Comments on: The Big Gulp Effect http://hackneys.com/blog/2007/12/20/the-big-gulp-effect/ Travel, Geopolitics, Cultures, People, Discoveries and Experiences Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:45:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: Tom Thomas http://hackneys.com/blog/2007/12/20/the-big-gulp-effect/#comment-192 Tom Thomas Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:11:10 +0000 http://hackneys.com/blog/2007/12/20/the-big-gulp-effect/#comment-192 Doug, the statistics on obese people in American is not surprising. We all talk about it and I observed it first hand in Dallas Texas during the holiday season as I shopped and did the 'honey-do' tasks for my aging mother. I am shocked to see rippling blubber everywhere I go. In the sheltered space of Telluride you just don't see it. I am sending this link to several friends who observe the overwhelmingly huge people in our country. Have fun in Valparaiso Yikes! what to do? Tom Doug, the statistics on obese people in American is not surprising. We all talk about it and I observed it first hand in Dallas Texas during the holiday season as I shopped and did the ‘honey-do’ tasks for my aging mother. I am shocked to see rippling blubber everywhere I go. In the sheltered space of Telluride you just don’t see it. I am sending this link to several friends who observe the overwhelmingly huge people in our country.

Have fun in Valparaiso

Yikes! what to do?
Tom

]]> By: Cynthia1770 http://hackneys.com/blog/2007/12/20/the-big-gulp-effect/#comment-177 Cynthia1770 Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:48:08 +0000 http://hackneys.com/blog/2007/12/20/the-big-gulp-effect/#comment-177 Brilliant article. I appreciated your use of the graphs especially the changing graph of obesity over time. HFCS has invaded our food supply. Courtesy of the Corn Refiners Assoc., go to www.corn.org/NSFC2006.pdf P29-30 list all the foods and products that contain HFCS. A few surprises even for me: bagels, yogurt, cough syrups. Shapiro, the author of Exposed, a book about the toxic substances we are exposed to in everyday life, made some statements during a NPR interview that are germane to the HFCS issue. He said that European governments are genuinely interested in the health of their citizens down the road because the European governments pay the health care bills. (Europe prohibits the use of genetically modified foods (GMO) which safely eliminates HFCS.) In the US our health care is mostly private, and corporate interests either through political contribution or lobbying congress influence our government to look the other way. Why is that Coke in Europe is made with real sugar and is still served in 6 oz glass bottles and Coke in the US is only sweetened with HFCS and we guzzle liters. Golly gee, could it be the HFCS? Brilliant article. I appreciated your use of the graphs especially the changing graph of obesity over time. HFCS has invaded our food supply. Courtesy of the Corn Refiners Assoc., go to www.corn.org/NSFC2006.pdf P29-30
list all the foods and products that contain
HFCS. A few surprises even for me: bagels, yogurt, cough syrups. Shapiro, the author of Exposed, a book about the toxic substances we are exposed to in everyday life, made some statements during a NPR interview that are
germane to the HFCS issue. He said that European governments are genuinely interested
in the health of their citizens down the road
because the European governments pay the health care bills. (Europe prohibits the use
of genetically modified foods (GMO) which
safely eliminates HFCS.) In the US our health
care is mostly private, and corporate interests
either through political contribution or
lobbying congress influence our government to
look the other way. Why is that Coke in Europe is made with real sugar and is still served in 6 oz glass bottles and Coke in the US is only
sweetened with HFCS and we guzzle liters.
Golly gee, could it be the HFCS?

