Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States
The CDC report on action items to reduce childhood obesity has zero recommendations for physiological measurements of endocrine dysfunctions that could result in substantial body metabolic disruption. Thus, obesity is viewed as purely cultural.
This is bogus. Behavior results in + or – 10% body weight last I checked. There is clearly more of an organic issue happening. I think this would call for medical intervention. Just like autism was viewed as the result of bad mothering. Remember how ADHD was viewed as a behavioral problem, and now kids get meds? I’m not saying that that’s not abused, but clearly, there is an organic component. How about an anti-appetite med?
The recommendations are good — more fresh fruit and less violent crime. OK. Good idea. But I didn’t see any data correlating this with a reduction in existing childhood obesity, in that environmental location, or a prevention of childhood obesity.
One could query the premise that crime and high-fat food leads to obesity. Your loyal bloggist has not always lived in this lush luxurious fabulously decadent lifestyle that I currently blog from. Yes, I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve sullied myself and lived in these “vibrant” (in real estate lingo) parts of town at various times of my life, including living in downtown San Jose between the Mexican gangs and the Vietnamese gangs, where I decided to take up the healthful habit of running a few miles a day. Not to sound too “I never saw problems with the happy folk living in slums” about it, but at that time (prior to obesity epidemic probably) people were not noticably obese, and seemed predominantly slim, particularly those who were recently released from prison and lived at the halfway house on the corner. I distinctly recall, when dining at the local Taquería a fastidiously fashionable man showing off his hand guns held in his sock garters. Friendly fellow, who helpfully told me you could arrange a murder for about $10, if it was a homeless person, and if it was someone people would miss, it could cost $1000. This while having my $3.00 ginormous burrito, which would be my meal for the day. A digression, but for the point of querying the premise that a lack of safe place to exercise and cheap food cause obesity.
CDC: Why was this study done in isolation with mainly nutritionists, public health, and psychologists? How come you didn’t get people from other disciplines? Clearly the “eat less, exercise more” gig doesn’t work — or do you have data showing that it does — for the long haul and for populations?
How about some genetic population studies? CDC, don’t you talk to NIH? See, Pima Indians. Or even studies on toxins in the water? Aren’t there a bunch of pharmaceutical in the water supply? Does this feminize people or cause any in utero endocrine disruptions? CDC don’t you talk to the USGS?
See my previous post here complaining about main stream media’s reporting on this: Friday Dysfunctional Roundup: Things Time Mag Ignores In Reporting On Obesity in the Southern USA
We need an obesity czar, and I would recommend someone from the Pennington or Joslin diabetes center.
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