Fat trapping in perspective Part 1

While on the subject of supplementation, I thought I'd mention one of the most intriguing crazes, fat trappers, and how just about every dieter is joining the stampede to buy them.

Although there are several different kinds of fat trappers available, what is important to know is that there are basically only Iwo kinds of dieters: the perpetual dieter and the desperate dieter. Once in a while, a dieter comes along, diets furiously and sheds all her excess fat. She usually keeps it off. But she's the exception. The rule consists of perpetual and desperate dieters and they are the ones who find the idea of fat trapping so exciting and liberating. Let us briefly examine the motivation and aspirations of the two main groups of dieters.

The perpetual dieter will jump from one diet to the other, dumping the most recent diet in a heartbeat whenever personal circumstances - such as a wedding or a dinner party, work stress or relationship troubles - require it. This is the dieter who originally wanted to lose lust a few kilograms' but refused to commit to certain lifestyle changes. She demands a diet that will produce quick results to 'get it over and done with'. This lady wants to return to her old lifestyle as soon as possible. She has seldom - if ever - reached her natural weight on any of her chosen diets, and usually dumps her diet the moment she starts looking 'better' than before, or whenever she becomes disappointed, frustrated or tired of it. Or when life takes a wrong turn for her and she reverts to what she regards as 'real' food for comfort. After every abandoned diet she regains her weight (plus a few kilos as bonus) and starts the next diet fatter than before. And even more determined that it should be 'over and done with' very quickly so that she can return to her 'normal life'.

This lady is playing a dangerous game with her body. She has the biggest chance by far, somewhere down the line - a few years from now or even a few decades - to come face to face with one of the hardest physical baffles of her life: The Bulge, plus perhaps its Morbid Medical Side Effects, By now you know what they are ....

The desperate dieter has a dieting history that looks much like the one I've just described - the one who perpetually dieted until she was hopelessly obese; severe, chronic and spiralling obesity being one of the most damaging results of perpetual dieting. But this is the dieter who finally has to commit to permanent lifestyle changes if she wants to reverse the damage caused by her perpetual dieting. She is the dieter who is emotionally desperate, who is suffering from a low self-esteem, and who is probably also suffering from one or more of the obesity-related diseases such as insulin resistance, high cholesterol, diabetes or hypertension. She is the dieter who needs more than just a diet. She needs a long-term plan of action and in most cases, professional intervention.

The complexity of obesity can never, ever be over-estimated and I believe one of the major complications is our need for instant gratification. We want to shed fat easily, quickly and painlessly.

Dream on Girlfriend, there is no such thing. To shed fat is tough, because doing so requires a drastic departure from what has become a way of life: eating fat-rich food, following an unbalanced diet and having very little physical activity. Emotionally it requires devotion, commitment, determination, tenacity and yes, permanence!

This is precisely where the marketing of diet products scores big time: you are vulnerable and stand emotionally naked before their lures and empty promises. The thought of throwing your weight - so to speak - behind permanent, comprehensive and successful slimming strategies has a sting: it is called change - something we humans have an innate fear of or a resistance against.

But here you are at a crossroads it were, and like us all, you too want to take the easy road; the fast lane to leanness. And what do you know? Just at that moment you happen to see an advertisement for an amazing diet pill or product or service with the promise that you can go on enjoying all the foods you love and still lose weight. Yes, anything you can imagine, pizza, KFC, fish platters, steak, ribs, chips and everything else on the fatty menu. All you have to do is take these tablets or drops or powders or injections or whatever and your eating habits will have no bearing on your weight!

But not so fast. Just think for a moment how many over-the-counter diet products are sold, claiming some or other 'scientific' formula or theory. Theories that often cause more confusion (and in the long run, spiralling and chronic obesity) because of their incorrect - and often unfounded - claims. Yet, as you also know, obesity is on the increase at an alarming rate. Clearly, very few of these hundreds of products and services ultimately deliver on their promises of physical leanness.

Do fat people live dangerously?

