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JACK ≠ OUGHTON
Health
Writing
Portfolio
•
≠
•
Some
Compiled
Health
and
Fitness
Articles
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A
little
dark
chocolate
may
go
a
long
way
for
your
heart..
A
story
recently
reported
by
the
Daily
Express
tell
us
that
eating
two
small
pieces
of
chocolate
a
week
can
cut
the
risk
of
heart
failure
by
up
to
a
third.
The
story
is
based
on
a
study
of
the
effects
of
chocolate
on
the
heart
health
of
elderly
and
middle
aged
women,
carried
out
at
Harvard
Medical
School
and
the
Karolinska
institute
in
Sweden.
Results
showed
that
women
who
ate
moderate
amounts
of
chocolate
(one
to
two
servings
weekly,
or
one
to
three
servings
a
month)
were
correlated
with
a
lower
heart
failure
risk.
Unfortunately
the
study
didn’t
make
clear
how
much
‘two
small
bits’
was,
and
relied
on
women
recalling
their
precise
intake
of
chocolate,
which
meant
the
results
are
not
as
accurate
as
metabolic
ward
studies
where
precise
intakes
are
measured.
Many
other
studies
have
looked
at
the
health
benefits
of
chocolate,
however
results
are
inconclusive
at
this
time.
Emerging
evidence
suggests
that
extremely
dark
chocolate
(80%+
cocoa
solids)
may
be
healthy
in
moderation.
Chocolate
comes
from
the
cocoa
bean,
which
the
Aztecs
fondly
dubbed
‘the
food
of
the
Gods’.
It
contains
many
healthy
ingredients
such
as
anandamide
(a
euphoric
substance)
and
arginine
(a
natural
aphrodisiac
Though
a
pleasure
many
enjoy,
over
consumption
of
chocolate
is
clearly
linked
to
weight
gain
and
obesity.
Most
commercial
(milk)
chocolate
is
a
potent
combination
of
sugars
and
fats,
and
is
extremely
high
in
calories.
That’s
part
of
why
it
tastes
so
good.
As
the
link
between
overweight
and
heart
disease
is
clearly
associated,
it
is
important
to
bear
in
mind
that
moderation
is
key.
If
you
are
a
chocolate
lover,
you
should
try
to
moderate
your
weekly
intake
as
the
study
suggests,
and
enjoy
the
richer
taste
of
darker
chocolate
bars.
Don’t
forget
to
exercise
regularly
and
enjoy
healthy
foods
such
as
vegetables
and
fruit
as
the
staples
of
your
food
plan.
© 2010 Jack Oughton
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Hard line
A report looking into the future of healthcare in Britain has suggested levying
penalties imposed on overweight people who refuse to change their
behaviour and drop to a healthy weight. The report, Visions Of Britain 2020,
suggests that this legislation could be similar in nature to the smoking ban.
The paper goes into great detail of the potential impact of people eating
unhealthily, exercising too little, and drinking too much alcohol. Experts have
condemned government campaigns designed to change attitudes towards
health and fitness and now suggest taking a harder line.
Experts told the researchers they expect treatments, such as IVF, dental
treatment, obesity surgery and drugs, dementia treatment and
complementary therapies will no longer be free in 2020. Instead, people will
be encouraged to lead healthier lifestyles with the aim of preventing or
staving off debilitating conditions in their older age. The report states: “In
looking ahead to 2020 we anticipate tighter controls on ‘unhealthy’
behaviours at some cost to our liberties.”
Today the NHS struggles to deal with its workload, and with both an
increasingly aging population and the rate of obesity slowly climbing every
year, drastic measures may need to be taken.
The end of the NHS as we know it?
Essentially, the report advises that people who refuse to change their ways
should be made to pay for their care. Though a possible solution to what
appears to be an impending crisis, some of the suggestions in the report go
against the core principle of the NHS, which is that good healthcare should
be freely available to all, regardless of wealth or background.
Trevor Matthews, of Friends Provident, which was part of the team that
compiled the report, said “We all need to adopt healthier lifestyles or else
risk being faced with penalties in the years ahead.”
Commenting directly on the obesity penalties implied by the research, Trevor
added, “some of the behaviours identified in the report mean that these
changes will be much harder on us than we expect them to be.”
But government is optimistic
Public Health Minister, Anne Milton, said: “This Government will always keep
an NHS which is comprehensive, free and based on need, not ability to pay.
