News from your resident health nut.

[TheKurp]

Those of you on the Atkins diet should take note.

From NutritionNewsFocus

May 14, 2003

NUTRITION NEWS FOCUS

"Nutrition news is important. We help you understand it!"

Today's Topic: Mediterranean Diet for Life

A major study at 172 centers in Italy finds that eating foods that characterize the Mediterranean diet leads to cutting the death rate in half. More than 11,000 people who had had a heart attack were followed for 6.5 years after being told to increase their consumption of fish, fruits, raw and cooked vegetables, and olive oil.

In this Italian population, there already was regular consumption of these foods, but many participants increased their intake over the study period. There was a linear decrease in mortality from any cause with improvement in the diet based on the recommended foods. The study was published in the April 2003 European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

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http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/ejcn/journal/v57/n4/abs/1601575a.hmtl

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HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: People who showed the most benefit from the recommended diet ate fish at least twice a week, ate fruits and vegetables daily, and used olive oil regularly. The benefit of the Mediterranean diet appears to be due to a combination of ingredients and not one food. This is a tasty way to improve your health.

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From today's USA Today.

An overweight America comes with a hefty price tag

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

Americans' extra weight costs the nation as much as $93 billion in annual medical bills, and the government pays about half of that amount, a federally funded study shows.

This is the highest estimate yet of the medical costs of overweight and obesity. It's comparable to the annual medical bill for smoking, which was estimated at about $76 billion a few years ago.

The new study by three economists, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, includes direct medical costs but not indirect costs such as time off work.

Almost 65% of people in the USA are either overweight or obese. Overweight is defined as roughly 10 to 30 pounds over a healthy weight; obesity is 30 or more pounds over. People who weigh too much are at an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, many types of cancers and other illnesses.

The researchers used existing data to compare medical costs for overweight and obese people with the costs for people of normal weight. Their findings, in today's online issue of Health Affairs:

Overall, annual medical costs for an obese person are about 37.7% more, or $732 higher, than the costs for someone of normal weight.

An obese recipient of Medicare (a program for the elderly) costs $1,486 more a year than one of healthy weight.

An obese patient on Medicaid (a program for the needy) costs $864 more than a normal weight Medicaid recipient.

The annual medical spending attributable to overweight and obesity is about 9.1% of national medical costs. Those attributable to smoking range from 6.5% and 14.4%.

"There is an ongoing debate about whether obesity is an individual or societal issue," says the study's lead author, Eric Finkelstein, a health economist for RTI International in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

"The fact that Medicaid and Medicare, and ultimately taxpayers, are financing half the cost lends credence to the notion that obesity is not solely a personal issue."

Others say this study is a wakeup call. "The government is going to get slam-dunked in future obesity costs if it doesn't address the problem now," says Anne Wolf of the University of Virginia Medical School. She has studied the economics of obesity. "As the population ages and the prevalence of obesity continues to rise, Medicare is going to be picking up the health care tab for these people."

[Ax]

Hey Kurp,

you seem to be quite obsessed with the Atkins Diet and overweight people in general. Is there any particular reason?

[TheKurp]

Ax,

Most diets are fads that are based on unproven theories. Frankly I think the authors who write them are looking to capitalize on people's gullability in order to make money. At the worst they're jeopardizing people's health. While I'm sure there are a few diets out there that are legitimally healthy and based on known science, they are few and far between. Weight Watchers is one of those.

While people argue over whether obesity is a societal or an individual issue, take note of people's eating habits around you. For the most part, overweight people are that way because they eat not for sustenance, but to satisfy some psychological need. Just say, "No" when people gather in the coffee room at work to eat donuts. Just say "No" when someone is celebrating a birthday and offers you a piece of cake. In fact, just say "No" unless the food you're eating satisfies a nutritional need. Eat to live. Don't live to eat.

Every fat person I work with is eating constantly during the day. They're stuffing their face with candy, donuts, cake, etc., in between meals, and then walk down to the cafeteria for lunch and order something fried.

If people want to do this, fine. But I'm going to be "obsessed" with it so long as they're taking money out of my pocket while doing it.