Generally speaking, most people who worry about being overweight do so not out of concern for their health but because of the cosmetic and social disadvantages of being fat.

This is ironic considering the growing body of scientific evidence that points to the harmful medical and psychological consequences of overweight and obesity. The following risks and conditions have been associated with the problem:

• hypertension
• high blood cholesterol levels
• increased risk of cardiovascular heart disease and diabetes mellitus
• impaired lung function
• gall-bladder disease
• cancer
• osteoarthritis
• reproductive system abnormalities
• psychological disturbances

Quite a list with which to burden yourself! So it's not surprising that experts maintain that the obese tend to have shorter lifespans than people who manage to keep their weight at low-risk levels.

Researchers have also established that it is not only the amount of excess fat you carry, but where you carry it that can put you at risk of developing certain illnesses and conditions. Some people's extra weight settles around their middles (referred to in medical terms as `android fat distribution'), giving them what is commonly referred to as an 'apple' figure. Others carry the weight around their hips (gynoid fat distribution or 'pear' figure). Apple figures occur more often in men (although they are found in women too); pear figures are far more common in women than in men.

For several reasons relating to metabolism, the 'apples' are at higher risk for the development of cardiovascular heart disease and diabetes mellitus than the 'pears'. So anyone who is overweight and has an android fat distribution should be even more concerned about his or her weight.

What makes fat people fat?

After a great deal of research in this field, the experts finally agree that people become fat because of an imbalance in the following simple equation:

energy in = energy out + energy stored

This imbalance can be brought about by various factors which could increase energy intake and/or decrease energy expenditure.

Scientists agree that overweight or obesity is rarely caused by a single factor. In order to come to grips with a personal overweight problem, however, it is necessary to realise that the over-riding cause is an energy intake which is higher than energy expenditure.

Energy expenditure is something which varies considerably from person to person. These variations are part of the reason why some people appear to be able to eat more than others but gain less weight. The three, main factors which influence energy expenditure are:

• Metabolic rate, which contributes approximately 73% to total expenditure and is influenced by factors such as age, sex, fat free (muscle) mass, body surface, hormonal secretions, etc.
• Physical activity, which contributes between 12 and 30% to total energy expenditure.
• Thermogenesis (see below) which contributes approximately 15% to total energy expenditure.

This last component has recently been the focus of a lot of obesity research. The term refers to heat produced in the body in response to cold, or to excessive food intake, especially carbohydrates. Theoretically, thermogenesis enables a person to eat as much as he or she likes without gaining weight, because excessive energy is 'wasted'in the form of heat. In the early 1920s this phenomenon was described as 'luxusconsumption'. An inability to 'waste' energy in this way could ultimately cause obesity, implying that obesity is the result of a metabolic 'fault'.

In an attempt to explain this possible energy-wasting system, various hypotheses have been suggested, ranging from the existence of specialized brown fat tissue which is able to waste energy as heat, to metabolic enzyme cycles - also known as 'futile cycles' - which waste energy. However, no conclusive evidence has been produced to point the 'obesity finger' at any particular mechanism. Even if it could be proved, some people simply have to accept that they need less energy than others to maintain their weight.

Factors that help to make you fat

• Irregular eating habits (skipping of meals, over-eating at other times, over-consumption of specific foods).
• A tendency to resort to food for comfort or in order to deal with other emotions and situations such as frustration, boredom, loneliness, stress, lack of confidence, low self-image.
• Compulsive eating and obsessional thoughts about food and eating.
• Pressure by friends to 'join in and eat' when you are trying to decrease or balance your food intake.
• A tendency to eat not because you are hungry but rather in response to certain external stimuli, such as time of day, the smell and taste of food, the sight of other people eating, the availability of food, the sight of a restaurant or cafe.
• Inability to recognise when you are really hungry and/or when you have had enough.
• A habit of eating fast without really tasting your food.
• A hectic (but not necessarily physically active) lifestyle which includes lots of snacking in place of regular meals.
• Having to attend social, business or other activities associated with eating on a regular basis.
• Frequent, unsuccessful attempts at dieting.
• A sedentary lifestyle with little or no regular exercise.
• Inadequate knowledge of energy needs, balanced eating habits, the difference between good and bad weight reduction programmes, and a healthy lifestyle in general.
• A family history of overweight.