This report suggests that improving public health is a lost cause and we don’t
agree. We are determined to create a public health system that truly helps
people live longer and healthier lives…”
© 2010 Jack Oughton
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Overweight diminishes sperm quality and quantity
New findings from a research term lead by Dr. Uwe Paasch at the University
of Leipzig have been released in the Journal Of Fertility And Sterility. They
indicate that obese young men may have a lower sperm count than their
counterparts of a normal weight. This discovery adds to mounting evidence
that links obesity to lower quantity and quality of sperm.
However, in all such studies, age is a problem factor in finding the relationship
between weight and sperm quality. Older men tend to have a lower sperm
quality than younger men, and also tend to carry more body fat.
Hard data
Overall Dr. Paasch’s group found that obese men had a relatively lower
sperm count than normal weight men, but still fell within a normal range,
which is between 20 and 150 million per millilitre of semen.
Other evidence suggests that body fat, and abdominal fat in particular, is
closely related to sex-hormone levels. Paasch also mentioned that in other
studies he and his colleagues found high levels of body fat are to able cause
changes in the collection of proteins that control sperm function and survival.
Study methodology and uncertainty
In the study, Paasch and his colleagues used information from a database on
men who had come to their fertility clinic for a semen analysis between 1999
and 2005. The 2,157 men included in the study were 30 years old, on
average, and had no known infertility problems.
This study had did have a number of limitations which included the fact that
the men were patients at a fertility clinic rather than a sample from the general
population, which could have introduced another factor to the measurements
based on the type of people who volunteered.
It is not entirely clear why obesity is related to sperm quality. Some studies
have found that obese men tend to have altered levels of testosterone and
other reproductive hormones compared with thinner men. However, in this
study, hormone levels correlated with age, but not with body weight.
The researchers also pointed out that weight categories were based on body
mass index, or BMI, a measure of weight in relation to height. Unfortunately
BMI does not precisely measure bodyfat, factors such as additional muscle
mass can on subjects can skew the results.
Stay safe
Though the effects of obesity on sperm quality are becoming clear, studies
have not yet come to a firm conclusion if obesity affects fertility or not.
Regardless of the uncertainty in the results Dr. Paasch recommended
“..relationship between weight and sperm count offers young men another
reason to try to maintain a normal weight.”
© 2010 Jack Oughton
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Trapped
cells,
diabetes
and
obesity
New
evidence
published
in
the
medical
journal
Diabetes
indicates
that
the
cells
trapped
in
inflamed
fat
tissue
cause
to
the
body
to
become
resistant
to
the
effects
of
insulin.
Researchers
at
the
Walter
and
Eliza
Hall
Institute
made
this
connection
after
studying
100
Australians
who
had
undergone
lap
band
surgery.
Professor
Len
Harrison,
a
researcher
at
the
Institute
who
worked
on
the
project
commented
on
the
findings;
"We
have
shown
that
insulin
resistance
in
human
obesity
is
closely
related
to
the
presence
of
inflammatory
cells
in
fat
tissue,
in
particular
a
population
of
macrophage
cells.."
Burning
up
inside
Results
show
that
the
effects
of
excessive
bodyfat
work
like
an
infection,
where
the
complications
include
insulin
resistance.
Macrophages
are
immune
cells
that
normally
respond
to
infections.
In
obese
people,
these
become
trapped
in
fat
tissue,
where
they
cause
inflammation
and
release
cytokines.
Cytokines
are
small
proteins,
which
carry
messages
between
cells.
Certain
cytokines
cause
cells
to
become
resistant
to
the
effects
of
the
hormone
insulin,
leading
to
the
complications
of
insulin
resistance
such
as
diabetes
and
heart
disease.
Resistance
is
futile
Insulin
resistance
is
the
cause
of
diabetes,
and
is
the
condition
in
which
blood
sugar
levels
are
less
responsive
to
the
effects
of
insulin.
Insulin
works
to
lower
blood
sugar
levels,
detoxifying
the
body.
If
the
cells
become
resistant
to
insulin
this
can
lead
to
chronically
elevated
blood
sugar
levels
which
can
cause
a
variety
of
internal
damage
such
as
ongoing
oxidative
stress
and
harm
to
our
body.
Professor
Harrison
explained;
“Complications
of
obesity
such
as
insulin
resistance
and
diabetes,
cardiovascular
disease
associated
with
hardening
of
the
arteries,
and
liver
problems
are
the
result
of
inflammation
that
occurs
in
the
fat
tissue"
Lose
the
weight,
lose
the
problem.
