Over-Consumption of Junk Food Can Trigger Addiction-Like Responses in the Brain

Doctors and researchers have suspected this for quite some time, but a study in rats reported in the journal Neuroscience has found that over-consumption of high-calorie food can trigger addiction-like responses in the brain, and that junk food can turn rats into compulsive eaters in a laboratory setting.  When the researchers regularly offered rats a choice of high-calorie foods such as bacon, sausage, cake, and chocolate in addition to their regular food choices, the animals over-consumed calories and gained weight rapidly.  The study gets even more interesting, the team trained their rats to expect painful foot shocks when seeing a light signal.  Although normal rats stop eating even the most delicious junk food when the light comes on, the obese rats used to the high-calorie diet just keep feeding.  The desire for junk food overcame the fear of pain.

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Childhood Obesity and Diabetes Rates

Diabetes is becoming a huge health issue in this country and the biggest reason is because of the problem of childhood obesity. Young children are more overweight, and as a result, diabetes is going to occur more commonly in them, and the problems associated with diabetes, at younger ages, and that is a key concern. One of the big issues we have is that people will have heart disease, obesity, and other related problems, including kidney problems, at earlier ages. It’s critical that we look into it and make changes.

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Fast-Food Restaurants Contribute to America’s Weight Problem

Fast-food restaurant.  For most Americans, you can't live without them, but can you live with them?  They dot the landscape of our country, city after city, but with a nation on the run, with countless single parents, or couples trying to split time between work and the demands of a heavy family schedule, those fast-food restaurants can offer a quick and often cheap, filling meal.  Fast-food restaurants are not entirely to blame for our nation’s growing weight problem.  Many offer healthy options, but studies show that most of us turn them down because of other reasons.  As a result, we are facing obesity as an issue.  The combination of lack of exercise and high fat foods is causing us to be obese.  The long-term problems of obesity are great.  They include heart disease and diabetes.  The bottom line here is we have to do whatever we can to control obesity.

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Genetics, Brain Chemicals, and Obesity

There is no doubt there is a genetic link for certain people with obesity. The latest study looking at such a connection was conducted at the University Buffalo. What they found is people who genetically had a lower level of the brain chemical dopamine might be driven to eat more food. People who have fewer of the dopamine receptors need to take in more of a rewarding substance, such as food or drugs, to get an effect than other people with less. Now, the report does not mean if you have the genetic makeup that you are doomed to be obese, but it is clear there is a relationship. Naturally, much of this work is done because scientists are looking for ways to help offset obesity.

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Parents in Denial about Children’s Obesity

A University of Michigan survey looked at the fact that many parents are not aware their children are obese, despite the fact they're extremely overweight.  It has gained a great deal of attention because many looking at the issue from the outside wondered how can a parent not know an obese child has a weight problem?  But this is not unexpected.  Parents are often not the most objective appraisers of their children.  Whether its sports, academics, or appearance, parents want to see what they want to see and they often hope there might be big changes.  One of the big issues with obesity is there is a great deal of denial. 

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Is Being Fat Just as Bad as Smoking Cigarettes?

Could being fat be just as bad as smoking cigarettes?  A very interesting study from Sweden reports that men who were obese at age 18 had the same risk for premature death as those who were heavy smokers (more than ten cigarettes a day).  Those who were overweight at age 18 had the same risk for premature death as those who were less heavy smokers (that's 10 or fewer cigarettes per day).  The study followed 46,000 men from age 18 to roughly age 56.  Compared to those who were a normal weight at age 18, those who were obese had more than double the odds for premature death.  That's similar to heavy smokers.  Those who were overweight increased their risk by about one third.  Being obese and a heavy smoker increased the odds of premature death by five times.  This was statistically the same as being a heavy smoker or obese at age 18.  

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Childhood Obesity and Health Risks

Obesity is a major issue in this country, and in particular, in children. Childhood obesity is huge because we have to worry about the fact that it could increase the risk of a child getting diabetes as well as other health problems. Some of those other health problems we have to be concerned about are heart disease and stroke down the road. All of these things occur at a more rapid rate when children are overweight. If children exercise and if they have an opportunity to eat appropriately, in proper time they’ll do much better.

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Americans Are Not as Healthy as Europeans

This clearly is not good news. Americans are not as healthy as Europeans. We are more likely than Europeans to be diagnosed and treated for chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The United States was compared with 10 European countries and there were some important findings that may help predict problems down the road. Americans are twice as likely to be obese. That’s twice as likely as Europeans. Also, more than 50% of Americans have a smoking history, while it’s only 40% in Europe. Now, there is a potential good side. The United States has better screening than Europe. If diseases are detected earlier, then they can be treated more effectively. The United States spends more on health care than any country in Europe, and I think that’s a very important point. We need to be more aware of what we’re spending, how we’re using it, and how effectively we can make it to help others.

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Obesity and Type Two Diabetes

Type two diabetes, or adult onset diabetes, is the one that people are talking about as far as the links to obesity. As people gained weight in our culture, what has happened is there’s been a decrease in the way our bodies metabolize insulin. The insulin is sent out by the pancreas, doing the job it’s supposed to, but the body doesn’t respond to it. As a result, people actually have higher levels of blood sugar and those higher levels of blood sugar can do damage as time goes on. It can be a serious issue.

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Study Looks at Parents of Obese Kids

A University of Michigan study looked at the fact that many parents are not aware that their children are obese despite the fact they’re extremely overweight. It gained a great deal of attention because many looking at the issue from the outside wondered how can a parent not know an obese child has a weight problem? But this is not that unexpected. Parents are often the most objective appraisers of their children. Sometimes they are, sometimes they’re not. Whether it’s sports, academics, or appearance, parents will see what they want to see. For that reason, we have to be careful in those evaluations.

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.

Fast-Food Restaurants Contribute to America’s Weight Problem

Fast-food restaurants; for most Americans, you can't live without them, but can you live with them?  They dot the landscape of our country, city after city, but with a nation on the run, with countless single parents, or couples trying to split time between work and the demands of a heavy family schedule, those fast-food restaurants can offer a quick and often cheap, filling meal.  Fast-food restaurants are not entirely to blame for our nation’s growing weight problem.  Many offer healthy options, but studies show that most of us turn them down because of other reasons.  As a result, we are facing obesity as an issue.  The combination of lack of exercise and high fat foods is causing us to be obese.  The long-term problems of obesity are great.  They include heart disease and diabetes.  The bottom line here is we have to do whatever we can to control obesity.   

We always appreciate your comments. 

For more information, please go to www.123MyMD.com.