Unfortunately the factors spawning the obesogenic environment are not only complex, they are here to stay and do not support our waist lines. They include:

· a readily available and expanded food supply

· technological and economic advancements which reduce energy expenditure such as cheap transport and outsourcing of tasks like gardening and cleaning

· food advertising

· a decline in physical activity

· increased sedentary behaviour such as TV viewing and computer games

· time constraints and dependence on convenience foods with short preparation times

· having easier access to food with the emergence of a supermarket society and the explosion of fast food outlets

· increased access to and consumption of alcohol

· a socio-cultural food focus as evidenced by the relationship between food and special occasions such as Easter and Christmas, as well the increasing numbers and variety of cooking shows on television and the emphasis we place on the positive relationship between food and socialising.

What makes economic and technological progress worse is the associated impact of living in societies saturated with a persuasive and invasive mass media supported by marketing genius that seduces even the most hard-nosed individual to take the path of instant gratification. We want what we want (and, don’t necessarily need) and we want it now, and are prepared to pay for it later, if at all.

In our obesogenic world, eating has become a leisure pursuit and a sedative. Food is no longer thought of as a substance for sustenance and survival, it has been bestowed a social, psychological and physiological significance that has become a major barrier to treating obesity.

Once we could say that weight loss was a simple maths equation of eating less and exercising more, but with the evolution of this more complex and technological society and the birthing of an obesogenic environment our consumption extends not just to food but to the media and marketing messages, our thoughts, beliefs and emotions, the substances we consume and even the chemicals and energies we are exposed to.

In acknowledgement of the obesogenic environment we now marinate in, some researchers refer to obesity as ‘a disorder of convenience’ and suggest that unless interventions are designed around the environmental issues impacting on individuals presenting for weight treatment, interventions are likely to be unsuccessful. However, the power of the mind in managing obesity should never be overlooked as effectively nothing is consumed by the body without the mind’s permission and it is the mind that determines if someone moves or exercises their body, and whether they comply with or give up on healthy eating plans. Therefore, unless we also address the vagaries of a mind that has maladapted to the obesogenic environment by using food for purposes such as managing emotions like stress and depression, to relieve boredom, or as a reward, then we are not addressing some of the major obstacles to weight management.

Weight loss is no longer simple. We live in an obesogenic environment that is here to stay. We must learn to adapt to the complex obesogenic world we live in if we wish to optimise our health and quality of life.

Related posts:

1. Our Obesogenic World: ADJUST or BUST
2. Why did the world get fat
3. Life in the Fast Lane- Fast Food, Fast Medicine, Fast Surgery

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Post tags: behavior, fat, global obesity, obesity, weight loss

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And, if you were not aware, the medical conditions caused by obesity are placing a significant strain on peoples’ health and health systems. Doctors are overloaded and many are burning out, often before they leave medical school!  Their patients are complaining about the limited time the doctor spends with them, and the doctor’s seeming lack of interest and engagement with them. Very few of us have Family Doctors anymore and instead attend the big medical centres, which have surfaced. The high turnover of medical staff in these medical centres means we rarely see the same doctor twice. Given these changes, it was hardly a surprise when the term ‘fast medicine’ emerged in the media.

Now, while some of us may feel like we are just pieces of product in some medical processing plant when we visit the doctor, others of us have become immune to the lack of interpersonal warmth and brevity of our encounters with doctors because it matches our ‘fast’, time pressured lives – we don’t want to spend too long with them either because we live in our own time famine!

Unfortunately, ‘fast medicine’ doesn’t work for weight management. In a three minute, ‘fast medicine’ consultation the doctor’s prescription for weight loss is likely to be, “You need to lose weight”, or “You need to exercise”. They don’t have time to find out what caused your weight gain, or to provide strategies on how to lose weight, and many don’t have the training. The research literature has clearly identified that many doctors agree that time constraints in consultations and lack of training in the weight management area impact on their ability to address this important health issue.

