning with your own family you would probably if not definitely find that the seats in our homes and offices are very comfortable, soft and nice looking to sit on, it may be very difficult if not impossible to find firm wooden seats being used in our families today. What we may not know is that these comfortable seats as we call them are a great threat to good health, they are associated with the problem of weight gain and obesity and we all know the problems those suffering from obesity or weight gain goes through. Tracing the kind of life our ancestors lived in relation to today’s life style weight gain was never a problem as matter of facts there was under weight. They were using firm wooden furniture without the arm’s length and back rest which the day’s generation considers uncomfortable, what amazes me is that there was no weight related problem and less incidences of certain types of diseases that to an epidemical proportion affects the industrialized world today.

Obesity Epidemic-The traditional seats

It must be noted that sitting for a significant amount of time on modern sitting furniture result in adverse musculoskeletal changes and studies have found that adverse musculoskeletal changes cause excessive weight gain. I talked of our ancestors but bring it nearer to just a few decades ago and quite recently, even in the western industrialized world, sitting furniture consisted mainly of chairs or benches with a solid seat surface. I strong believe that we are in agreement that just a few decades ago, upholstered sitting furniture’s like the arm chair, sofa and couch were uncommon office furniture let alone household furniture’s. In most societies in the developing world the kinds of furniture used consisted of very simple seats with three leg or four legs without the back or arm rest. These industrious seats like the sofa, couch, armchair, rocking chair or even the chairs fitted with backrest were a luxury that could only be associated with a small population of the rich who could afford them. The true picture is that the majority of the world’s populations were using chairs with a wooden seat and wooden benches, and in the last few decades huge changes have happened.

Obesity Epidemic-Upholstered furniture

Not so long ago, even in the industrialized world, the upholstered furniture was affordable only to rich people. Nowadays, due to the advancement in technology, production and economic prosperity, it is available to a great percentage of the world’s population because of the drastic reduction of their cost. The economic prosperity has come with great changes and diversifications of how we live. We have replaced the traditional sitting furniture with modern ones consisting of chairs with an upholstered seat surface, like sofa, arm chair, couch, etc. if you were to interrogate technology of producing today’s upholstered sitting furniture is vastly different from the manufacturing technology that was used just a few decades ago. As a matter of fact lot long ago all upholstered sitting furniture were made using spring systems. The expensive sitting furniture was made using eight-way hand-tied springs that offer a firmer seat and a sitting position. The less expensive sitting furniture was made using sinuous springs that offers a softer seat. The current technology has tactfully eliminated the use of eight way hand tied spring and sinuous springs in a bid to cut on cost and has resorted in the cheap method of stuffing or padding with soft fuelling, mostly using polyurethane foam which are less costly. Even though a few furniture are still being made using springs these are very expensive and a preserved of the very rich leaving the majority with the upholstery of the cheap sitting furniture consists of high density polyurethane foams wrapped in fabrics that provides far softer seats compared with the sitting furniture that is made by using the spring system. The element of cost has drastically revolutionized the quality of seats in that it is less and less common for chairs to have a firm surface of the seat and most chairs have a soft upholstered seat. This revolution has not only replaced the old sitting furniture with the less costly version of modern sitting furniture’s in households, but also in public places like schools, universities, restaurants etc. chairs with a firm seat surface are replaced with the less costly version of sitting furniture that have a soft upholstered seat. This has really increased the current generation vulnerability to weight gain and obesity and all other complications associated with the two. Obesity Epidemic-Overweight and Obesity Funnily enough the changes that have taken place in the life style and food is not too much in relation to the ones that took place in the sitting furniture revolution. Let’s us get a bit of insight of this aspect even as we try to understand the implications of weight gain and obesity in the whole process. Just not long ago (a few decades) the greater population of people suffering from overweight and obesity came from the bracket of the rich and wealthy people while it is the rich who could afford the upholstered sitting furniture. Nonetheless obesity was rare and morbid obesity was inexistent the reason for this being, the seats of the upholstered sitting furniture were far less soft compared to today’s cheap version of upholstered sitting furniture. What a contrast that:

Today the expensive upholstered furniture is made by using the same technology that was used a few decades ago.
Today the prevalence of obesity among the poor population is not much different than what was the case a few decades ago.
The primary reasons for that is that they still use sitting furniture that is manufactured using the same system that was used a few decades ago.

