Treating Obesity

By Bonnie Jenkins, Advanced Natural Medicine

According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is poised to overtake smoking as the leading cause of death in America. In fact, The CDC estimates that our expanding waistlines will result in about 400,000 deaths this year alone. That’s a 25 percent increase of obesity-related deaths since 1990!

The message is clear: Obesity kills.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to ANMB readers. Over the past year, I’ve often talked about the link between obesity and high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Those excess pounds have also been implicated in some forms of cancer and insulin resistance, more commonly known as Syndrome X. And now there’s new evidence from researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center that the more overweight a person is, the more risk he or she has for kidney stones.

Too Little, Too Late

The CDC announcement has prompted U.S. Health and Human Services secretary Tommy Thompson to launch an attack on obesity – sort of. Instead of telling people that they need to adopt a healthy weight-loss plan and work an hour of exercise into their daily routine, Thompson and the folks as HHS are taking the easy way out. Teaming up with the Ad Council, HHS has launched a website and devised a series of ads advising Americans that we don’t need to join a gym or go on a diet. Instead, they advise making minor lifestyle changes – opt for the stairs instead of the elevator, eat half your dessert, take the wheels off your luggage.

Get real! At that rate, many of us won’t live long enough to even come close to a healthy weight. And the HHS campaign notably fails to mention the impact that fast foods and highly processed convenience foods have on our weight, let alone our health. (Could that have something to do with keeping the powerful $500 billion food processing industry happy?)

When it comes to tackling obesity, we don’t need the small steps Thompson proposes. We need the truth – and real help making better choices. While I simply bristle at the stance the Center for Science in the Public Interest takes on supplements, I have to agree with their statement on the Thompson approach to obesity – “overall, the Administration is simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.”

A Better Way

The truth is, we have to do more than just eat half of that piece of cheesecake or trudge up the stairs. A lot more. The first step, of course, is to make smart food choices. In other words, we need to learn how to eat like a thin person.

According to a new study by Northwestern University, that means increasing the carbs we eat. Yes, I know that flies in the face of what popular diet gurus are telling us. But, based on the data from Northwestern’s intensive, four-nation study of more than 4,000 men and women age 40 to 59, those who ate the most complex carbohydrates weighed the least. The key word here is “complex” – whole grains, fruits and vegetables, not white bread or doughnuts. Refined (or simple) carbs are nothing more than sugar. But complex carbs, like legumes and vegetables, offer fiber as well as protein, vitamins and minerals – all of the elements that can keep you thin and healthy.

Portion size also counts. In a world where “super-size” has become part of our vocabulary, the reality is that we’re simply eating too much. Instead of filling your plate to overflowing or regularly going back for second helpings, gradually start to cut back on the amount of food you eat. You’ll not only shrink your portions, you’ll shrink your stomach so you won’t want as much food as you used to.

Skinny Steps

Not surprisingly, the study also found that people who exercised more also tended to be less heavy. The goal is at least one hour every day. But that doesn’t mean you have to exercise to exhaustion. Researchers at Duke University have found that walking just 30 minutes a day can prevent weight gain – even if you don’t diet. In their eight-month study of 120 overweight, sedentary middle-aged folks, 73 percent of those who walked briskly for a half hour a day were able to maintain their weight. And some of the participants even lost a few pounds.

Walking can also increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels, even when the intensity isn’t high enough to cause much improvement in cardiovascular fitness. Walking on a regular basis is also ideal for people who are trying to bring their blood pressure under control. Combined with 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise, walking can help you boost heart health, lose weight and tone muscles.

If you're not used to exercising, start slowly, limiting yourself to a 10 minute walk. Then work your way up to your 30 minute goal. Walk briskly and practice good posture. Develop a good breathing pattern and keep your body aligned and relaxed. And walk everyday. If inclement weather threatens your plans, try doing a few laps through a shopping mall or use a treadmill if you have access to one.

A great way to stay motivated is by teaming up with a walking buddy. A lot of communities have walking groups that meet every day in neighborhoods, parks and shopping malls. If you can’t find one where you live, try forming your own “walking club” with friends and neighbors. Or grab your spouse and head out the door. Not only will the buddy system help you stick to your routine, you’ll also develop a bond with folks who share your desire to slim down and get healthy.

One Last Thing ...

You may have heard the media reports a few weeks ago about the new double-duty diet pill that appears to tackle the two biggest killers – obesity and smoking.

Developed by French researchers, rimonabant has already earned the nickname “the munchies drug” since it works by blocking the same hunger-causing receptors that marijuana stimulates. And I must say, the early evidence does seem promising.

In one placebo-controlled study, more than 1,000 moderately obese men and women lost an average of almost 20 pounds over the course of one year. What’s even more impressive is that the drug also raised HDL (good) cholesterol levels, lowered triglycerides, reduced the number of small LDL (bad) cholesterol particles (smaller particles are more apt to stick to blood vessel walls and lead to atherosclerosis), decreased C-reactive protein levels and improved insulin sensitivity.

The second double-blind, placebo-controlled study involved 787 pack-a-day smokers. Over the course of 10 weeks, rimonabant doubled their odds of quitting. And, while none of the participants who took the drug gained weight during the trial, those who were overweight to begin with actually lost weight.

So what’s the down side? First, it isn’t available yet – and probably won’t be until 2006. Second, like any drug, rimonabant has already shown some side effects, including nausea, dizziness and a higher risk of upper respiratory tract infections. And, when the drug becomes more widely used in the general population, more serious side effects may arise (remember Viagra?).

But, despite any potential dangers, all of the media fanfare pretty much guarantees brisk sales once this wonder pill hits the market. Should you by into the hype? Probably not. At least not until we know more about this new drug. In the meantime, there’s no substitute for doing the hard work – sticking with a low-cal diet and adopting a regular exercise routine.

This Just In ...

It seems that dermatologists have finally seen the light. The American Academy of Dermatology, the Yale School of Dermatology and the Sun Safety Alliance have all come up with a new recommendation: Don’t rely on the sun for your vitamin D. Instead they advise getting your daily dose from – yep, you guessed it – supplements!

In a recent bulletin (“Are you getting enough D?” 3/18/04), I told you that vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption and proper muscle function, and that recent research has linked a lack of this critical nutrient to some cancers. Yet up to 80 percent of us are deficient. So take this bit of “mainstream” advice and make sure you’re getting at least 400 IU a day through your multivitamin. And if you are at risk of osteoporosis, it’s wise to add a separate vitamin D supplement containing up to 1,000 IU of D3.

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References:

Ali H, et al. “Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000.” Journal of the American Medical Association. 2004;291:1238-1245.

American Heart Association Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention. San Francisco. 2004.

Slentz CA, et al. “Effects of the amount of exercise on body weight, body composition, and measures of central obesity: STRRIDE--a randomized controlled study.” Archives of Internal Medicine. 2004;164:31-39.

“Supplements recommended over sun to obtain vitamin D.” Life Extension Foundation. 26 Mar 2004.

“Two Pivotal Studies Indicate Acomplia(TM)(Rimonabant) Offers a Novel Approach to Cardiovascular Risk Management In Overweight/Obese People and Smokers.” CNN. 9 Mar 2004.