March 25, 2008
Feeding the Obesity Epidemic
By David Zinczenko
For decades, Americans have squabbled over the role of a powerful organization known as the NRA.
To supporters, the NRA defends the right of individuals to enjoy a pastime — and businesses to sell their wares — free of government interference; to critics, the NRA is a political organization promoting products that kill tens of thousands of Americans every year. Riveting as the case for either side may be, let me present a third opinion: We're arguing about the wrong NRA.
Consider this: Firearms will kill about 30,000 Americans in 2008, but obesity will kill two and a half times as many people. And attempts to prevent many of those deaths continue to be blocked by the other NRA: the National Restaurant Association.
Since the 1970s, the U.S. obesity rate has doubled; two-thirds of our population is now overweight. Diabetes eats up one of every $5 Americans spend on health care. A recent Harvard study found that obesity may soon surpass tobacco as the No. 1 cause of cancer deaths.
Obesity is a complex issue, but by far the most important influence on our weight is our diet. And today, a whopping 35% of our weekly caloric intake is consumed in restaurants. That's up from 23% in the 1970s. Only one of every four meals we consume is prepared at a restaurant. But it's not the number of meals we eat out; it's the unheralded caloric load these meals represent.
My colleague Matt Goulding and I examined scores of major restaurant menus and ran their ingredients through nutritional databases. Some of our findings shocked even us. Keep in mind that the recommended daily caloric intake for an adult male is 2,200 — and then consider:
•At Outback, the Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing comes loaded with 2,900 calories and 182 grams of fat. Terrifyingly, Outback markets this not as a meal, but as a "starter."
•At Starbucks, the Venti Strawberries and Crème Frappucino Blended Crème packs 750 calories — and more sugar than you'd get by downing three cans of soda in one sitting.
•At Romano's Macaroni Grill, an order of Kids Double Macaroni and Cheese weighs in at a whopping 1,200 calories, with 3,450 milligrams of sodium and as much saturated fat as you would find in 40 strips of bacon. And yes, you read that right: The entrée is on the kids menu.
Unfortunately, the typical American has no way to tell just how unhealthful these choices are. Unlike grocery manufacturers, who are required to post detailed nutritional information on their packages, restaurant chains don't labor under any nutritional disclosure regulations. And in many instances the food is so staggeringly unhealthful that we simply can't comprehend its caloric reality.
In a 2006 study published in the American Journal of Public Health, consumers presented with obviously high-calorie restaurant foods still underestimated the nutritional heft of the items by an average of 600 calories. Eating 600 unexpected calories just once a week would add an extra 9 pounds to the average American's weight each year. Some might argue that the issue comes down to portion control and personal responsibility on the part of diners. They're right on both counts. But how can consumers take responsibility if they're not given the information needed to make smart choices?
Nutritionists recommend that a dinner appetizer ideally contain about 250 calories. Even if restaurant-goers could somehow instinctively guess the caloric loads of their meals, should they then say to their server, "I'll pay the $7.49 for the Aussie Cheese Fries, but bring me only 1/13th of a portion, please."
Legislation has been introduced in a dozen states and counties, from Hawaii to Montgomery County, Md., to require national chain restaurants to post nutritional information on their menus.
Unfortunately, the Maryland branch of the NRA will surely work to shelve Montgomery's sensible bill. Similar legislation has been halted thanks in part to the NRA's efforts in California (where Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a menu-labeling bill last year). New York City's attempt to require nutritional information is facing a lawsuit from the NRA's local affiliate. Meanwhile, the NRA backs the Commonsense Consumption Act of 2007, which was proposed in the House and protects restaurant chains being sued for misleading consumers about their products' nutritional content.
What would happen if chains were honest with consumers about their foods? Research suggests many restaurant-goers would make healthier choices; in the same AJPH study, consumers who weren't told the fat and calorie content of foods chose the high-calorie food 37% of the time; when the information was disclosed, only 24% opted for the less-healthful choice.
That leaves the NRA with its final indefensible conjecture: Healthful food choices can be harmful.