]]> By: Michele Hackney http://hackneys.com/blog/2007/12/20/the-big-gulp-effect/#comment-176 Michele Hackney Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:11:57 +0000 http://hackneys.com/blog/2007/12/20/the-big-gulp-effect/#comment-176 The topic of childhood obesity is of great importance throughout the world and considered a global epidemic as of recent years. Of all countries to date that have reported on the prevalence of obesity, paediatric obesity continues to increase showing rapid environmental and lifestyle changes (Reilly, 2006). Reilly continues by reporting that in the developed world prevalence of paediatric obesity is similar between boys and girls and generally more common in adolescents from families of lower socieconomic status. In the developing world the picture is more complex. A higher risk of paediatric obesity is associated with higher socioeconomic status, although the research suggests that as the epidemic progresses in the developing world lower socioeconomic status may become more of a risk factor. Numerous factors relating to socioeconomic status are reported as contributing to childhood obesity. After a literature review, Hunt (2002) noted that low levels of cognitive stimualtion and income are major contributing factors. Parental weight is also closely connected to the weight of their children. Perhaps partially genetic but lifestyle factors, family structure, and coping with the process of change influence the weight of our children. Formula feeding during infancy, consumption of sugar sweetened drinks, excessive television viewing, and low physical activity have been identified as the four behaviors targeted as the highest priorities for interventions aimed at paediatric obesity (Reilly, 2006). Besides the costs to society associated with chronic health conditions resulting from obesity is the concern of decreased quality of life for our children. Problems such as low self-esteem and depression may pose life-long hardships that affect all aspects of their lives. Primary and secondary prevention must occur in the home. Our children are less likely to make healthy eating and activity decisions if we are not making the same decisions ourselves. Hunt, J. (2002). Influence of the home environment on the development and treatment of childhood obesity. Paediatric Nursing, 14(1), 10. Retrieved May 2, 2007, from ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source database. Reilly, J. J. (2006). Obesity in childhood and adolescence: evidence based clinical and public health perspectives. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 82, 429-437. Retrieved May 8, 2007, from http://www.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprintform The topic of childhood obesity is of great importance throughout the world and considered a global epidemic as of recent years. Of all countries to date that have reported on the prevalence of obesity, paediatric obesity continues to increase showing rapid environmental and lifestyle changes (Reilly, 2006). Reilly continues by reporting that in the developed world prevalence of paediatric obesity is similar between boys and girls and generally more common in adolescents from families of lower socieconomic status. In the developing world the picture is more complex. A higher risk of paediatric obesity is associated with higher socioeconomic status, although the research suggests that as the epidemic progresses in the developing world lower socioeconomic status may become more of a risk factor.

Numerous factors relating to socioeconomic status are reported as contributing to childhood obesity. After a literature review, Hunt (2002) noted that low levels of cognitive stimualtion and income are major contributing factors. Parental weight is also closely connected to the weight of their children. Perhaps partially genetic but lifestyle factors, family structure, and coping with the process of change influence the weight of our children. Formula feeding during infancy, consumption of sugar sweetened drinks, excessive television viewing, and low physical activity have been identified as the four behaviors targeted as the highest priorities for interventions aimed at paediatric obesity (Reilly, 2006).

Besides the costs to society associated with chronic health conditions resulting from obesity is the concern of decreased quality of life for our children. Problems such as low self-esteem and depression may pose life-long hardships that affect all aspects of their lives.

Primary and secondary prevention must occur in the home. Our children are less likely to make healthy eating and activity decisions if we are not making the same decisions ourselves.

Hunt, J. (2002). Influence of the home environment on the development and treatment of childhood obesity. Paediatric Nursing, 14(1), 10. Retrieved May 2, 2007, from ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source database.

Reilly, J. J. (2006). Obesity in childhood and adolescence: evidence based clinical and public health perspectives. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 82, 429-437. Retrieved May 8, 2007, from http://www.bmjjournals.com/cgi/reprintform

]]> By: Lee Wochner http://hackneys.com/blog/2007/12/20/the-big-gulp-effect/#comment-175 Lee Wochner Thu, 20 Dec 2007 04:49:40 +0000 http://hackneys.com/blog/2007/12/20/the-big-gulp-effect/#comment-175 The effect of HFCS is well-documented and -- at least until his wife started actively running for President -- was the focus of a speaking tour by former President Bill Clinton. Here at our house we have grown ever more vigilant, substituting natural maple syrup for "pancake syrup" (which contains both "corn syrup" and high fructose corn syrup" -- as well as sugar!), eliminating sodas, and the like. When our then-12-year-old son Lex got tired of being fat, he cut out sodas. It was like a miracle cure. You've seen him recently: He looks like the "after" photo in a Charles Atlas ad. Finally, I always remark upon this: When I was 12, I got little or no exercise, spending lots of time by myself reading, and guzzled "free" sodas like Mountain Dew filched from my father's automatic car wash business on a regular and copious basis. I also ate pretty much whatever I wanted (and it wasn't a lot of vegetables). I never gained an ounce. Now most kids I see are struggling with a weight problem. What has changed? All the crap we have loaded our food with, most notoriously high fructose corn syrup. The effect of HFCS is well-documented and — at least until his wife started actively running for President — was the focus of a speaking tour by former President Bill Clinton.

Here at our house we have grown ever more vigilant, substituting natural maple syrup for “pancake syrup” (which contains both “corn syrup” and high fructose corn syrup” — as well as sugar!), eliminating sodas, and the like.

When our then-12-year-old son Lex got tired of being fat, he cut out sodas. It was like a miracle cure. You’ve seen him recently: He looks like the “after” photo in a Charles Atlas ad.

Finally, I always remark upon this: When I was 12, I got little or no exercise, spending lots of time by myself reading, and guzzled “free” sodas like Mountain Dew filched from my father’s automatic car wash business on a regular and copious basis. I also ate pretty much whatever I wanted (and it wasn’t a lot of vegetables). I never gained an ounce. Now most kids I see are struggling with a weight problem. What has changed? All the crap we have loaded our food with, most notoriously high fructose corn syrup.

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