Things have really changed and today in the developed world the most obese and particularly morbidly obese people are mostly found among the less affluent population. The primary reason for that is because they mostly use the less costly modern sitting furniture. During the time when sitting furniture was made mainly from wood without upholstering and mostly without back support, at the same time among the poor and the middle class population, obesity was unknown. During those times, the problem among the less poor population was mostly being underweight and not overweight, and severe obesity or morbid obesity was extremely rare. In the developed world, modern less costly sitting furniture is the main factor that has caused the less poor population to be affected with overweightness and obesity to a far greater extent than the rich population. Modern upholstered sitting furniture, particularly cheap versions that includes upholstered chair, armchair, sofa and couch are the main contributing factors for the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity throughout the world.

Obesity Epidemic-Gene

It is known that overweight and obese parents are more likely to have overweight and obese children. The main reason for that is that parents and children use the same sitting furniture. The obesity epidemic is mainly caused by the widespread use of modern upholstered sitting furniture. Particularly, the less costly version of upholstered sitting furniture is the main cause for the obesity epidemic and it is one of the primary factors that are responsible for the higher rate of obesity among the less poor population and regular or increased physical activity is not enough to counteract to the adverse consequences of prolonged sitting on the modern style of upholstered sitting furniture. Dietary intervention for weight management makes the problems worse. As we conclude on this article of great revelation, I want to encourage you that technology has brought with it lots of good and bad things in our lives, weight gain and obesity is just one among many. You and your friends need to seek guidance from the experts, you need not to be obese for you to do this but it is good to be full of knowledge even before the problem knocks on your door step. Taking your time to visit or call AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care who is also the founder will help you clear the air and be equipped with all the necessary information you need to be safe from obesity and weight related problems. And if you are obese then doctor Akoury together with her team of experts will help you get better while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE.

Obesity Epidemic-Modern Sitting Furniture

Carbohydrates and body weight

May 28, 2014

Carbohydrates and body weight-How it affects weight gain and weight loss

Carbohydrates are essential for a well-balanced diet and healthy body

Carbohydrates are essential for a well-balanced diet and healthy body. They provide the only fuel source for many vital organs, including the brain, central nervous system and kidneys. The digestive system breaks down carbohydrates into glucose and the pancreas secretes a hormone called insulin to help the glucose move from the blood into the cells.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Why Do Carbohydrates Make You Gain Weight?

The popular phrase that “you are what you eat” many not be true when it comes to weight gain and fat storage. Dietary fat is not necessarily stored as body fat, while carbohydrates are easily stored as body fat. Carbohydrates are found in many of the foods typically consumed in most of our families’ diet. High-carb breakfast foods include breakfast cereals, toast, jam, milk, yogurt, granola bars and fruits, and other meals may also include large amounts of carbohydrates, such as bread, pizza crust, rice, potatoes and pasta. Looking at the ingredient content of this food stuff you will notice that they are real source of weight gain and possibly obesity.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Increased Hunger

One of the reasons why carbohydrates lead to weight gain is the fact that their consumption leaves people feeling hungry and how does this take place? The consumption of carbohydrates results in the release of insulin into the body system and insulin has the tendency of removing the nutrients from the bloodstream in the expectation or to create room for the arrival of more nutrients, this practice will always leave people feeling not quite satiated – even hungry. When the body feels hungry and unsatisfied, the habit or desire for food will be created because of the hunger being felt. This way one is likely to continue eating time and again and as a result gain more weight in the process.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Carbohydrate Addiction

The consumption of carbohydrates can actually cause an addiction for many people, because of the serotonin release they induce. Serotonin is a brain chemical that improves the mood and induces a relaxing effect by decreasing stress and anxiety as well as reducing pain. People with low serotonin levels may therefore reach for more and more carbohydrates in an attempt to feel better, which can eventually lead to weight gain.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Fat Storage

After eating carbohydrates, the pancreas responds by producing insulin, which is mainly responsible for regulating blood sugar levels by letting the carbohydrates broken down into sugar; enter the cells of the liver and muscles to be used for energy. High levels of circulating insulin, which are associated with the consumption of carbohydrates, help with the storage of carbohydrates and excess calories not required for immediate use as fat. In other words, carbohydrates promote the release of insulin, which in turn promotes fat storage.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Low Carbohydrate Diets for Weight Loss