David Allison, Ph.D., a paid consultant to the New York State branch of the NRA, filed an affidavit several weeks ago on its behalf claiming that providing calorie information to restaurant-goers could cause people to make less healthful choices. Allison (who was forced to resign as incoming president of the Obesity Society when details of his affidavit came to light) has claimed that if people knew certain foods were high in calories, they might initially eat too few calories, leading them to gorge later. Or, he also stated, people might become more drawn to high-calorie foods because they're forbidden.
Think of the Aussie Cheese Fries as the Saturday Night Special of restaurant food, and you can see why there's plenty of controversy over an organization called the NRA. But let's take a hard look at which NRA is really having the scariest impact on the American public.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080325/oplede15.art.htm
Find Out What May Be Causing Your Headaches, Migraines, Obesity, Diabetes and ADHD.
MSG - The Slow Poisoning Of America
MSG Hides Behind 25+ Names, Such As 'Natural Flavoring'
MSG Is Also In Your Favorite Coffee Shops And Drive-Ups
Americans are often in the dark on whether they are making healthy choices — or frighteningly unhealthy ones — at restaurants. If only nutritional details were put on the menus.
Laboratory Obese Rats
MSG and Fat Rats and Us
In an earlier hub, “Obesity is Worldwide,” I commented on the increase of obesity in the United States for the period of 2007 to 2008: 32.2% for men and 35.5% for women. That started me thinking. Could there be some chemical in our food that could be causing this tremendous obesity epidemic?
So I did a little research. If you read enough scientific and medical journals, there is amazing information to be learned. Did you know that hundreds of reports indicate that scientists all over the world are creating obese rats and mice that they use in diet and diabetes test studies?
Why are they creating fat rats and obese meese? I mean mice. Because there are few types of rats or mice that are naturally obese so scientists have to create them. How do you make a rat fat? How do you create oversize mice? It’s not at all difficult. When these rodents are first born, scientists inject them with a chemical that triples the amount of insulin created by the pancreas. This causes rats and mice to become morbidly obese.
I know you are waiting for me to get to the point. O.K. What is the name of the chemical they use? MSG. Monosodium Glutamate. They have even given a name to the race of fat rodents they have created: “MSG-Treated-Rats.”
Wait a minute, you may be saying. Isn’t MSG in practically everything we eat? Bingo. You just hit the mark. Check out the food in your cupboard, your pantry, your refrigerator. I found MSG in my Campbell’s “mmm, mmm, good” soups, Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper, frozen food dinners, flavored Pringles, Lipton noodles and instant soup mix, Progresso soups, salad dressings, even the low-fat versions, Doritos, Lays flavored potato chips, Planters salted nuts, canned tuna, Boar’s Head cold cuts – almost everything. I threw out my Accent – this seasoning is nearly pure MSG.
You won’t escape MSG if you shop at Whole Foods or the other markets that claim to sell healthy food. Many of the bagged, bottled, frozen and canned foods at Whole Foods contain MSG hidden under another name (see list below). Some of the deli dishes as well as those on the hot bar and the take-out rack also contain hidden MSG.
If MSG isn’t dangerous to our health, why has it been given so many different names?
If it’s safe, why does it wear a disguise on labels?
Many of the foods I discovered that didn’t have MSG on the label had an ingredient instead called Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that HVP as I call it is just another pretty name for – you guessed it – MSG. In fact MSG has a number of aliases.
These are the names for food additives that always contain MSG : Monosodium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein. Hydrolyzed Protein, Hydrolyzed Plant Protein, Plant Protein Extract, Sodium Caseinate, Calcium Caseinate, Yeast Extract, Textured Protein (Including TVP), Autolyzed Yeast, Hydrolyzed Oat Flour, Gelatin, Glutamic acid, Monopotassium glutamate, Yeast food and Yeast Nutrient.