[Riggo-toni]

I actually went on the Mediterannean diet when I first came down with diabetes (although the book I had on it also allowed for pasta). It worked well for the first couple years, and was quite tasty to me (I used to live in Italy). Unfortunately, the effectiveness of my medication (Glucophage) seemed to wear down, and I had to switch to something probably similar to the Okinawan diet to reduce my carb intake in order to keep my glucose levels in check (fish, soy, green vegetables, and high fiber/low sugar fruits). Hey, I'll make any adjustment to avoid ending up on insulin or hypoglycemic drugs.

After having to go through 2 radical diet changes in the last four years (first for diabetes, second for high cholesterol), I have to admit I have no sympathy for people who can't stick to a diet regimen.

Since it's a weight loss diet, I've never paid much attention to Atkins (I only weigh 155), but I must confess I'm grateful for the Atkins fad for creating low carb baking mixes I use to make breakfast food. It seems to me if you eat more fish as opposed to all the red meat it allows, its prohibitions of simple sugars, starches, and processed carbs has a great deal of merit. Then again, that would make it pretty similar to the diet Kurp is advocating here.

[APB]

The lack of common sense and discipline most people have when it comes to nutrition and health really is amazing.

I was overweight for the first 19 years of my life, and, being a stupid kid who exercised regularly and was otherwise perfectly healthy, assumed it was genetic. I left to spend a year studying in France weighing 235 pounds. While there, I walked 5-10 miles daily (because I was too poor for pubic transportation and because I found it to be enjoyable/educational) and was limited to 3 square meals daily. (I had no access to a refrigerator, and was too poor to snack on anything other than carrots.)

In any event, I lost 40 pounds in the first month, and 75 overall. That was 10 years ago and I'm still at 160. I no longer get my exercise walking. I eat more than anyone I know at meals, but rarely have any desire to eat anything in between.

[Yomar]

As a bachelor with no kitchen skills, my main problem is that I A) eat out all the time and don't think about eating until I'm very hungry and want immediate gratification, then I usually over order junk food.

[MarkPSkins]

The problem is with the statistics, not the diet.

30 lbs. overwieght is considered obese? WTF? That means every chick I've ever been to bed with is obese? Holy cow...oops bad pun.

They say I'm supposed to weigh like 180 lbs? WTF? I weighed 180 in high school, I wont say what I weigh now, but I guess I'm obese. I excercise, coach sports, play sports. I can hit a freaking softball 350 feet. Stick that up you obese butt. I can still break the 5 second barrier in the 40, okay the fifty, but I can still move pretty good.

The problem with this is people are "supposed" to be too skinny. Give me Marylin Monroe over Gisele Bunsenghoweverspell it any day. Marilyn Monroe was obese?? Really?

Freak of nature is what I call people who can stay withing that 10-15 pounds they consider themselves over wieght standard. What a crock. The reasons so many people are considered over weight this country is because the very same people who milk you for medical bills say so. "Your fat so you need this treatment, this diet and keep coming back so I can tell you you are going to die of a heart attack unless you drop 10 lbs. Thanks leave your Visa card at the door."

[TheKurp]

Originally posted by MarkPSkins

The problem is with the statistics, not the diet.

Mark,

Here are the statistics. You should note that these figures are based on the current BMI standards.

Overweight, Obesity & Lifespan Research Findings

* People who are overweight (aged 40) are likely to die at least three years sooner than those who are normal weight.

* Obese smokers (aged 40) are likely to die 13-14 years sooner than non-smokers of normal weight.

* In terms of life expectancy, being fat during middle age is on a par with smoking.

* Overweight, non-smokers lost an average of three years.

* Obese female non-smokers lost an average 7.1 years.

* Obese male non-smokers lost 5.8 years.

* Whites who lived the longest had a BMI ranging from 23 to 25; for blacks the range was 23 to 30. Why blacks can be heavier than whites and not face the same risk of shorter life spans is unclear. Researchers consider it may be linked to fat distribution in the body.

* White morbidly obese men - with BMIs over 45 - lost up to 13 years of life.

* White morbidly obese women lost as many as eight

Source: Journal of the American Medical Association; Jan. 7, 2003, Annals of Internal Medicine

[MarkPSkins]

Gee kurp,

Because I'm "obese" I can pretty much count on missing out on the part of life that includes Depends, arthritis, bedpans, besores, making my children have to take care of me, not taking money out of Social Security that I was not entitled to, driving badly, dementia, senility, the inability to break 100 playing golf playing from the old guys tees. Something I could be looking foward too if I decide to never enjoy oreo or big macs.

