The recent study showing a group of “Biggest Losers” putting all of their weight back on has received plenty of publicity. The problem? They are adults who were all doomed from the start. The disease which is called obesity, or being overweight, has to be treated at the very beginning of life. It may be a surprise, but it starts when you are born.
For many people it is genetic. If one of your parents is overweight then you are 50% likely to be as well. Having two obese parents increases the likelihood to 75%.
Obesity is actually a disease of the adipose tissue cells: adipose hypertrophy or adipose hyperplasia, which means that the fat cells are too big or there are too many of them. It can be diagnosed by a doctor at the 2, 4, 6, 12, or 18 month vaccination visit and again at preschool. If the doctor is using growth charts and a Body Mass Index, an overweight indication will show up if the child is above the 85th percentile for sex and age, and obesity is above the 95th percentile. Intervention at that stage will include a list of rules to follow which will prevent the adipose cells from acquiring the hypertrophy or hyperplasia that is uncontrollable as an adult. Older children should use waist circumference as a measure: your waist should be half your height. The intervention is to prevent overweight children from becoming obese adults.
Individuals with the disease of adiposity and obesity cannot eat certain foods like sugared beverages, high added sugar foods and most fast foods. Yes, it’s unfair, but to control the disease you have to take the treatment. Many individuals’ genes come from undernourished areas many generations ago; to those genes the fast foods and adulterated food products of today are simply poison. To eradicate obesity we need to change our food products. To do this we need the votes of those who are being harmed by them. Morbid obesity would be much less threatening if we also treated overweight and adiposity.
Only in the Niagara Region are children assessed for future risk of obesity/overweight (diabetes and heart attack) and their families and doctors are informed. The Niagara Healthy Heart Schools’ Program is run by Heart Niagara, and this is a “made in Niagara” solution. Elsewhere, obesity/adiposity is “the disease that dares not say its name.” The sufferers must not be made aware.
Other diseases such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, we do not lecture everyone on avoiding the disease and then do nothing else. We advise prevention, but we also go out and diagnose who has the disease and we treat those individuals. Overweight and obesity are no different.
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August 25 2020 Dr. Stafford Worrell Dobbin, much loved and cherished husband to Susan moved on into the loving arms of God, much loved son-in-law to Eileen Kennedy. His dear parents Stafford and Jean passed on before him. Churchyard service at Hillsborough Parish Church to place his ashes with those of his parents in Hillsborough, Northern Ireland at a future time. In memory of Stafford if so desired consider The Niagara Schools Healthy Heart Programme of Heart Niagara which he so believed in.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in blog entries are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Heart Niagara.