These are the names for food additives that frequently contain MSG: Malt Extract, Malt Flavoring, Broth, Bouillon, Stock, Natural Flavors or Flavoring, Natural Beef or Chicken Flavoring, Seasoning, Barley Malt, Carrageenan, Enzyme-modified substances , Maltodextrin, Pectin, Protein-fortified substances, Soy protein, Soy protein isolate or concentrate, Soy sauce, Soy sauce extract, Vegetable gum, Whey protein and Whey protein isolate or concentrate.
Some MSG History
When Monosodium Glutamate, commonly known as MSG, was first introduced to the public over fifty years ago, it was believed to be a miracle food enhancer. More than just a seasoning like salt and pepper, MSG could actually enhance the flavors of foods. It made processed meats and frozen dinners taste fresher and also smell better; salad dressings more tasty; and canned foods less tinny-tasting.
It wasn't until people started having side effects after eating foods with MSG that some of us began to question whether this miracle flavoring was too good to be true. Today, many more question its safety, even though the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and food manufacturers keep insisting that MSG is safe.
As Americans, we tend to associate MSG with Chinese food. In fact, MSG Symptom Complex, which the FDA identifies as "short-term reactions" to MSG, was for some time referred to in the United States as "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome." But MSG is in many. many more foods than Chinese food, and is listed under many other names. So while many of us are aware that MSG has been linked to some negative side effects, or have even experienced them personally, we believe we are avoiding it in our diets and have been misled.
Here’s the scary part. Food manufacturers, who realize that many people would prefer not to have MSG in their food, have adapted by using so-called "clean labels." These ingredient labels hide MSG under names that we won't recognize, such as hydrolyzed soy protein and the other names previously mentioned.
Some manufacturers have also gone so far as to list "No MSG," "No Added MSG," or "No MSG Added" on product labels when MSG is still present, but exists only as a constituent in another ingredient. Where is truth in labeling?
How about MSG in restaurants you may be asking?
Some Chinese restaurants, aware of MSG’s negative publicity, put signs in their windows indicating there was no MSG in their food. Start asking at the restaurants you frequent what menu items have MSG. Many employees, even the managers, may state emphatically they do not use MSG. But if you ask for the ingredient list, which they may grudgingly provide, sure enough MSG and Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein will be listed everywhere. Every fast food restaurant like McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell; even every sit-down casual restaurant like TGIF, Chilis', Applebees, Bennigans, Flannigans and Denny's use MSG in abundance. Kentucky Fried Chicken, unfortunately, seems to be one of the worst offenders: You will find MSG in every chicken dish, salad dressing and gravy. Makes me wonder if that’s their secret spice ingredient.
So why is MSG in so many of the foods we eat?
Is it a preservative or a vitamin? John Erb, the author of The Slow Poisoning of America writes that MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body. Remember that – addictive effect. MSG actually addicts us to eating more.
Did you know that many food manufacturers have websites of their own? They explain that MSG “is added to food to make people eat more.” Why is that important? Because, they state, a study of elderly people indicated that people eat more when MSG is added to their food. The Glutamate Association lobby group – yes, MSG has its own lobbyists – say eating more benefits the elderly. But what is it also doing to the rest of us? Especially now that obesity has become an even bigger problem than smoking in America.
No wonder we’ve become a country of overweight citizens. The MSG manufacturers themselves admit that their product addicts people to eating more of it that they would if the MSG was not added. This addictive substance has been scientifically proven to cause obesity. You could call it the nicotine of food.
What about the FDA?
The FDA has set no limits on how much MSG can be added to food. They claim it's safe to eat in any amount. How can they claim it is safe when there are literally hundreds of scientific studies such as these?