One
participant
in
the
study
was
Denise
Balnaves,
from
Victoria,
aged
62.
She
reported
that
after
dropping
from
98KG
to
70KG,
her
need
for
insulin
injections
dropped
from
four
daily,
to
one.
Commenting
on
the
findings
Dr.
Harrison
said:
“
When
obese
people
lost
weight
the
macrophages
in
the
fat
tissue
disappeared,
as
did
the
risk
of
developing
insulin
resistance
and
diabetes.”
Evidence
from
the
study
suggests
that
losing
extra
fat
stores
allows
trapped,
inflamed
cells
to
escape,
which
causes
the
body’s
sensitivity
to
insulin
to
rise
again,
which
is
great
news
for
diabetics.
© 2010 Jack Oughton
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Fast insulin, fat cells
New evidence has been uncovered that insulin may be a more significant
cause of obesity than genetics. Researchers at Purdue University found
genetically identical cells store greatly varied amounts of fat, depending in
subtle variations on how cells process insulin. Research suggests that the
faster a cell processes insulin, the more fat it stores.
Researchers used a biological process called adipogenesis, taking cell
cultures of a line called 3T3-L1, which is often used to study fat cells. In
adipogenesis, these cells turn straight to fat.
The ‘fat gene’ fallacy
Previously, scientists had suggested that certain "fat genes" might be
associated with excessive fat storage in cells. However, the Purdue
researchers confirmed that these fat genes were or activated in all of the cells,
not all of which stored the same level of fat.
The main finding was that the differences in fat storage depended more on
the “insulin signalling pathway” in the cell – which enables these cells to take
up glucose from the blood.
Inuslin attaches to cell membranes, and signals cells to take up glucose from
the blood. Cells that are said to be insulin resistant fail to take up glucose,
causing blood levels of glucose to raise above normal.
This is the main culprit for Type II Diabetes, a condition, which is linked to
complications such as heart disease and a host of other health problems. In
the UK, diabetes is estimated to affect around 1 in 20 people.
The Purdue discoveries are detailed in a research paper published by the
Public Library Of Science a non-profit organization of scientists and
physicians.
Future breakthroughs now very possible
Understanding the mechanism that processes insulin storage in cells could
lead to breakthroughs in combating obesity.
Ji-Xin Cheng, an assistant professor in Purdue University's Weldon School of
Biomedical Engineering commented "Insights from our study also will be
important for understanding the precise roles of insulin in obesity or Type II
diabetes, and to the design of effective intervention strategies"
The research, which is funded by the National Institutes Of Health, is ongoing.
Future work may seek to understand the insulin signalling pathway a little
better and how manipulating it may better allow us to control obesity and treat
fat storage.
© 2010 Jack Oughton
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New research finds that cold weather triggers heart attacks
The Study
New research suggests that cold days make people more susceptible to heart attacks,
with a 1°C temperature drop on a given day related to around 200 extra heart attacks.
We already know through many studies that weather and death rates are related, with
people dying from a variety of ailments during extremes of temperature including
heart complications.
However, interpreting the link between weather and death rates isn't a simple matter,
there could be any number of factors at work, and linking a single cause is quite
complicated. For example, summer months could be linked with higher levels of air
pollution, whilst the winter months could be linked to an increase in flu rates.
The Results
Interestingly, the results of the new study suggest that cold weather, but not hot
weather, is related to a greater number of heart attacks.
Hospital admissions data for 84,010 heart attacks in Wales and England from between
2003 and 2006 was studied. Researchers also collected temperature records from the
British Atmospheric Data Centre, and information on circulating viral infections such
as flu.
The research concluded that a 1°C fall in average temperature on any given day
increased the risk of a heart attack by 2 percent over the next 28 days.
The researchers say that this is the first co-ordinated large scale study to look at the
link between temperature and heart attacks, adjusting for the effects of pollution and
flu, which makes this study particularly reliable.
A Deadly Combination
This new research arrives behind a growing mountain of evidence of a global decline
in health and an obesity epidemic that is spiralling out of control, especially in the
west.
In 2008 in the UK, 25% of men and 29% of women reported meeting the government
‘5 a day’ guidelines of consuming five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
Furthermore, around 1 in 5 children aged 5 to 15 consumed five or more portions of
fruit and vegetables a day (19% of boys and 20% of girls).
