Two recent books demonstrate the why and how of the current *real* problem of obesity and overweight.in North America:
Fat Land by Greg Critser (a journalistic account) Food Politics by Marion Nestle (a social science account) I have always enjoyed debunking phony social problems, and in fact, a good deal of my teaching is directed to doing just that. However, this problem, like the problems of alcohol overuse and cigarette smoking, is no joke IMO. Paul Okami ----- Original Message ----- From: "Don Allen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, December 29, 2004 4:45 PM Subject: Re: obesity revisited > Hi Annette- > > I think that the situation in Mexico is an illustration of what can happen > when obesity is discounted. > > -Don > > Diabetes now Mexico's leading cause of death > Report adds weight to concerns over global epidemic > > Updated: 10:22 p.m. ET Nov. 2, 2004 > MEXICO CITY - Diabetes has overtaken poverty-related infections to become > the leading cause of death in Mexico, according to a new report that adds > weight to a World Health Organization warning that a devastating global > diabetes epidemic is looming. > Mexico's Health Ministry said on Tuesday the report, just published, found > deaths from diabetes, often linked to obesity, are increasing by 3 percent > each year, making diabetes the cause of 12 percent of deaths in the > country. > "Diabetes is the best example of the epidemic transition the country is > going through, characterized by a growing predominance of noncontagious > illnesses," the report stated, noting associated factors like obesity were > also on the rise. > The global death toll from diabetes exceeds the three million killed by > AIDS. World health bodies predict the number of diabetes sufferers > worldwide could more than double to 366 million by 2030 from around 177 > million now. > Normally considered a rich countries' disease, diabetes is growing fastest > in poor countries, often in tandem with obesity - a rising problem in > developing countries and especially in junk-food obsessed Mexico. > Mexico is also seeing a swing toward cancer, which is now behind more than > 10 percent of deaths. > In total, the percentage of deaths from noninfectious illnesses like > diabetes, heart disease, cancer and hypertension has risen to 73 percent > from 44 percent in 1950. Fewer than 15 percent of deaths in Mexico are now > from common infections. > 'We must promote healthy habits' > "These figures show the principal causes of death are no longer linked, as > in the past, to infections but to the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and > addictive substances, inactivity and obesity. We must promote more healthy > habits," President Vicente Fox said in a speech on Monday. > The most common form of diabetes results from the body's inability to > respond to the action of insulin produced by the pancreas, generating > symptoms like blurred vision, unusual thirst, frequent urination and > tiredness. > Left untreated, the illness can lead in later life to serious > complications including heart disease, strokes, kidney disease and > blindness. > The World Health Organization is working to raise awareness of diabetes > which is sometimes hard to spot and which experts say can be prevented > with improved eating and exercise habits. > Mexico's swing toward the illnesses that blight richer nations has come > amid a slide in child mortality rates. > Between 2000 and 2003 the infant mortality rate dropped 15 percent, while > for children under five, deaths from respiratory infections and diarrhea > fell by 16 percent, thanks to improved sanitary conditions and vaccination > programs, the report said. > > > > Annette Taylor, Ph. D. said: > > Given the recent thread on obesity and the discussion of whether or not > > there is a significant negative on health, this caught my ear today--I > > was listening to the TV news in the background and checked the website > > for this information: I'll see if I can get access to the full article > > through our school library next week. > > > > Annette > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- > > > > January 2005, Vol 95, No. 1 | American Journal of Public Health 159-165 > > � 2005 American Public Health Association > > DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2003.027946 > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- > > > > RESEARCH AND PRACTICE > > Health Care Expenditures Associated With Overweight and Obesity Among US > > Adults: Importance of Age and Race > > > > Christina C. Wee, MD, MPH, Russell S. Phillips, MD, Anna T. R. Legedza, > > ScD, Roger B. Davis, ScD, Jane R. Soukup, MS, Graham A. Colditz, MD, > > DrPH and Mary Beth Hamel, MD, MPH > > > > Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Christina C. > > Wee, MD, MPH, Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth > > Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, 330 > > Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215 (email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]). > > > > Objectives. We estimated health care expenditures associated with > > overweight and obesity and examined the influence of age, race, and > > gender. > > > > Methods. Using 1998 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data, we employed > > 2-stage modeling to estimate annual health care expenditures associated > > with high body mass index (BMI) and examine interactions between > > demographic factors and BMI. > > > > Results. Overall, the mean per capita annual health care expenditure > > (converted to December 2003 dollars) was $3338 before adjustment. While > > the adjusted expenditure was $2127 (90% confidence interval [CI]=$1927, > > $2362) for a typical normal-weight White woman aged 35 to 44 years, > > expenditures were $2358 (90% CI=$2128, $2604) for women with BMIs of 25 > > to 29.9 kg/m2, $2873 (90% CI=$2530, $3236) for women with BMIs of 30 to > > 34.9 kg/m2, $3058 (90% CI=$2529, $3630) for women with BMIs of 35 to > > 39.9 kg/m2, and $3506 (90% CI=$2912, $4228) for women with BMIs of 40 > > kg/m2 or higher. Expenditures related to higher BMI rose dramatically > > among White and older adults but not among Blacks or those younger than > > 35 years. We found no interaction between BMI and gender. > > > > Conclusions. Health care costs associated with overweight and obesity > > are substantial and vary according to race and age. > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- > > > > Annette Kujawski Taylor, Ph. D. > > Department of Psychology > > University of San Diego > > 5998 Alcala Park > > San Diego, CA 92110 > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > -- > > > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