Many studies have proven the effectiveness of diets with a lower carbohydrate intake for weight loss, according to a study published in 2008 in the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” Obese men were assigned to either a very low carbohydrate intake, with 4 percent of the calories as carbohydrates, or a moderate carbohydrate diet, with about 35 percent of the calories as carbohydrates. Although participants were allowed to eat to satiety in both groups, the group with the lowest carbohydrate intake lost significantly more weight in four weeks, about 14 lbs. compared to 9.6 lbs. in the moderate-carbohydrate group. The researchers conducting this study found that diets with a very low carbohydrate intake and higher fat intake resulted in significantly less hunger, which facilitates the weight loss process.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Short term effects of low carbohydrate diets

In the short term, low-carbohydrate diets may cause you to lose weight because they restrict kilojoules or energy. The body begins to use body stores of glucose and glycogen (from the liver and muscles) to replace the carbohydrates it is not getting from food. Around 3 g of water is needed to release 1g of glycogen, so the rapid initial weight loss on a low-carbohydrate diet is mostly water, not body fat.

As carbohydrate stores are used up, the body begins to rely on other sources of fuel such as fat. This can lead to the development of ketones in the body, which can make the body acidic. This can lead to metabolic changes, which may be dangerous for some people, such as those with diabetes.

Some people may also experience problems with a low-carbohydrate diet, including:

Nausea
Dizziness
Constipation
Lethargy
Dehydration
Bad breath
Loss of appetite.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Long term effects of low carbohydrate diets

A diet low in carbohydrates but high in saturated fat is a bit uncertain and the potential effect on human’s life is currently not known however some experts believe that it is a recipe for a heart attack. Because of the uncertainty more research is needed to bring clarity to the safety of very low carbohydrate diets. Nevertheless some of the possible long term effects may include the following:

Weight gain – when a normal diet is resumed, some muscle tissue is rebuilt, water is restored and weight quickly returns.

High cholesterol, abdominal obesity and obesity-related disorders – diets that are high in protein and fats are associated with a number of conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. This can occur if the diet is very high in fat, particularly from high-fat meats such as salami, sausages and bacon.
Kidney problems – can occur in people with impaired kidney function or diabetes.
Osteoporosis and related conditions – are due to loss of calcium from the bones.

Carbohydrates and body weight-Weight loss needs a healthy approach

A diet high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and low-fat dairy products, and moderate in fat and kilojoules, is the best way to lose weight and keep it off.

Vegetarians and people who consume predominantly plant-based diets are generally slimmer and have much lower rates of obesity, heart disease and cancer, compared to people who eat meat-based diets. This supports current thinking that diets high in unrefined carbohydrates help to prevent overweight and obesity.

Ultimately, to avoid weight gain, energy intake should not be more than energy output over a period of time. Avoiding large portion sizes and limiting intake of saturated fats and added sugars will help keep energy intake in check. Regular exercise is also critical for long-term weight loss success. For more in-depth information about weight gain and weight loss doctor Dalal Akoury of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center will be very resourceful for you and your loved ones. Doctor Akoury and her team of experts will be there for you to help you in all stages of your weight condition while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE.

Carbohydrates and body weight-How it affects weight gain and weight loss

Obesity Prevention Sources

May 10, 2014

Obesity Prevention Sources-Developmental Origins

Obesity does not discriminate on any line prevention of obesity is better than cure especially in children

Obesity is a condition which has been for a long time been seen to be a problem of choice and an unfortunate failure of will and self-restraint by many in the society. However it has much deeper and more complex roots, which we are going to discuss in this article so that we get to know more about the origins of obesity. For instance genes clearly play a role in driving an individual’s propensity to gain excess weight, as does the environment and gene environment interactions. Early-life influences, beginning with the intrauterine environment and continuing through the first few years of life, also shape the trajectory of weight gain and body fatness throughout the life course.

If a mother smokes during pregnancy or gains too much weight, there’s a greater chance that her child will be obese. Lack of sleep or too-rapid weight gain during infancy may also increase obesity risk. A proposal has been made by researchers that coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and other chronic diseases develop in part due to inadequate nutrition during life and infancy.