Combined with the worsening problem of obesity, evidence suggests that extremes of
temperature could see larger numbers of hospital admissions and fatal complications
in the coming years.
Though we cannot control the weather, we can work to reduce our vulnerability to
fatal heart disease by increasing our activity levels and ensuring we eat sensibly.
© 2010 Jack Oughton
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Innovative American Initiative Prescribing vegetables to obese patients
In Maine and Massachusetts, health care providers are testing an inventive
new scheme, aimed at getting low-income families to eat healthier meals. The
idea is to subsidize one extra serving a day of locally grown fresh fruit and
vegetables for trial participants. Participants are given $1 worth of vouchers a
day to spend on fresh fruit and vegetables.
The program, which was created by Connecticut based ‘Wholesome Wave’
was first launched in Massachusetts on Wednesday and will be started five
days later in Portland and Skowhegan.
Part of the study is to directly measure how fresh produce effects the wellness
of participating families. Researchers will be keep tracking on how the dietary
changes affect health indicators such as weight, blood pressure and blood
sugar levels. The study will also be keeping track of activity levels.
Study participants at Lawrence, Holyoke and Boston are chosen based on
financial limitations, levels of obesity in the family and compliance with the
dietary changes brought about by the study.
Wholesome Wave Chief Operating Officer, Juliette Taylor-DeVries was
optimistic about the potential benefits of the scheme
"… it has tremendous positive effects on the communities because it
invigorates the local economy and it provides a new revenue stream for local
farmers — and access and affordability to people who do not have access to
fresh healthy food."
It is hoped that the plan will stimulate the local economy as well as work to
change attitudes to health amongst lower income families. The organizers
intend to expand the plan to additional sites next year, and are currently
aiming to reach more than 100 families in Maine and Massachusetts.
In Portland the programme focuses on refugees, all of which diabetic or pre
diabetic, or are pregnant. They are at particular risk as many of them are
unfamiliar with fruits and vegetables, seen as a luxury amongst the
desperately poor. In Maine the study targets new mothers and low-income
pregnant women at Reddington-Fairview General Hospital.
This is further evidence that combating obesity and its ill effects on health are
important priorities for local and national government. In the UK the NHS
released figures in 2010 that show the number of prescription items
dispensed for the treatment of obesity to be 1.28 million; this is a disastrous
ten times the number dispensed in 1999.
If successful, these innovative health initiatives could be implemented on
larger scales. There is no doubt that prescribing vegetables could go a long
way towards improving health, but will study participants work with the
researchers to develop and maintain these new healthy habits?
© 2010 Jack Oughton
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Fat
recruits
rejected
Military
recruiters
in
the
USA
are
facing
a
new
weighty
challenge.
As
the
timer
ticks
down
on
to
the
September
30th
recruitment
deadline
for
2010,
the
number
of
overweight
teenagers
being
turned
away
from
the
chance
to
serve
their
country
is
escalating.
A
study
in
April
conducted
by
Mission:
Readiness,
a
non-‐profit
group
made
up
of
senior
retired
military
officials,
yields
interesting
figures
on
the
trend.
According
to
the
results,
between
1995-‐2008
over
140,000
individuals
failed
their
military
entrance
physicals
because
of
weight
problems.
The
report
cited
obesity
as
the
leading
medical
reason
for
recruits
being
rejected,
referring
to
the
condition
as
"a
potential
threat
to
our
national
security."
Data
from
the
study
reveals
that
the
military
faces
a
$60
million
annual
price-‐tag
to
recruit
and
retrain
replacements.
These
need
to
be
brought
in
to
fill
the
gaps
left
by
soldiers
discharged
for
obesity
related
problems.
More
than
1200
new
enlistees
have
their
contracts
terminated
a
year
because
of
weight
problems.
Signs
of
a
deeper
problem
Some
military
officials
are
beginning
to
perceive
this
obesity
problem
as
larger
than
it
may
appear.
Dr.
Curtis
Gilroy,
director
of
accession
policy
in
the
Office
of
the
Under
Secretary
of
Defense,
commented
on
the
findings;
“[Obesity]
is
a
critical
long-‐term
challenge,
for
not
only
the
military,
but
for
the
nation,
we're
talking
about
national
health
here,
which
is
a
significant
issue
for
this
country."
Lt.
Gen.
Norman
Seip,
a
retired
Air
Force
officer
with
over
35
years
of
experience,
was
moved
to
comment
by
the
findings
"That's
our
future"
Seip
said.