1) The monosodium glutamate (MSG) obese rat as a model for the study of exercise in obesity. Gobatto CA, Mello MA, Souza CT, Ribeiro IA. Res Commun Mol Pathol Pharmacol. 2002
2) Obesity induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment in spontaneously hypertensive rats: an animal model of multiple risk factors. Iwase M, Yamamoto M, Iino K, Ichikawa K, Shinohara N, Yoshinari Fujishima
3) Adrenalectomy abolishes the food-induced hypothalamic serotonin release in both normal and monosodium glutamate-obese rats. Guimaraes RB, Telles MM, Coelho VB, Mori RC, Nascimento CM, Ribeiro Brain Res Bull. 2002 Aug
4) Hypothalamic lesion induced by injection of monosodium glutamate in suckling period and subsequent development of obesity. Tanaka K, Shimada M, Nakao K, Kusunoki Exp Neurol. 1978 Oct
Now this is scary. The study I just referred to was performed in 1978. That means the FDA, the medical research community, and food manufacturers have known MSG's side effects for over 32 years.
Do you want to learn more about MSG yourself? Go to the National Library of Medicine on the web and click on PubMed (Medical Publications). Type in the words "MSG Obese" and read a few of the 115 medical studies you will see.
Footnote: A bill called the "Personal Responsibility in Food Consumption Act" also known as the "Cheeseburger Bill" (since it would protect McDonald’s among others) was passed by the House in 2005. But not the Senate. This bill would ban anyone from suing food manufacturers, sellers and distributors. Even if it turned out that they purposely added an addictive chemical to their foods. Must have been the MSG lobbyists hard at work.
Food producers and restaurants have been addicting us to their products for years, and now we are paying the price. Our children may be cursed with obesity caused by an addictive food additive. Russell Blaylock, M.D. goes even further. He states in his book, ”'Excitotoxins - The Taste That Kills,”' … there is scientific evidence that these chemicals (MSG) could permanently damage a critical part of the brain known to control hormones so that later in life your child might have endocrine problems.”
How does MSG work to create weight gain?
Extensive scientific research studies have shown that the flavor enhancer found in many popular foods known as monosodium glutamate (MSG) causes weight gain and obesity in lab animals by damaging the appetite regulation center in the area of the brain known as the hypothalamus, causing leptin resistence. Leptin is the hormone that controls how much we may feel like eating. The fullness, gratification and satisfaction that come from having eaten is completely lost when MSG is consumed, leading to an urge to eat that never stops. A recent cross-sectional study in China conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health supports the conclusion that what was seen in the animal studies (rats and mice) also applies to people.
Study finds using MSG can make you fat
The study that was reported in the August 2008 edition of the journal, Obesity, examined the association between MSG intake and weight gain in humans. Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study involving 752 healthy Chinese people ages 40-59. These people were randomly sampled from three rural villages in north and south China. 48% were women. Most of the participants prepared their foods at home, without the use of commercially processed foods. For the study, they were told to add quantified amounts of MSG when preparing their foods.
The scientists found that MSG consumption was positively related to increases in body mass index. Weight gain was significantly greater in MSG users than in non-users
MSG is an excitotoxin that acts on your brain
MSG is a food additive that supercharges the taste of food, but not in the way you would think. MSG operates on your brain, fooling it into thinking food tastes really great. It is an excitotoxin in the brain, meaning that it over stimulates the brain causing the production of excessive amounts of dopamine. This creates a drug-like rush that provides a brief sensation of well being.
It is highly addictive, causing you to keep coming back for more and you end up overeating. In the process brain cells may be destroyed.
Because MSG damages the brain and alters the ability of the brain to respond to the signal from the hormone, leptin, that satiety or the feeling of being full has occurred, it is a prime culprit in the epidemic of obesity that has everyone scratching their heads as to cause.
Natural is not the same as safe
By FDA definition, processed free glutamic acid (MSG) is "naturally occurring," because the basic ingredient is found in nature. "Naturally occurring" does not mean that a food additive is being used in its natural state. "Naturally occurring" only means that the food additive began with something found in nature. By FDA definition, the ingredient "monosodium glutamate" is natural. So is hydrochloric acid. So is arsenic. "Natural" is not the same as safe!
There appear to be a number of bold faced lies used by the glutamate industry in defending its contention that exposure to free glutamic acid found in processed food does not cause adverse reactions including obesity, hives, asthma, seizures, and migraine headache; could not possibly cause brain damage, learning disorders, or endocrine disturbances; and could not possibly be relevant to diverse diseases of the central nervous system such as addiction, stroke, epilepsy, schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, and degenerative disorders such as ALS, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. Central to their argument is the lie that the processed free glutamic acid used in processed food is identical to the glutamic acid found in unprocessed, unadulterated food and in the human body. It is not.