Anyway, enter ‘fast surgery’. While the criteria for bariatric surgery are that you have a BMI>40, or a BMI>35-39.9 with a serious medical condition related to obesity, and have attempted previous weight loss using diet, exercise or medication, surgery is sometimes being recommended without really ensuring that the patient has genuinely attempted weight loss previously. We have become an instant gratification society. We want everything, and we want it now, and are prepared to pay for it later. Surgery to some offers an easy and quick solution. However, although research confirms the success of bariatric surgery in achieving more substantial and permanent weight loss outcomes than conventional forms of treatment incorporating diet and exercise, it is simply not realistic to depend solely on surgical or, even pharmacological treatments, to manage ‘globesity’.

We live in an obesogenic environment and must learn to adapt to it. Diet, exercise and behaviour modification retain their position as the most accepted approaches for weight management and offer the opportunity for multiple positive health outcomes such as improved nutritional status through to a level of mental and physical fitness that a ‘fast surgery’ approach does not promote.

So, enter the ‘slow movement’. Obviously, the ‘slow movement’ has evolved in reaction to the ‘fast movement’ – fast food, fast medicine, fast surgery! The ‘slow movement’ is about making a connection, about freeing us from our ‘nearly pathological’ need for instant gratification and living a life as pawns in a totally man-made time famine. Fast does not free us. We could all slow down and take time to smell the roses. Effective weight loss and lifestyle changes are not fast. They are best taken one day at a time, and don’t forget you have the rest of your life to do it.

Related posts:

1. The true meaning of Christmas is lost in an ocean of marketing mania, purchasing pillages and food fests
2. The Secret to Getting the Body and Life You Want (Part 2 of 4)
3. The Secret of Getting the Body and Life You Want (Part 3 of 4)

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Post tags: attitude, behavior, fast food, fast lane, obesity

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Prevention of weight gain must start with children commencing at birth. Guidelines put forward by Davis, et al  ((Davis MM, Gance-Cleveland B, Hassink S, Johnson R, Paradis G, Resnicow G. Recommendations for prevention of childhood obesity. Pediatrics.2007; 120(suppl 4) :228 –252.)), could well apply to adults, so if you are reading this blog, you can apply it to yourself as much as your children.

Davis et al (2007)  ((refer to note 1)) put forward the following extra guidelines based on research evidence:

1. limit consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (consistent evidence). See the DietPsyche blog on the link between softdrink and mental health issues for further information on how bad soft drink is for your health.

2. encourage recommended serve sizes for fruit and vegetables which in the USA and Australia is 9 serves per day, normally 2 fruit and 5 vegetables (mixed evidence)

3. after 2 years of age limit television and other screen time to a maximum of 2 hours daily combined daily, and remove screens of all types from children’s rooms (consistent evidence). Prior to 2 years, do not encourage television.

4. eat breakfast daily (consistent evidence)

5. limit eating out at restaurants, particularly those serving large portions and particularly fast food facilities (consistent evidence).

6. eat with the family (consistent evidence), or others. Family meals have been shown to be of a higher nutrient quality, have psychosocial benefits and are associated with lower obesity prevalence.

7. limit portion sizes (consistent evidence)

Available data also suggests the following guidelines ((Barlow, S. E. (2007. Expert committee recommendatiosn regarding the prevention, assessment, and treatment of child and adolescent overweight and obesity: Summary and Report. Pediatrics, 120, S164 – S192. DOI:10.1542/2329C)):

1. eat a diet rich in calcium

2. eat a diet high in fibre

3. eat a diet balanced in the macronutrients, protein, fat and carbohydrate

4. encourage breastfeeding

5. promote moderate to vigrorous physical activity for at least 60 minutes daily

6. limit consumption of energy dense foods

Other possible prevention strategies

1. have your doctor plot your child’s BMI (body mass index) at visits so he can monitor your child’s weight and alert you to any problems

2. use numerical acronyms like 9210 to encourage your children to comply with healthy behaviours: 9 (9 serves of fruit and vegetables daily), 2 (2hrs only in front of a screen per day), 1 (hour of exercise daily), 0 (no sweet beverages)

3. watch your own weight, remember you are a role model, so role model healthy eating and exercise behaviours to your children

4. only keep healthy foods at home – out of sight, out of mind!

Please share any other strategies you may have.

Related posts:

1. Obesity is Associated with Brain Dysfunction- Another Good Reason to Lose Weight

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Post tags: behavior, childhood obesity, effective weight loss techniques, losing weight, obesity, weight loss, weight loss strategies

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