Obesity

Fat and Getting Fatter

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Trends in Obesity and Severe Obesity Prevalence in US Youth and Adults by Sex and Age, 2007-2008 to 2015-2016

Craig M. Hales, MD1; Cheryl D. Fryar, MSPH1; Margaret D. Carroll, MSPH1; et al David S. Freedman, PhD2; Cynthia L. Ogden, PhD1
Author Affiliations Article Information
JAMA. Published online March 23, 2018. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.3060

Age-standardized prevalence of obesity among adults increased from 33.7% (95% CI, 31.5%-36.1%) in 2007-2008 to 39.6% (95% CI, 36.1%-43.1%) in 2015-2016 (P?=?.001) (Table 2). Prevalence increased among women, and in adults aged 40 to 59 years and 60 years or older. The observed increases in men and adults aged 20 to 39 years did not reach statistical significance. There were no significant quadratic trends. The adjusted model also showed a significant overall linear trend for obesity among adults (P?<?.001; data not shown).

Age-standardized prevalence of severe obesity in adults increased from 5.7% (95% CI, 4.9%-6.7%) in 2007-2008 to 7.7% (95% CI, 6.6%-8.9%) in 2015-2016 (P?=?.001). Prevalence increased in men, women, adults aged 20 to 39 years and 40 to 59 years. There was no significant linear trend among adults 60 years and older. There were no significant quadratic trends. The adjusted model also showed a significant overall linear trend for severe obesity (P?<?.001; data not shown).

OK…I know I’m obsessive about this obesity trend.  But that’s what happens when your peak BMI used to be 53+.  Many people have told me I should write a book.  Let’s just say I’m working on it.  A book is not a collection of blog posts.  I am not going to publish a book until I am satisfied I’ve done the best writing job I possibly can.
I just returned from a week away.  I didn’t step on the scale.  I weighed myself today for the first time in a week.  BMI holding steady around 26.
Read the source study here.

Scientists identify weight loss ripple effect

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That’s the finding of a new University of Connecticut study that tracked the weight loss progress of 130 couples over six months. The researchers found that when one member of a couple commits to losing weight, the chances were good the other partner would lose some weight too, even if they were not actively participating in a weight loss intervention.

The study’s lead investigator, UConn Professor Amy Gorin, calls it a “ripple effect.”

“When one person changes their behavior, the people around them change,” says Gorin, a behavioral psychologist. “Whether the patient works with their healthcare provider, joins a community-based, lifestyle approach like Weight Watchers, or tries to lose weight on their own, their new healthy behaviors can benefit others in their lives.”

The study, published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Obesity, also found that the rate at which couples lose weight is interlinked. In other words, if one member lost weight at a steady pace, their partner did too. Likewise, if one person struggled to lose weight, their partner also struggled.

Read the entire source article here.

I wonder if there is a multiplier effect if you only associate with others trying to lose weight?  My 200 pound weight loss was done on the buddy system with my girlfriend.  It was a long time ago but between the two of us the total combined weight loss was over 250 pounds.

The weight loss was a good thing but it didn’t help our relationship.

 

Lose Weight on a Veg Diet

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If you’re trying to lose weight, there are tons of diets to choose from—and new research points to vegetarian diets as a promising option. For the study, which was published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 74 participants cut their normal daily calories by 500 for six months. Some went on a vegetarian diet, and some went on a diabetes-friendly diet (one that focuses on reducing sugars, refined carbs, cholesterol, and saturated fat). People on the vegetarian diet lost more subcutaneous fat (that’s the noticeable fat under your skin). They also lost more subfascial fat (the type that lines your muscles) and intramuscular fat (the type stored inside your muscles). That’s important, since the fat that’s stored inside your muscles and organs can mess with your metabolism, potentially leading to insulin resistance and even type 2 diabetes, says study author Hana Kahleova, M.D.

Source article here.

I found the research quoted to be more interesting than the recipes.

Untreated sleep apnea shown to raise metabolic and cardiovascular stress — ScienceDaily

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Sleep apnea, left untreated for even a few days, can increase blood sugar and fat levels, stress hormones and blood pressure, according to a new study of sleeping subjects. A report of the study’s findings, published in the August issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, adds further support for the consistent use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a machine that increases air pressure in the throat to keep the airway open during sleep.

Jun emphasized that the study was limited by studying people with severe OSA and obesity, thus limiting the ability to apply the findings to all OSA patients. The researchers also did not compare CPAP use to a sham CPAP control group to exclude a potential placebo effect

Source: Untreated sleep apnea shown to raise metabolic and cardiovascular stress — ScienceDaily

Study finds 90 percent of American men overfat — ScienceDaily

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The term overfat refers to the presence of excess body fat that can impair health, and may include even normal-weight non-obese individuals. Excess body fat, especially abdominal fat, is associated with increased risk of chronic diseases, increased morbidity and mortality, and reduced quality of life.

Source: Study finds 90 percent of American men overfat — ScienceDaily

I am not obese, just overfat.

White Meats Carry Lower Mortality Risks than Reds, But We Eat Too Much of Both — Physician’s First Watch

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Source: White Meats Carry Lower Mortality Risks than Reds, But We Eat Too Much of Both — Physician’s First Watch

Source: Mortality from different causes associated with meat, heme iron, nitrates, and nitrites in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study: population based cohort study | The BMJ

I’m feeling guilty about the three cheddar cheeseburger sliders I had last night.

Guess I’ll have another beer.

Expanding waistlines and metabolic syndrome: Researchers warn of new ‘silent killer’: Caused by overweight and obesity, metabolic syndrome affects 40 percent of Americans age 40 and older — ScienceDaily

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For optimal health, the waist should measure less than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women.

Source: Expanding waistlines and metabolic syndrome: Researchers warn of new ‘silent killer’: Caused by overweight and obesity, metabolic syndrome affects 40 percent of Americans age 40 and older — ScienceDaily