Drugs and weight loss

Generally speaking, drugs are of limited value in the treatment of obesity and should be used with great care (preferably under medical supervision) because of the possibility of dependence and abuse. The most commonly used are the `anorexigenic' drugs which work by suppressing appetite. However, their effect is only temporary and they do nothing to encourage changes in the eating habits which caused the problem in the first place. Also, an ever-increasing dosage is needed for sustained weight loss.

Side effects of these drugs include insomnia, excitability, dryness of the mouth, gastro-intestinal disturbances and addiction. Anorectics increase short-term weight loss but interestingly, follow-up indicates that patients treated with drugs lose less weight in the long term.

There are many other drugs which have received attention in the treatment of obesity. For example:

• thyroid hormone, which increases energy use. Unfortunately, both fat and protein losses occur when this drug is used. Also, the results of thyroid medication seem to be no better than those achieved with a balanced diet alone - and negative side effects involving the heart have been reported.
• growth hormone, which decreases fat stores without causing protein losses. This hormone, however, is in short supply and is not generally used in the treatment of obesity.
• human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), which is injected and used along with a very low calorie (500 cal/2 100 kJ) diet. It is claimed that this hormone melts away fat and reduces hunger. However, no scientific proof for these claims has been found.
• drugs which interfere with the absorption of carbohydrates and fats. This implies that one can eat as much as you like without getting fat, because all the energy is not absorbed. More research is needed on these drugs to evaluate their long-term efficacy in humans.
• bulking agents, which are intended to fill the stomach with indigestible material in the hope that the resulting feeling of fullness will make the obese person eat less. (Research indicates that this method is not very effective and that it causes flatulence.)

Perhaps the most important point to remember regarding the use of drugs in combatting overweight is that, while they may aid the slimming process, they do not solve the underlying problem and will therefore never be effective as a sole treatment for obesity.

The surgeon's knife

Surgical treatment of obesity is usually the last resort and is generally only used on the excessively obese person when all other method have failed. Surgical procedures used include small bowel bypass and/ or stapling of the stomach, biliopancreatic bypass and jaw wiring. The chances of success are small unless the patient is highly motivated and prepared to follow a very strict diet. Also, these techniques involve considerable risk and could result in the development of other health problems as side effects.

Overweight and Cholesterol intake in your diet

The effect of dietary cholesterol on cholesterol levels in the blood is less crucial and more variable among individuals than the effects of saturated fat - nevertheless, it plays an important contributory role and this is why the recommended limit for cholesterol consumption has been set at 300 mg per day. Of course, the average person has no means of measuring the amount of cholesterol in various foods, but what you can do is identify those which are rich sources and ensure that you eat them in moderation only (see below).

Foods high in cholesterol

Beef, butter, chicken, turkey, duck, cream, all full-cream dairy products, fish, lamb , mutton, pork, tongue

Foods very high in cholesterol

Brains, caviar, egg yolks, giblets, kidneys, liver, prawns, shrimps

These foods are also high in saturated fat and should be eaten only occasionally. (Saturated fats raise blood cholesterol levels far more than does dietary cholesterol in animal foods.)

Overweight and heart disease

The role of obesity or overweight as an independent risk factor for CHD has not been clearly established, but what is known is that it is associated with risk factors such as raised LDL (`bad') cholesterol and total blood cholesterol, lower HDL (`good') cholesterol, hypertension(high blood pressure) and diabetes mellitus. Hypertension is much more common in overweight people; moreover, when weight is reduced and then maintained at a lower level, blood pressure tends to drop as well - if the weight goes up again, so does the blood pressure. There is a particularly strong link between obesity and hypertension in children and for this reason, it is important that children and adolescents do not gain excess weight - in fact, maintaining an ideal body weight should be a goal for the population in general.