Avoid MSG whenever possible
When you become aware of the danger to your health and well being from the use of MSG, you no longer want to purchase and eat products that contain it. The producers of processed foods know that we don’t want to consume MSG but are unwilling to remove it from their products. Because without it, we would not want to buy said products unless the quality was greatly improved, a process which would raise the cost of production.
The best way to avoid MSG is to buy whole foods and prepare them at home. Limit the number of processed foods you eat overall and you'll inevitably reduce your chances of ingesting MSG, too.
The next best thing is to become expert at reading labels in order to know the various disguises under which MSG is found. There are a few packaged prepared items at traditional grocery stores and health food stores that do not contain MSG.
When you avoid MSG and adjust to the delicious taste of food as it was meant to be experienced, you will be shocked when you go to a restaurant and taste food loaded with MSG again. You will know instantly because the flavor is so intense it is almost uncomfortable, and you suddenly want to just keep eating and eating.
Red Clover / MSG study
Sometimes you just can’t avoid eating food that contains MSG. Eating at a restaurant with friends, an invitation to the boss’ house for dinner, the need to stop for fast food while on a trip and many other situations may occur where exposure to MSG is inevitable.
Red Clover, Meadow Honeysuckle, Meadow Trefoil, Purple Clover, Trefoil, Wild Clover, Cleaver Grass, Marl Grass, Cow Grass.
A recent study found that pre-treating yourself with a supplement of red clover before you dine can nullify the potential for damage from MSG. In the June 5, 2008 edition of Phytomedicine, researchers report finding that the natural mixture of phytoestrogenic isoflavones found in red clover can protect the brain from MSG toxicity
One of corporate America’s best friends, the FDA, has said for many years that consumption of MSG is safe, and has condoned its use as an additive flavor enhancer in countless processed and branded food products. As obesity has reached epidemic proportions in American society, the FDA has purposefully ignored the steady stream of research showing its obesity producing effects.
The only way to fight back is to reduce and eliminate whenever possible your consumption of MSG-laden foods. If the FDA won’t be convinced, the food manufacturers and processors will as they see the effect on their bottom line.
Readers' Comments:
Interesting and informative hub. I will be sure to pay closer attention to food labels!
Great hub, full of information, well written and very well researched. Thank-you for covering such an important and interesting issue.
Damn! How could they all have known since 1978 and did nada about it? What are they - nuts? This turns me cold just thinking about it. I am a lover of fish and wonder how much MSG they somehow put into that. Thanks for an eye-opening hub!
Fresh fish from the ocean is OK if it's free of mercury, but farm raised fish (salmon) can be hazardous to your health since it may contain cancer-causing chemicals.
I share your anger at whoever is supposed to monitor foodstuffs before they get to the consumer.
Seems like the monitor now needs monitoring. Maddening, isn't it?
When I started to write this hub I knew MSG was dangerous but like you and so many others, I had little idea of the extent of the problem with false labeling and the implicit cooperation of the FDA.
We have to be our own monitors and researchers to avoid harmful substances.
MSG is scary - especially since they keep finding new names for it to keep us in the dark (and fat and sick).
You are definitely right that MSG is both harmful and that restaurants will tell you that they don't use it. I am very sensitive to this product and don't eat out that much because of it. Too much of it; swells me up like a balloon almost instantly after eating it.
Further Reading:
Hidden Names for MSG
http://www.msgmyth.com/hidename.htm
THE CHEMICAL DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA - VIDEOS
Dr. Russell Blaylock Accuses Industry and Government of Dumbing Down Society with Chemical Toxins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8kgJfw699E
What have aspartame, compulsory schooling, toxic vaccines, fluoridation, watching TV, and multiculturalism all have in common? Dr. Russell Blaylock Accuses Industry and Government of Dumbing Down Society with Chemical Toxins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxvfCUXpRDQ
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My Baby Is SO Fat!