The gathered data is showing that higher birth weight is also associated with obesity, diabetes, and other adult diseases has helped extend this concept into the developmental origins hypothesis which encompasses the preconception period as well as many critical periods of fetal and infant development. During each of these periods, several factors appear to have a substantial impact on obesity in childhood and adulthood. I will be discussing some of the outlines of the key prenatal and early life influences on the development of adult weight and obesity, I want therefore to request you to keep reading and be adequately informed at the end of this article.

Obesity Prevention Sources-Prenatal Influences on Obesity

The warm, nutrient- and hormone-rich environment of the uterus has a profound effect on fetal development. Brief or fluctuating changes in the intrauterine environment at critical or sensitive periods of the developmental process, as well as longer term alterations, could have irreversible, lifelong consequences. Three modifiable prenatal factors that appear to shape fetal nutrition and health in later life are:

The mother’s smoking habits during pregnancy.
The mother’s weight gain during pregnancy.
The mother’s blood sugar levels during pregnancy, specifically, when she develops pregnancy-related (gestational) diabetes.

It makes intuitive sense that the mother’s diet during pregnancy should also affect fetal development and birth weight, but evidence for this is inconsistent.

Obesity Prevention Sources-Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy and Child Obesity Risk

Although smoking during pregnancy tends to slow the rate of fetal growth children born of women who smoke during pregnancy are more likely to be obese than the children of women who don’t. In a meta-analysis of 14 studies, maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with a 50 percent higher risk of childhood obesity. Most of the studies looked at children’s obesity status at ages 3 to 7; one study assessed obesity at age 14, and another tracked the children all the way to young adulthood.

Obesity Prevention Sources-Gestational Weight Gain and Childhood Obesity Risk

Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is more common now than it was in 1990 when the Institute of Medicine (IOM) first offered recommendations for pregnancy-related weight gain. In addition, more women are beginning pregnancy overweight or obese. These worrisome changes prompted the IOM to reevaluate what constitutes healthy weight gain during pregnancy, with new evidence suggesting that weight gain once considered normal by the IOM actually increases the risk of childhood obesity. Further studies revealed that children born of women who gained excessive amount of weight had above four times risk of being overweight at age 3 compared with children born of women who gained an inadequate amount of weight. Even women who gained what was considered to be an adequate amount of weight bore children who were nearly four times more likely to be overweight at age 3 than children of women who gained an inadequate amount of weight.

Obesity Prevention Sources-Gestational Diabetes and Child Obesity Risk

Weight gained during pregnancy is primarily adipose (fat) tissue. Proliferation of adipose tissue is often accompanied by a state of relative insulin resistance starting in mid-pregnancy. This adaptive response allows for more efficient transfer of glucose and other fuels across the placenta, so the fetus can grow. But it may also subject the fetus to periods of high blood glucose and elevated insulin. These can lead to increased body fat, which generally manifests as larger size at birth. Many studies show that birth weight is directly associated with later BMI, so it makes sense that gestational diabetes in a mother may contribute to obesity in her child.

Maternal BMI at the beginning of pregnancy is a strong risk factor for offspring obesity and other conditions. Once pregnancy begins, however, it is not a modifiable factor and no one is recommending that women try to lose weight during pregnancy. That is why achieving a healthy BMI before pregnancy begins is one of the most important goals for preventing obesity across generations.

Postnatal Influences on Obesity

Environmental influences don’t stop with birth. Instead, they merely shift from a small, confined space largely controlled by the mother’s genes, lifestyle, and physiology to an unbounded environment with equally influential effects. Three modifiable postnatal factors during infancy that influence weight in later life include

How rapidly an infant gains weight.
How long an infant is breast fed.
How much an infant sleep.

Breastfeeding and Obesity Risk

The initiation and duration of breastfeeding may influence obesity in later life, although this is a controversial area of research. In two meta-analyses of breastfeeding versus bottle feeding, breastfeeding was associated with a 13 percent and a 22 percent reduced risk of obesity in later life. Duration of breastfeeding may matter: A meta-analysis of 17 studies of breastfeeding duration found that each additional month that infants were breastfed was associated with a 4 percent lower risk of obesity later in life.