Obesity also seems to be a significant, independent predictor of coronary heart disease, especially in women. Although women generally have lower blood cholesterol levels than men, these tend to rise after the menopause. Smoking also seems to be on the increase in women and this can be an important contributory factor. It has been shown that if you are overweight, a cigarette smoker and you take oral contraceptives, your risk of having a heart attack increases significantly.

In summary, the maintenance of ideal body weight by means of a combined diet and exercise programme makes good sense because of the relationship between obesity and an increased risk of heart disease. Also, for a large number of people who suffer from hypertension, weight control can be an effective way of treating the problem and may prevent the necessity for drug treatment.

Obesity, Fast Food, and Waste

"But why should these companies want to change? Their loyalty isn't to you, its to the stockholders. The bottom line: They're a business, no matter what they say. And by selling you unhealthy food, they make millions. And no company wants to stop doing that. If this ever-growing paradigm is going to shift, its up to you."

-MORGAN SPURLOCK, SUPER SIZE ME

The problem of obesity is not new. The image we have of fat, jolly medieval monks is, in some cases, entirely accurate. In the thirteenth century monkish obesity was widespread in Europe. One Portuguese order even devised a test: Monks who were unable to squeeze through the doorway into their dining room had to fast until they could! Skeletal remains from monks who lived from 476 to 1450 show that most of them were significantly overweight and actually suffered from many ailments we associate with obesity, such as type II diabetes, arthritis, and back problems, according to a study by archaeologist Phillipa Patrick. Of course, obesity was unusual in medieval times, since all but the very wealthy were often undernourished. But many monasteries figured out ways to hoard food (some were accused of stealing the alms for the poor and using it for their gluttonous feasting habits). Typical monastic diets included plenty of fruits and nuts, and a few vegetables. But they also ate a lot of animal products, such as meats, milk, butter, eggs, and cheese. Because their diet was high in saturated fats and they lived such a sedentary lifestyle, it is not surprising that their illnesses mirror many of the health problems we now see in Western culture.

The ample proportions admired in the most respected and wealthy citizens in many African countries fall far short of obesity. There it is a sign of wealth, and to be encouraged in the wives of the wealthy to demonstrate the husband's bounty. However, explorers from the late 1800s discovered that the king of Buganda used to fatten up his wives, taking the most beautiful virgins and forcing them to consume vast day, 30 percent of American children ages four to nineteen eat fast foods.

THE NOT-SO-MISSING LINK

People who start buying fast food or processed junk food because it is cheap and quick to prepare (sometimes you just need to open the package) soon come to rely on it— with disastrous results to their health. And unfortunately there are giant corporations that spend thousands of dollars on developing, packaging, and advertising fast foods and junk foods to the detriment of consumers but to the benefit of their shareholders.

The leading causes of death in the United States are chronic diseases associated with excessive (or unbalanced) intake of food and drink, according to Marion Nestle, chair of the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University, and author of a fantastic book called Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health. She compares the fast food industry to the tobacco industry— both are highly profitable, have powerful allies in the government, and .show a blatant disregard for the harm that their products do to consumers.

The Seduction of Happy Meals

Worst of all is the rampant childhood obesity that comes from feeding our children an unhealthy diet of high-fat, high-sugar, fast food garbage. Many people questioned the validity of a class-action lawsuit filed against McDonald's in 2002 by New York teenagers Jazlyn Bradley, then nineteen, and Ashley Pelman, then fourteen, who claimed that the food giant's food made them obese and suffer from heart

disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Couldn't these children have just refused to eat so much fast food? But looking more closely at the lawsuit, we find remarkable similarities to the tobacco industry lawsuits. These teenagers claim that it was the unhealthy content of the food, not the amount of food eaten, that put them at risk for serious health problems. Although the teenagers' case was originally dismissed in February 2003, it was reinstated in January of 2005 and has yet to be determined.

