I used to serve on a State committee to curve Obesity in children. I quit about 10 years ago when I developed stress-induced chest pain. The stress of seeing other doctors ignore the evidence I presented was too much. They could not accept that refined sugar is addictive, that we need to tax it, that we cannot lose weight without eating veggies and that chemicals in the environment contribute to obesity.
The evidence has been in our medical journals for more than a decade. It continues to be published at an accelerating pace. So, I am pleased to report that many doctors are beginning to act on said evicence.
BUT, while it is true that the Health Care system is failing to teach these basic concepts to patients, the ultimate responsibility lies with you, the patient. Face your addiction to sugar. Your health will never be what you wish it to be until you do so.
References:
WHO calls for tax on sugary drinks to tackle child obesity
BMJ 2016; 352 :i475
Sugar tax and screening: listen to the evidence
BMJ 2016;352:i33
“Mexico imposed a tax on sugar sweetened drinks in 2014 as part of a wide ranging strategy to combat obesity. In the first evaluation of the early effects, M A Colchero and colleagues report a higher than expected drop in consumption of sugary drinks after the tax was introduced, while consumption of untaxed drinks, mainly bottled water, rose (doi:10.1136/bmj.h6704). The changes were greatest in poorer households, and they accelerated over time.”
Dietary flavonoid intake and weight maintenance: three prospective cohorts of 124 086 US men and women followed for up to 24 years
BMJ 2016; 352 :i17
Obesity is rising steadily around the world.
Journal Environmental Health Perspectives Feb 2012 Cover issue.
Convincing evidence suggests that diet and activity are not the only factors at work in this trend—chemical “obesogens” may alter human metabolism and predispose some people to gain weight. An Environmental Link to Obesity. J. Environ Health Perspect 2012;120:a62