It is not clear that breastfeeding itself actually prevents obesity, however, as both breastfeeding and obesity may be influenced by similar socioeconomic and cultural factors. Although debate lingers over whether breastfeeding protects against childhood obesity, breastfeeding has many other proven health benefits for infants and their mothers, and it should be promoted regardless of its relationship to childhood obesity.

Healthy Behaviors During and Even Before Pregnancy Can Help Prevent Obesity

Nutrition and other lifestyle factors during several early periods in the lifecycle just before conception, the months spent in utero, and the months after birth can have profound effects on an individual’s weight at birth, during childhood, and on into adulthood. These are also potentially optimal times for intervention, for two reasons:

Women may be more receptive to making lifestyle changes as they prepare to get pregnant and when they are pregnant to increase the likelihood of having a healthy baby. And after giving birth, many women are willing to make substantial changes to raise a healthy infant. Here are five key messages for clinicians to give to women of childbearing age that could help improve their health and the health of their children, and limit the current epidemic of obesity:

Strive for a healthy weight before pregnancy.
Don’t smoke during pregnancy.
Aim for a reasonable weight gain during pregnancy.
Breastfeed (preferably without other liquids for 4–6 months and some breastfeeding for at least 12 months).
Ensure infants get adequate sleep during the first few years of life.

Finally as I conclude this article, having known the causes you can evaluate yourself and if you feel disturbed by your weight you can visit AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care for treatment. You will be handles with experts who will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE to make you get better and enjoy your life to the fullest.

Obesity Prevention Sources-Developmental Origins

Obesity and the immune system

May 2, 2014

Obesity and the immune system-How does it happen?

You are healthy when you have strong immune system and physical activities helps sustain it.

The general humanity is informed of the significance effects of obesity on various diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer, sleep apnea and more recently, fatty liver disease but probably many may not be aware of the effects of obesity on our immune system and this is what we want to find out in this article, all I ask of you to keep on the site and keep reading. Recent studies in humans affected by obesity and obese animal models have shown an impaired immune response or immune function leading to increased chances for various infections. However the cause of this has not been well defined. Let us review what is currently known about this possible harmful effect that obesity has on the body.

Obesity and the immune system-Nutrition and Immune Function
you probably have heard the phrase “Eat an apple a day; you will keep the doctor away.” This is actually true. Studies do show that eating a diet that is high in fiber and antioxidants (fruits and vegetables) and has enough protein helps to keep your immune system working properly. Specific micronutrients such as iron, selenium, zinc, copper, as well as vitamins C, A, E, B-6 and folic acid have important roles in the body’s immune response.

Feeding on foods rich in sugar and fat or consuming too many calories make you more prone to infection. This is because it can lead to increases in blood sugar or may cause oxidative damage. Oxidative damage is an overproduction of reactive oxygen species compared to the body’s ability to detoxify cells. This type of damage from oxygen increases your chances of infection.

You will be at risk of protein energy malnutrition if you have too little protein intake. This has also been associated with significant impairments of immunity. It is commonly thought that malnutrition cannot happen in an individual affected by obesity; however, deficiencies and malnutrition happen because of a poor diet. Therefore, deficiencies could very well occur in any individual who eats poorly, no matter their weight.

Obesity and the immune system-Good diet to help your immunity

If you are affected by obesity, decrease your calories to help facilitate weight-loss.
Decrease simple carbohydrates such as: sweets, goodies, baked goods, sugar sweetened beverages, sugar, honey, jams, jelly, etc.
Decrease excess “bad” (saturated or trans) fats commonly found in: commercial baked goods, processed or fried foods, cheese, whole and 2% milk, ice cream, cream, fatty meats (beef and pork products), butter and margarine. Bad fats are also found in some vegetable oils – coconut, palm and palm kernel oil.
Eat two cups of whole fruit per day and at least three cups of vegetables per day.
Drink or eat three cups of low-fat (1% or skim) liquid dairy or dairy alternative per day (light yogurt, low-fat or fat-free milk). Eat two to three ounces of lean meat or beans with two meals per day (three ounces = deck of cards).
Drink at least 60 to 80 ounces of water per day.