Their case may have a greater chance of success because of the message of an extraordinary documentary film, Super Size Me, which charts the health of filmmaker Morgan Spur- lock, who, for one month, lived on nothing but McDonald's food. He followed three simple rules: 1) He could only eat what was available over the counter; 2) He could only super- size when he was offered; 3) He had to eat every item on the menu at least once. Although he started off with a clean bill of health after medical checkups with three different doctors, by the end of the movie he had gained twenty-five pounds, was suffering from chronic headaches and nausea, his moods were swinging back and forth between lethargic depression and manic overdrive, and his liver and heart became so impaired that his doctor was begging him to give up the experiment even before the end.

Monica Ferreria, a Roots & Shoots coordinator who works with young people in Salt Lake City, recently spoke with me about one area that is often overlooked: the improper nutrition of the struggling poor in the United States. Yes, they do have food, she explained, but they are being poisoned by the quality of food. She told me about stores where everything is a dollar. These stores are very popular with young mothers who have small children and not very many resources. The food is cheap, but it has horrible nutritional value. And Monica said, "Everyone loves Twinkies and potato chips—the marketing of these products to children is unethical. It is an interesting dilemma, when the poor are not starving from lack of food, per se, but from too much of the wrong food."

Exactly so. Indeed, it becomes increasingly clear that the giant corporations behind the fast foods and junk foods, which are inundating the market around the globe, are motivated by making profit rather than providing nourishment. So it is up to us—the consumers—to bring their unethical business practices to an end.

With so many people suffering from diet-related illnesses, consumers are beginning to realize that the fast food industry should be held accountable for its global agenda to produce cheap, low-quality, high-calorie food for profit regardless of the harm it causes. Our children are especially at risk because of the quality of school meals, and the shocking capitulation to corporations such as McDonald's who are now providing the meals, and have demanded, as recompense for "good" deals, the right to install vending machines for their products. Indeed, there are schools that encourage their students to work for the good of the school by collecting soda caps. Schools with good scores are rewarded with substantial cash prizes. In addition, the fast food chains specifically target their advertising toward children who are seduced by Happy Meals and packages with free toys, games, collecting cards inside, and who eventually come to prefer the excessive sweetness.

BEWARE OF CORN SYRUP

Corn is the most prevalent crop grown in the United States—some 78 million acres of farmland have been planted in recent years. And no USDA subsidy program sends taxpayer money to more recipients. Between 1995 and 2003, just under 1.5 million individual farmers, partnerships, corporations, estates, and other entities received at least one corn subsidy payment. Michael Pollan, the author of The Botany of Desire, believes that the U.S. subsidizing of corn crops is one of its most harmful agricultural practices. It has caused enormous damage to the environment as industrial corn farmers heavily rely on agrochemicals. And it is directly linked to the rising levels of obesity throughout the U.S.

In fact, the national problems with obesity can be traced back to the 1970s when the government began subsidizing farmers who grew corn. Cheap industrial corn meant cheaper, high-calorie food. Some of that corn got turned into animal feed, fattening factory farm cattle and lowering the cost of beef, contributing to the excessive amounts we consume today. Unless you buy organic free-range animal products, almost all your eggs, dairy, and meat was raised on subsidized corn. It's also worth noting that corn-fed animal products are much higher in saturated fats—and our increased intake of saturated fats is directly linked to rising obesity.

"Fattening" and "fats" are key words here, as we talk about all this cheap, excess corn. One of the most common corn products is high-fructose corn syrup, which now accounts for 20 percent of the daily calorie intake of many children. Government-subsidized corn syrup is the main reason soft drink and fast food companies make such a huge profit. In the early 1970s the average soda container was a slender eight-ounce bottle; nowadays it's more likely to be a twenty-ounce tub. From bottles of ketchup to children's breakfast cereal, at least one quarter of all processed foods in the grocery stores contain high-fructose corn syrup.

As the government issues stern warnings about rising obesity it continues to support an agricultural policy that makes some of the emptiest and most fattening calories the cheapest and most readily available.