My dd is 5 1/2 months and she is HUGE. One month ago she was 24.4 lbs. Today I put on a onesie that is a 3T and it fits perfect. I am thinking she is probably 28 lbs. I am EBF and trying to delay solids until October (7 1/2 Months). I wanted to delay until then because I had read you should start solids between 6-9 months. I figured that would be a happy medium. But now I am thinking that my SUPER milk might be too much. At this rate she will be 50 lbs. at one year. I don't think she will even be able to crawl because her thighs are so big I can even bend her legs. Anyway, does anyone else have babies this big? If so when did you start solids?
Ok first off congrats on your healthy baby. Your baby is perfect and not too fat. Your milk is exactly what your dd needs. The charts are the average, my dd is 21 almost 22 lbs and fits into 2t clothes she is 6 months old. My ds was heavier at this age and now he is 32lbs and has really started to level off (he is 2 1/2). Your babe will do the same thing, you should be proud of your cute little chunky babe, I love my chunky baby's although I wish they made baby clothes bigger. She looks like a little toddler. She will crawl eventually, or she may scoot or roll, she'll figure out some way of being mobile. Don't worry you are doing the perfect thing for babe, as far as solids only your instincts and your baby's can tell you when your ready. Nutritionally speaking they receive everything they need from your breast milk. Starting solids will not make your baby any less big, if it does there is a problem.
Just wanted to add I just barely started solids and it is only like once a day about an ounce of fruit or cereal, truly she just enjoys playing in it And I have a cousn whos babe weighed 35 lbs at a year she is now four and weighs about 45 lbs or so her growth slowed down and she is slimming down, she is also very tall.
My Maria is a porker, too! Moms of porkers unite!
I'm not a bit worried because DS was fat, too...and now, at 3 yrs., he's totally average, physically speaking. I was a fat baby myself (my family called me "Tubby" instead of Christine till age 3), but it only lasted a couple of years. Apparently we just make fat babies in our family. And darn cute ones!
I don't think you should worry either. Your daughter is just growing in her own unique way. She will crawl and walk in her own time.
My son was on formula but his legs were the size of a darn ham when he was a baby... he was chunky chunky, but healthy.
Now that he is 2 1/2 everything has evened out.
I guess my dd must be big too - she is 4 months and almost 20 pounds. She's huge! Most of her clothes that fit are 6-12 months. Plus she's in cloth so her bum is huge...
We should start a porkers unite thread.
One of the very best things (at least for me) about breastfeeding is that it takes the worry out of baby growth. Your milk is made specifically just for your baby and your baby's needs. So if your baby is bigger than others, than that is simply how she is supposed to be. She is growing into what God/Nature intended.
As long as you are exclusively breastfeeding, then you don't even have to worry about her weight. She's growing perfectly. Congratulations, Mama!
My daughter was also quite big in her first six months and I expected a 40-pound one-year-old. However, she has barely gained since six months...less than a pound a month. Your baby and all the chubby BF bunnies are fine!
Any baby who is exclusively breastfed has no worries about being overweight. Readiness for solids comes when the gut and digestive system are mature, which has nothing to do with weight or whether the baby is chubby or petite (says the mom of a baby who was very large and instinctively refused solids for a long time probably due to a family tendency toward food allergies...babies know how to protect themselves!).
When the baby starts crawling and moving the rolls will burn off. The fats in our milk are perfect for the way their brains and bones need to grow.
Hang in there mama, you're doing great!
A baby can be chubby and healthy. Heredity is a factor. My babies were huge and they walked really "late" so I had that to worry about. In retrospect they probably needed their leg muscles to develop a little more so they could hold up all that weight!
March 7, 2006
THE FATSO FORMULA
Obesity Risk to Bottle-Fed Babies
BABIES who are bottle-fed are more likely to be obese later in life, research revealed yesterday.
The study found infants drinking formula milk took in more calories and put on more weight than breastfed ones.