Obesity and the immune system-Physical activities and Immune Function
Exercise and health go hand-in-hand. We have all heard that exercise helps fight diseases such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, cancer, sleep disturbances, mood and obesity itself. In general, people who exercise and are physically active throughout the day tend to live longer, healthier lives. There is also evidence that exercise does improve immune function. Studies have shown that exercise seemed to increase numbers of certain immune cells that help to bolster immune activity.

Moderate exercise has been reported to increase certain immune cells, reducing the risk of infection. On the other hand too intense of exercise (without adequate rest) has actually been shown to increase stress on the body and cause a person to be more at-risk to infection.

Obesity and the immune system-Obesity and Immune function
A person affected by obesity that eats healthy and exercises is still at risk for decreasing immune function. Obesity itself has been shown to impair immunity in some studies. Some of these specific findings include:

Decreased cytokine production
Altered monocyte and lymphocyte function
Natural killer cell dysfunction
Reduced macrophage and dendritic cell function
Decreased response to antigen/mitogen stimulation

Now, you may be saying to yourself, “What does all that mean?” The bottom line is studies have shown impaired immune response in animals and people affected by obesity, leading to increased risks of infection. The exact cause of these findings is not known. Obesity is an extremely complex disease and many processes and pathways are altered, any of which could affect the immune system.

Population studies have shown the same things. For instance, hospitalized patients affected by obesity are more likely to develop secondary infections and complications, such as sepsis, pneumonia, bacteremia, and wound and catheter infections. Overall, it appears that obesity may increase risk for bacterial and viral infections. Severe obesity, in and of itself, has also been named a risk factor for increased severity of infection and death from the H1N1 influenza strain. Those affected by obesity may also be at risk for viruses like H1N1 because of less of an immune response to vaccinations, although it has not been studied to date.

Obesity and the immune system-Vaccines and Obesity
How does vaccine work? It does by introducing a killed or weakened form of disease to the immune system. The killed or weakened disease is not strong enough to produce symptoms or signs of the disease, but the vaccine does stimulate production of antibodies to protect against the disease if you come in contact with it in the future.

A lot of work has been done regarding hepatitis B vaccines in regards to obesity, in which studies show strong evidence that individuals affected by obesity have a very high non-response rate to vaccination. This means after the introduction of the non-active virus to the individual’s immune systems, the disease fighting antibodies are not produced to the extent they need to be to protect against the disease.

In a person affected by obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30-39), studies have shown that it takes a more potent hepatitis B vaccine in order to come close to the response rate of a standard single dose therapy in an individual with a BMI less than 30 (overweight). Finally the exact cause of how obesity affects the immune system is unknown. One theory is the type of fat that you have, as not all fat is created equal. White adipose tissue (WAT) is usually found in higher levels in people who are affected by obesity. Several studies show that WAT has many functions, including regulation of inflammatory processes. When the body has excess WAT, chronic inflammation makes it harder for the body to fight off infections.

Well known links exist between diet, exercise and immune function. Eating healthier and incorporating moderate exercise can help to increase your immune function; however, now it is known that obesity itself (diet or genetic induced) decreases immunity leading to increased risk of bacterial and viral infection as well as decreased responsiveness to some vaccinations. The good news is that amidst all these several studies at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury. You will be cared for and have your life restored while focusing on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE.

Obesity and the immune system-How does it happen?

Childhood Obesity and the Environment

April 15, 2014

Childhood Obesity and the Environment-Determinant factors

Remove all the obesity incentives within the environment for children. Research findings associate childhood obesity to the environment.

We are living in a very unpredictable world when it comes to physical health of the entire humanity. Every parent wish is to raise a healthy family and most importantly the good health of the children. The health complications among children is a serious concern to parents and this is going to form the basis of our discussion in this article focusing on obesity among children and the effects of their environment as a determinant factor.

New evidence is confirming that the environment children live in has a greater impact than factors such as genetics, insufficient physical activity or other elements in efforts to control child obesity. Three new studies, published in the April 8 Pediatrics, land on the import of the ‘nurture’ side of the equation and focus on specific circumstances in children’s or teen’s lives that potentially contribute to unhealthy bulk.

