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Is Our Health Lying In “Weight” For Us?

Obesity in the U.S. has increased. According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control, the number of obese Americans increased 2.4 million between 2007 and 2010. In 2007 there were 3 states with obesity levels of 30% or higher. Now there are 9 states with similar levels and no state has an obesity level as low as 15%. In 2008 dollars medical costs associated with obesity were about $147 billion. That means medical costs for obese people were $1,429 higher each year compared to those for normal-weight people. Obesity is a societal problem, but a healthy society can’t “afford” obesity.

According to the American Cancer Society, people with large waists double their risk of early death. A large waist for men is more than 47 inches and for women, more than 42 inches. The double risk held true even if people were normal weight for their height. In fact, many researchers believe a big waistline is a better indicator of health risks than Body Mass Index. Bigger waists mean more abdominal fat, the fat that doubles the risk of death from many diseases including cancer, stroke and heart disease. Therefore, food left on plates isn’t “waisted”.

A study published in the British medical journal Lancet found women who gain too much weight during pregnancy are likelier to have heavier babies and heavier babies have a higher risk of obesity as children and adults. The study reviewed medical records of approximately 1,500,000 women and children, examining the difference in weight gain in each woman’s pregnancies. Women who gained 50 pounds were twice as likely to give birth to babies weighing more than 8.8 pounds compared to women who gained 20 pounds. Supposedly, underweight women should gain 28-40 pounds; normal weight, 25-35 pounds; overweight, 15-25 pounds; and obese, 11-20 pounds – thus keeping obesity from “gaining” on society.

However, another study in Lancet offers new hope. In a multi-center study 1,742 obese adults were randomly assigned placebos or a combination of naltrexone (an endorphin blocker) and buproprion (an antidepressant that also helps with nicotine addiction). The goal was for the participants to lose 5% of their body weight in 1 year. In the placebo group 16% reached the goal. In the combination-drug group it was 48%. Although more studies are needed before the FDA approves using naltrexone and buproprion for weight loss, new hope for fighting obesity seems to “aweight”.

About the Author

Knight Pierce Hirst has written for television, newspapers and greeting cards. Now she is writing a 400-word blog 3 times a week. Knight Watch is a second look at little new items that make life more interesting and take only seconds to read at http://knightwatch.typepad.com

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