"If
we
don't
get
that
right,
then
bad
on
us,
because
we
have
no
one
else
to
blame
but
ourselves."
Get
‘em
young
Seeing
the
importance
of
tackling
the
problem
early,
Amy
Dawson
Taggert,
national
director
for
Mission:
Readiness
has
launched
a
campaign
against
unhealthy
school
lunches.
The
campaign
is
lobbying
for
stricter
school
nutrition
standards
and
increased
anti-‐obesity
programming
for
children
in
an
attempt
to
iteach
the
positive
health
and
fitness
habits
that
future
recruits
will
need
if
they
wish
to
be
fit
for
military
life.
Though
a
promising
initiative,
many
in
the
military
feel
that
it
has
not
come
soon
enough,
and
could
take
many
years
for
the
full
benefits
to
begin
to
show.
"It's
taken
us
years
to
get
to
where
we
are,
and
it's
gonna
take
years
to
get
us
back..
“Siep
said.
© 2010 Jack Oughton
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Skipping breakfast now linked to childhood obesity in new Essex University
study
A
study
conducted
at
the
University
of
Essex
has
found
a
connection
between
skipping
breakfast
and
childhood
obesity.
The
study
that
tracked
the
activity
of
4,000
10-‐16
year
old
boys
and
girls
examined
the
weight,
fitness,
physical
activity
and
breakfast
habits
of
school
children
in
the
UK.
It
found
that
a
quarter
of
boys
and
a
third
of
girls
regularly
skip
breakfast.
These
children
were
found
to
be
less
physically
active
and
fit
than
those
who
made
time
for
food.
Children
who
skipped
breakfast
were
also
more
likely
to
be
overweight
or
obese.
Start
the
day
right
Magic
Breakfast,
England’s
largest
provider
of
free
breakfasts
at
schools,
is
part
of
the
response
to
try
and
get
children
to
eat
a
hearty
morning
meal.
It’s
founder,
Carmel
McConnell
is
passionate
about
the
subject
and
commented
on
Essex
University’s
findings
“this
study
is
pretty
shocking,
and
as
a
country
we
need
to
wake
up
to
the
fact
that
there
is
something
wrong.”
Excuses,
excuses
When
asked
by
researchers,
children
provided
the
same
sorts
of
reasons
as
to
why
they
skipped
breakfast.
Girls
thought
it
would
help
them
lose
weight,
and
boys
claimed
it
was
a
lack
of
time
in
the
early
morning
rush.
Taking
action
Mcconnel
also
added,
referring
to
the
enlightening
results,
'Magic
Breakfast
is
seeing
an
extreme
need
for
healthy
breakfast
food
for
school-‐age
children,
and
it
is
important
we
take
action
from
an
early
age
to
break
bad
habits.
We
need
to
educate
parents
on
the
importance
of
a
good
breakfast
and
make
sure
good
food
is
available
to
children
through
breakfast
clubs.'
The
Weight-‐control
Information
Network
(WIN),
an
America
based
Information
Service
which
advices
on
obesity
and
stresses
the
importance
of
teaching
children
to
eat
breakfast.
One
of
its
guidelines
states
“Breakfast
may
provide
your
child
with
the
energy
he
or
she
needs
to
listen
and
learn
in
school.
Skipping
breakfast
can
leave
your
child
hungry,
tired,
and
looking
for
less
healthy
foods
later
in
the
day.”
Keeping
breakfast
healthy
A
study
by
Oxford
Brookes
University
from
2003
also
found
that
children
who
ate
a
healthy
breakfast
of
porridge
oats
where
less
likely
to
snack
between
meals
and
ate
significantly
smaller
lunches
than
children
fed
a
breakfast
of
sugary
breakfast
cereal
and
white
bread.
© 2010 Jack Oughton
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freelance assignments, for more info, please contact me with your proposal.
Obesity Epidemic Linked To Traditional British Barbeques
Health researchers at the Boots and Tony Ferguson Weightloss Program
have released information that links the British love of the summer grill to the
obesity epidemic.
Their study found that during a barbecuq, women would often consume 2500
calories in one sitting, and men would take in an even more massive 3500
calories. The main foods consumed where sausages, steaks and potato
salad. The researchers also mentioned that the average family had 9 such
barbecues every summer.