Studies revealed that in the past three decades child and adolescent obesity has more than tripled in the U.S and the world at large, estimates from 2010 classify that more than a third of children and teens as overweight or obese. Obesity puts these children at higher risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, and bone or joint problems. The variables responsible are thought to range from too little or no exercise to too many soft drinks. Now it seems that blaming Pepsi or too little PE might neglect the bigger picture.

Experts express fears that we are raising our children in a world that is vastly different than it was several decades ago this is because Childhood obesity is a disease of the environment. It’s a natural consequence of normal children with normal genes being raised in unhealthy, abnormal environments. The environmental factors in these studies range from the seemingly minor, such as kids’ plate sizes, to bigger challenges, such as school schedules that may keep teens from getting sufficient sleep. But they are part of an even longer list: the ubiquity of fast food, changes in technology, fewer home-cooked meals, more food advertising, an explosion of low-cost processed foods and increasing sugary drink serving sizes as well as easy access to unhealthy snacks in vending machines, at sports games and in nearly every setting children inhabit—these are just a handful of environmental factors research has linked to increasing obesity, and researchers are starting to pick apart which among them play bigger or lesser roles in making children obese.

Childhood Obesity and the Environment-Size matters in “obesogenic environments”
In one of the three new studies dishware size made a big difference. Researchers studied 42 second-graders in which the children alternately used child-size 18.4-centimeter (7.25-inch) diameter plates with 237-milliliter (8-ounce) bowls or adult-size 26-centimeter (10.25-inch) diameter plates with 473-milliliter (16-ounce) bowls. Doubling the size of the dishware, the researchers found, increased the amount of food kids served themselves in a buffet-style lunch line by an average of 90 calories. They ate about 43 percent of those extra calories, on average.

Although children can typically adjust their energy intake by regulating their food, their surroundings and options may change that equation for kids in the same way that it does in adults. This notion that children are immune to the environment is somewhat misguided, to promote self-regulation, you have to constrain the environment in a way that makes the healthy choice the easy choice.

Childhood Obesity and the Environment-Link between obesity and screen time
Overconsumption might be a key component in the link between obesity and screen time, too, according to another of the new studies. Although past research already had linked increased TV time to widening waistlines, this study dug deeper. Ninety one children between ages 13 and 15 year olds filled out diaries for TV, video games and computer use during a one-week period. About four to seven times a day the teens were paged to record what they were paying the most attention to at that particular moment, followed by activities receiving their second- and third-most attention.

Kids live in a multitasking world and in trying to assess their technology use when they’re using different forms of technology at once. Three theories have been floated for the link between screen time and obesity: food advertising, unconscious eating and displacement—that is, the idea that the media use replaces physical activity. The findings lent more support to the first two variables and less to the third. They found video games and computer use had no impact on BMI (body mass index). Television did, but only if it was the main event. Background TV, for example, didn’t matter.

Childhood Obesity and the Environment-Less physical activity is not the problem
Screen-time study did find that kids engaged in more physical activity had lower BMIs, but that does not mean that more exercise is keeping those teens lighter. “What we’ve seen for so many years is research looking at physical activity as the preventative or the curative solution for childhood obesity, but the data on physical activity as a means to set children’s weight is abysmal. What the study confirmed is that screen time increases obesity consequent to calorie intake, not to a lack of physical activity. That’s a crucial message that people don’t understand obesity is not a disease of inactivity.

Childhood Obesity and the Environment-Modifying children’s environment

To help our children from being obese, we need to reorganize their environment to try as much as we can to eliminate elements that facilitate occurrences of obesity. These are some of the elements to be put aside:

Sugary drinks from vending machines
Snack food serving sizes
Removed deep fryers from school cafeterias and replaced whole milk options with 1 percent and skim
Ensure new healthy nutrition standards both in schools and daycare centers for the children.
Encourage corner stores around the schools to stock their shelves with healthier snacks.

Finally controlling the happenings in our environment may be an uphill task for you and me, yet we all need to keep our children safe from obesity. If for whatever reason this problem is already affecting you or your child directly or indirectly you can get help at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury. Hear all your worries will be sorted out humanely in the most natural and efficient way. Doctor Akoury and her team are professionals who care for you and will focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. Giving this a try will be one of the most precious gift you can give to your children, friends and even yourself.

Childhood Obesity and the Environment-Determinant factors

Category Archives: men’s vitamins