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22 September 2005
Obesity – Time To Get Serious
by Angie Rankman* 
Hands up everyone who remembers 80’s icon Richard Simmons enthusiastically selling his get fit campaign? Where did he get all that energy? It seemed like you could lose a stone simply by watching him bounce off the walls. Lycra body-suits, g-strings, headbands and leg-warmers at least guaranteed that you’d look the part, even if you never sweated copiously in front of Jane Fonda’s work-out video. During the nineties, working-out seemed to get a lot more serious. There were more diets, exercise devices and motivational books, but while the health goods and services sector has boomed, obesity is still a major problem in the U.S. and many other affluent nations. What went wrong?
Let’s not mince words about it. Why, despite all the hard evidence on the negative effects of obesity, do an increasing number of women succumb to gluttony and sloth?
It’s clear that a major part of the problem is a lack of self-motivation and responsibility taken in regard to personal health and fitness. The bottom line is this, if you want to get fit and healthy, and stay that way, the onus is on you. And while you can spend a small fortune on exercise equipment, gym classes and fad supplements or diets, the best motivator should be the latest findings about what being a couch-potato can do to you.
The problem of obesity begins with a sedentary life style and overeating, especially the wrong foods. If you’ve ever seen the film Supersize Me you’ll know what I mean. One of the obvious products of skyrocketing obesity rates is the corresponding rise in health problems among younger people, as well as the associated problems that they carry unnecessarily into their old age. There’s also the extra strain put on health services and health insurance in the wake of an increasingly unhealthy nation; you could say it’s bursting at the seams. And medical research is continually finding new links between obesity and numerous, often fatal, health problems that in a more health conscious society, would be rare.
For example, while it has been suspected since 1927 that obesity is a risk factor for fatal blood clots, such as pulmonary embolism (PE) and the more recently publicized deep vein thrombosis (DVT), studies have been inconclusive. That was until researchers involved in an extensive collaborative research project published findings, in The American Journal of Medicine, that demonstrated obesity is a risk factor for both PE and DVT in men as well as women, particularly those under the age of 40. The scope of the study was immense, encompassing a great many U.S. hospitals and millions of patients. Based on the study’s findings, the risk increase for obese patients compared to that of non-obese patients is startling. Paul D. Stein, lead author of the study, writes: "Now that we know with certainty that obesity is a risk factor for PE, particularly in men and women under age 40, the presence of obesity may alert physicians to a possibility of the diagnosis. The diagnosis of PE is frequently missed even though PE is the third most common acute cardiovascular disease after myocardial infarction and stroke." While Stein’s conclusions about improved diagnosis are valid, wouldn’t it be better if we could somehow decrease the rate of obesity in the first place?
Despite the increased risks to health that obese people have, access to basic health care is far less when compared to that for non-obese people. According to an analysis of health care data by Duke University Medical Center researchers, obese people are less likely to receive preventive services such as mammograms, Pap smears and flu shots from health care providers. The study showed that, for a sample of white middle-aged women, as the body mass index (BMI) went up, the odds of receiving mammograms and Pap smears went down. A white woman of normal weight was more than 50 percent more likely to receive a mammogram than a severely obese white woman, the study showed. The researchers suggest that significant causes may include social stigma, avoidance of health care by patients and bias by health care providers.
If you are still yet to be startled into throwing out your Oreos and going out for a brisk and exhilarating walk, stay tuned. The latest news is that if you are middle aged and overweight, then your chances of developing dementia somewhere down the track are greatly increased. Obese women are 200 percent more likely to have dementia than women of normal weight, while obese men had only a 30 percent increase in risk. The study’s authors say that obesity in middle age is strongly associated with an increased risk of dementia in old age, regardless of the presence of existing illnesses in mid and late life.
Ok, enough with the depressing medical studies, already. Obesity may not be fun but don’t look for help with “miracle” diets or supplements. There are many misconceptions about diet and exercise that are propagated by the media and health food charlatans, but none more so than the idea that diet and exercise can be made “easy”. Real change in dietary and exercise habits occur slowly over time, and no amount of trying to speed the process up (at least naturally) is going to be very effective. When women adopt and rely solely on a fad diet, use some new fangled exercise machine or take supplements, it’s highly likely they will fail in their endeavor and repeat the cycle over and over. Sorry to say this, but getting – and staying – trim is hard work, just like anything else that’s worth achieving. Let’s review some basics to diet and exercise that, really, are self-evident.
Diet
Don’t be obsessive over food. You can get away with eating a balanced and healthy diet 85 percent of the time while also having the occasional splurge (not binge!) on a dessert, or other foods you might normally consider a “vice.” Maintain a calorie intake equal to your energy expenditure throughout a single day (your doctor, health professional or gym instructor can advise you on this). Also make sure to spread your food intake evenly over the day.
Protein is important but so is a balanced diet. Nutritional research has recently shown that protein works in combination with exercise to help lose weight and develop a leaner looking body shape.
Avoid dietary supplements (unless they are part of a program advised by your physician), as they tend to reduce more weight from your purse than your waistline. Most dietary supplements are just egg whites or milk proteins (whey), but they’re priced as though they were made of gold dust.
Exercise
Exercise is important, but you should remember that without a balanced, healthy diet all your efforts in the gym or on the track are not necessarily going to result in weight loss. You can still gain weight while exercising.
If you haven’t exercised for some time, I cannot emphasize enough that you start slowly. Gym instructors and your doctor can, in combination, advise you on the best course of action. But if you hate gyms, a gentle to brisk walk, or cycle, for thirty to forty minutes three to four times a week, will certainly put you on the right track.
While there are many disadvantages to being obese, there are just as many advantages to leading a healthy lifestyle. Some of these include an increased pain threshold in later life, greater wealth prospects (seriously!) and perhaps even something as simple but ever so rewarding as seeing your children grow into adulthood. Yes, there is effort and motivation required, but remaining healthy does not mean that you have to become an elite athlete. And who knows, exercise may even end up being enjoyable. With so much to live for why let fast food stores and television get in the way of living a full and prosperous life?
* Angie is a qualified personal trainer.
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