Commenting about the findings, Gaila Ferguson, the co-founder of the Tony
Ferguson Weightloss Program stated “Fish is also great. Peppered tuna is
quick on the barbecue and it's full of omega 3s and 6s. Even a steak is great
so long as you cut the fat off”
The researchers have suggested that better educating the public on healthy
eating may help us to continue enjoying healthier barbecues when the
summer comes.
The number of overweight British people has roughly doubled since the mid
1980s.
Obesity is on the rise and is now seen as a global problem. The World Health
Organization has made the forecast that by 2015 there will be 2.3 billion
overweight adults globally, over 700 million of them obese.
It is thought that the increasing prevalence of convenience foods, motorized
transport and sedentary work environments is making eating habits change
for the worse and people less active.
Statistics gathered by the University of Oxford show that Britain is one of the
fattest countries in the world, with about 46% of men and 32% of women
overweight. As we age the statistics get worse, with about 76% of men and
68% of women aged 55-64 overweight or obese.
© 2010 Jack Oughton
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freelance assignments, for more info, please contact me with your proposal.
Information
worth
knowing
A
study
conducted
in
America
and
published
in
the
journal
Pediatrics
this
week
brings
both
good
and
bad
tidings.
The
good
news
is
that
obesity
rates
among
some
groups
of
white
children
are
on
the
decline.
The
bad
news
is
that
obesity
rates
among
African
American
and
Native
American
girls
are
on
the
definite
rise.
There
is
a
public
education
directive
called
‘The
No
Child
left
behind
Act’
–
and
amongst
its
many
lofty
goals
are
an
equal
provision
of
education
amongst
children
of
all
racial
groups
and
backgrounds.
Perhaps
a
contentious
point,
but
it
would
appears
that
once
again,
some
children
are
being
left
behind,
at
least
as
far
as
public
health
is
going.
Some
more
equal
than
others
The
study
published
in
Pediatrics
shows
that
as
the
obesity
rate
fell
for
non-‐
Caucasian
girls,
the
rate
for
Hispanic
girls
remained
stable.
The
rate
in
black
girls
grew
from
20%
to
22%
over
7
years,
and
in
American
Indian
girls,
it
blew
up
to
23%
from
15%
over
the
same
7
year
period.
Commenting
on
the
data
was
the
study’s
lead
researcher,
based
at
the
University
Of
California
St
Francisco,
Dr.
Kristine
Madsen.
She
said
“On
the
one
hand,
it
is
really
heartening
to
see
the
declines
in
white
and
Asian
children
and
the
plateau
in
Latino
youth.
But
this
is
tempered
by
concerns
about
increasing
racial
disparities
in
childhood
obesity.
The
fact
that
the
gap
appears
to
be
widening
is
very
troubling.”
Gaps
widening
everywhere
These
results
add
to
mounting
evidence
that
programs
and
policies
aimed
at
combating
childhood
obesity
aren’t
working
amongst
the
more
vulnerable
areas
and
populations.
Similarly,
some
nutritional
commentators
in
American
legislature
have
started
referring
to
‘food
deserts’;
poorer
neighborhoods
where
the
availability
of
fresh
and
healthy
food
is
greatly
restricted,
mainly
for
financial
reasons.
Taking
some
responsibility
Of
course,
to
place
the
impetus
and
blame
squarely
on
government
is
naïve
at
best
and
dangerously
irresponsible
at
worst.
It
is
clear
that
parents
and
caregivers
have
just
as
much
responsibility
to
provide
the
right
example
and
means
for
their
children
to
develop
the
habits
that
make
for
long,
healthy
lives.
American
experts
are
recommending
that
children
are
taught
to
eat
healthy
meals
at
home
with
the
family,
limit
their
intake
of
sugary
and
salty
drinks,
encouraged
to
exercise
and
to
learn
the
difference
between
healthy
and
unhealthy
foods.
After
all,
it
is
all
fine
and
well
trying
to
teach
children
at
school
but
it
is
something
of
a
losing
battle
if
the
familiar
social
conditioning,
and
unfortunately,
many
of
these
children
come
from
very
unwell
families.
© 2010 Jack Oughton
13. W: writing.xijindustries.com ∞ | E: writing@xijindustries.com - I am available for
freelance assignments, for more info, please contact me with your proposal.
Many
are
calling
the
obesity
rate
a
genuine
medical
epidemic.
In
America
today,
23
million
children
and
teenagers
are
obese
or
overweight.
© 2010 Jack Oughton