The report's Dr Pauline Emmett said: "It seems breast-fedbreast·feed or breast-feed
v. breast-fed , breast-feed·ing, breast-feeds
v.tr.
To feed (a baby) mother's milk from the breast; suckle.
v.intr.
To breastfeed a baby.
..... Click the link for more information. infants are better able to regulate energy intake than formula-fed infants.
"It could be because parents feeding formula make sure the baby finishes the bottle and do not necessarily reduce the quantity offered once weaning weaning,
n the period of transition from breast feeding to eating solid foods.
weaning
the act of separating the young from the dam that it has been sucking, or receiving a milk diet provided by the dam or from artificial sources. is established."
She added: "While there are obvious benefits in avoiding poor growth rates Growth Rates
The compounded annualized rate of growth of a company's revenues, earnings, dividends, or other figures.
Notes:
Remember, historically high growth rates don't always mean a high rate of growth looking into the future. , excessive weight gain during infancy is also a problem as it may lead to increased risk of overweight or obesity in later life.
"Other studies have shown that greater dietary intakes during early infancy may have long-term effects on health and obesity."
The Bristol University Children of the 90s study examined 881 babies' feeding habits at four months and compared it to their weight gain in childhood.
It also found that bottle-fed babies weaned on to solids before the six-month recommendation grew fastest.
January 31, 2011
Bigger Babies: Obesity Epidemic Hits Infants
Ten years ago, pediatrician Gary Bean began noticing a trend in his Oakland, Calif., practice. Babies were increasingly bigger, and they weren't thinning out by the time they were crawling and walking.
Toddlers came to appointments clutching Jack in the Box bags, and when Bean asked parents what else their youngsters ate, they rattled off processed foods.
To help educate parents, Bean hired a chef and nutritionist and even built a kitchen in his practice where he held weekly workshops on healthful meal planning. He did it for three years until he ran out of money. Today, 30 percent of the children in his practice continue to be clinically obese, he says.
'Girth is often associated with prosperity, but what we need to encourage now is a leaner child,' Bean says.
Bean's practice reflects a national trend. A Wayne State University study published in this month's issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion reveals that one-third of infants in the United States are obese or at risk for obesity. Children above the 95th percentile on standard growth charts were considered obese. Those in the 85th to 95th percentile were considered at risk for obesity.
While there are many culprits, from overfeeding babies to sedentary toddlers and processed foods, some pediatricians and obesity experts say parental education is the most important factor in preventing the undesirable weight gain that can lead to obesity-related diseases later in childhood.
'There is a generation or two of parents who have not received food or nutrition education from their parents or grandparents,' Bean says. 'They've lost the idea of what food is really for. It's become more about picking up something on the go.'
But obesity is surfacing before babies celebrate year one. According to Detroit sociologist Brian Moss, lead author of the Wayne State University study, 31.9 percent of 9-month-olds are obese or at risk for obesity. The study of 8,000 infants was one of the first to monitor weight status changes of a nationally representative sample of children 2 and younger.
While the study doesn't condone putting babies on diets or even conclude that overweight babies are doomed to be obese adults, Moss says that being overweight or obese at 9 months puts you on track for being overweight or obese in childhood. And that's a reality: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years.
So tips on breast- and bottle-feeding are essential. Bean says parents need to remember that hunger is observational. They should look for visual cues that their baby is satiated, such as slower sucking or boredom, instead of assuming that their tears and fussiness mean they want more milk.
'There's a misperception that more is better,' Bean says. 'But remember that sucking is a reflex after eating. Babies still may suck, but it doesn't mean they're still hungry. It might be time to introduce a pacifier or let them soothe themselves with their thumb.'
Marinela Miclea of Pleasant Hill, Calif., uses those techniques, among others. Obesity runs in her family, and even though her 3-month-old, Olivier, is not overweight, Miclea says she is aware of overfeeding and had to 'retrain' herself not to go for the milk every time he cried.
'Now I know when he's hungry,' says Miclea. 'It's something in the way he cries. It's just different.'
