The global obesity/diabetes epidemic is receiving wide-spread attention like the June 26 article in The Washington Post by David Brown. One-fourth of our national health care bill of $2.3 trillion is linked to the treatment of diabetes and its complications. Average American life expectancy is now dropping because of this disease complex. Even children are being recommended for gastric bypass.
Fingers everywhere are pointing at the usual suspects: too much junk food and lack of exercise. But there is much more to the story than a recent, contagious lack of discipline among the masses.
A growing body of evidence in animals and humans suggests that many man-made chemicals contaminating our environment mimic some of the body's own hormones like testosterone and estrogen. Researchers have called these chemicals endocrine disruptors because they wreak havoc with endocrine organs like the thyroid, pancreas, testes and ovaries that depend on hormones to develop and function properly. But a new, more relevant term for these chemicals has emerged. They are now also called obesogens.
8 comments:
This post grossly embellishes on scientific findings, which is the big reason why the public casts so much doubt on science these days. It is not the scientists making these predictions, but reporters wishing for the juiciest headline who are willing to cherry pick the information that they want to include. For example, this post notes a correlation in diabetes and several blood contaminants. But says nothing of the fact that many people with high contaminant levels are poor minorities who unfortunately have diabetes from eating crappy food and not excercising in the first place.
The point? Same as usual; don't eat like a fat @$$ and work out regularly and you won't have anything to worry about.
"A growing body of evidence"? Not really. A few studies here and there that can't be replicated by other scientists don't make a "body of evidence." There is no proof that what this article says is true.
So you are telling me that I can eat all the pizza and burgers I want while playing on the computer, as long as I stay away from those darn contaminants?
Laziness is what is making Americans fat. How often do you see a fat Asian person?
Type 2 diabetes - the type that mostly affects adults - affects all types of people. However, there are factors that can put you at higher risk for developing the condition:
•Being overweight (body mass index of 25+)
•Carrying fat around the waist and stomach
•Being sedentary
•Being more than 45 years old (being over 65 increases risk even further)
•Having a family history of type 2 diabetes
•Having had gestational diabetes (a mild glucose abnormality first noted in pregnancy which can cause difficulties with delivery and in the newborn after birth) or having a baby that weighed 9 lbs or more
•Being of African-American, Latino, Asian-American, or Native American descent
•Having a low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level (less than 35)
•Having a high triglyceride level (250 or above)
•Having high blood pressure (140/90 mm/Hg or higher)
Come on now, post comments
11;26 am, alot more now that Mickey D's has a strong showing and much wider availability in China/other parts of Asia
They should have included in this study the growth hormones and antibiotics used in raising the meats we consume.
These are given to the animals regularly. Do people really believe that we're not affected by these when we consume the meats?
Look how TALL people are now days compared to 20 years ago. It's growth hormones!
We consume a LOT less meat than we used to simply because of this. We don't go to the gym but we do get regular exercise by maintaining our home and walking and hiking. In the spring and summer, we have a huge garden we tend to, which by itself is great exercise. The normal types of exercise. You don't need a GYM to be healthy and fit.
We also don't eat fast food, period!
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