Again, how old do you really want to get. So I die at 75 instead of 85. I'll died at 75 suddenly instead of dieing slowly day to day for the next ten years.

What is that you are selling anyway?

[TheKurp]

I'm not selling anything Mark, I'm trying to save.

Under the current health care system I pay more than my fair share. In essence, I'm paying more than my fair share for the medical care people need before they die from obesity-related causes. The fact that you'll die early doesn't help me when you need medical care for diabetes, cancer, blocked arteries, and other weight-related illnesses while you're still living.

I don't know anything about you Mark so when I say "you" I'm referring to the third person of "you".

As for the arthritis, bedpans, bedsores, geriatric care, dementia, senility, et.al, well, most of that can be delayed or even avoided by healthy living and exercise (both mind and body).

People lose use of their bodies in large part because they're sedentary. People who do crossword puzzles or perform some other means of stimulating the mind have a lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Diet appears to also play a major role in Alzheimer's and dementia with studies showing that cultures who eat foods consisting of generous amounts of fruits and vegetables have a significantly lower incidence of these diseases.

You appear to have a defeatest attitude towards aging. There are currently over 50,000 centenarians living in the U.S. By the time 2058 rolls around(100 years after my birth), there's estimated to be between 500,000 and 1 million centenarians. I plan on being one of them. In the meantime I'm taking care of my body so that I can enjoy those years past 70. It might interest you to know that currently, centenarians require no more medicine or visits to the doctor than people in their 60's to 80's.

[stratoman]

Originally posted by TheKurp

Under the current health care system I pay more than my fair share.

just see how much you will be paying if the dems/hillary get their way.

[riggins44]

Being in southeastern VA, I try to eat a lot of seafood. I've

cooked with olive oil for years. This will be first year, in many,

that I may not eat any fried soft crabs. Atkins won't let me

have the breading....guess could grind up some pork rinds and

use as coating. Might give this a try!

[Ax]

Kurp,

there is no question that most diets are fads out to make money off of people who are looking to find a program that will do the work for them. That being said, some of them actually work for some people.

Atkins has been around for thirty years. So far it's working WITH me. It's only been five months so I'm not totally convinced yet either. My wife is having some success, but not as much as I have. All this means is that everybody is different. What works for you may not work for me.

As far as eating more fish, fruit, raw and cooked vegetables, and olive oil. These are all encouraged by Atkins. It is only at the beginning of the diet that the fruit and certain veggies are avoided or limited. That's just to get the ball rolling. Read the whole book. It's in there.

Not all doctors/nutritionists who criticize the Aktins are doing so because they care about people. They also have a financial stake in their point of view. Atkins gives numerous study references to support their claims. Read the book.

There are no guarantees in life, save one. We are all going to die. Even you. And there's nothing you can do about it. You can improve your chances against certain ailments, but there is no way to eliminate them from play. Wealthier people than you and I with the best doctors, nutritionists, and personal trainers money can buy have been trying forever. All so far have failed.

[TheKurp]

Originally posted by Ax

There are no guarantees in life, save one. We are all going to die. Even you. And there's nothing you can do about it. You can improve your chances against certain ailments, but there is no way to eliminate them from play. Wealthier people than you and I with the best doctors, nutritionists, and personal trainers money can buy have been trying forever. All so far have failed. [/b]

Ax,

It all depends on your definition of failure. Except for a few quacks like Walt Disney, no one really expects to live forever.

To be of active mind and body well into one's 80's and 90's is success in my book. It's been done by people in the past and there are currently people living now who are self-sufficient and enjoying life at that age.

[redman]

Originally posted by MarkPSkins

Gee kurp,

Because I'm "obese" I can pretty much count on missing out on the part of life that includes Depends, arthritis, bedpans, besores, making my children have to take care of me, not taking money out of Social Security that I was not entitled to, driving badly, dementia, senility, the inability to break 100 playing golf playing from the old guys tees. Something I could be looking foward too if I decide to never enjoy oreo or big macs.

Actually, it means that those years will come sooner!