Miclea has a 2-year-old toddler named Colin and admits that the cues are easier to spot the second time around. Now, if Olivier cries after he eats, she looks for other culprits.
'Maybe his big brother was bothering him or the TV was on too loud,' she says. 'You have to teach your children how to soothe themselves.'
A familiar toy or blanket or letting him suck on his fingers works well, she says.
'If you just wait five minutes, you can find a solution,' Miclea adds. 'You don't want to train people from the time they're babies to reach for food when they're uncomfortable.'
Pediatric weight management expert Lydia Tinajero-Deck agrees. She says the training should start earlier — in utero. She sees patients as young as 15 months in the hospital's Healthy Hearts weight management program.
'Pregnant women must have a healthy diet and not gain more than the suggested weight,' she says.
She also advocates for exclusive breast-feeding in those first six months because it is easier to watch for satiation cues, and it's one person tracking the feedings. 'When you use a bottle, different people have different judgment,' she says.
As Tinajero-Deck puts it, proper nutrition is not just about maintaining a healthy weight and preventing obesity. It is crucial to everything, including a baby's bone and brain development.
So while it doesn't mean we have to say goodbye to the beloved image of a chubby baby, we do have to change our ways before they're struck with serious diseases, such as hypertension, that once were limited to older adults.
'We're just not seeing them (babies) thin out anymore, especially the bottle-fed ones,' Tinajero-Deck says. 'It's part of a societal shift. We've become sedentary and rely on processed foods because they're cheaper and easier to feed to kids. I'm not saying a child should never have a cookie, but I see toddlers coming in with orange soda in their bottles. And that's not OK.'
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2011/jan/31/bigger-babies-obesity-epidemic-hits-infants/
March 3, 2011
How to Prevent Obesity in Infants
Obesity is a primary public health concern. The problem often begins in infancy. Overweight infants have an increased risk of becoming overweight adolescents and adults. Obesity is linked to diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Parents can take steps during pregnancy and during a child's early years to prevent obesity.
Start before birth. Excessive maternal weight gain, untreated gestational diabetes and smoking during pregnancy are risk factors for infant obesity. Prenatal care is essential to monitor infant development including weight.
Breast feed. By late infancy, breast fed infants usually weigh less than formula fed infants. Formula fed infants eat more frequently. Formula is sweeter than breast milk. Formula may be associated with an affinity for sweets in later years.
Assess before feeding. When an infant cries between feedings, it's tempting to comfort him with food. To prevent obesity, look for other explanations. A cry may indicate a desire for a pacifier, for water or to be held.
Regulate feedings. To prevent obesity, feed an infant no more than once every 3 hours. Modify feedings to three meals a day when an infant reaches 6 months of age.
Allow unfinished feedings. Infants know when they feel full. Forcing an infant who is full to continue feeding promotes obesity.
Restrict sweets. It's tempting to use them as rewards. Instead use verbal praise and nonfood items. Reserve candy and other sugary foods for special occasions. Keeping sweets out of the daily diet of an infant helps prevent obesity in later years.
ACTION POINTS
Explain to interested patients that the prevalence of overweight has risen over the past two decades for all age groups including infants and young children.
The American Heart Association and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend a healthy diet and exercise plan as the primary strategy against childhood overweight.
Explain to interested patients that childhood overweight and at-risk-for-overweight increase the risk of being overweight in adulthood as well as cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
Your baby is so fat...
Your baby is soooo fat..... you can't shop at baby gap, you have to go to baby canyon.
Charlotte Iserbyt – The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America
October 14, 2006
Charlotte Iserbyt served as Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education, during the first Reagan Administration, where she first blew the whistle on a major technology initiative which would control curriculum in America's classrooms.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDyDtYy2I0M
Read the Entire Book in PDF at:
http://www.deliberatedumbingdown.com/MomsPDFs/DDDoA.sml.pdf
George Carlin Say's It All: Who Are The People Of America ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoQQlwqQ9Y0
Sheeple Time to Wake Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfyn-mkvbx4
