epidemic of obesity « Eating Disorder Pro

Posts Tagged ‘epidemic of obesity’

It’s Sugar Addiction Awareness Day!

Sunday, October 30th, 2011

photo used under creative commons license

“Nutritionists, doctors and concerned parents have come together to promote easy ways to make Halloween fun – while helping inspire us and our kids kick to the sugar habit”. To help spread awareness, I’ve put together a list of my favorite posts that focus on sugar. For more information on Sugar Addiction Awareness Day, be sure to visit www.endsugaraddiction.com. Enjoy!

What You Need to Know In Order to Help Your Obese or ED Patient

Is There Really a Connection Between Full-Time Working Moms and Child Obesity?

Diet Foods and Artificial Sweeteners Cause Weight Gain

Baby Formula: MSG, Excitatory Neurotoxins & HFCS!!!

HFCS: Ties to Obesity and Increased Mortality

Medical Advice Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship.

Tags: epidemic of obesity, HFCS, processed food, Sugar Addiction Awareness
Posted in Nutrition, Fitness, Health | No Comments »

Appetite Hormones 101: Leptin

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

This series is designed to explain the role of hormones on both appetite and body weight goals, whether it’s weight loss or weight restoration. “Appetite Hormones 101” will be made up of three articles that describe the major appetite hormones: leptin, ghrelin, and peptide YY.

Leptin

Leptin, discovered by scientists in 1994, is also known as the “starvation hormone”. According to leptin expert, Dr Robert Lustig, leptin sends a signal to our brains that fat cells have enough stored energy to engage in normal metabolic processes. Every individual has an optimal level of leptin, which is thought to be determined genetically. When leptin levels are below optimal levels, the brain receives a message to conserve energy because the body is in a state of deprivation. When this occurs, the brain sends a message to the body that it is hungry (in an attempt to get the individual to eat) so that leptin levels can be restored to an optimal level.

Leptin levels are typically high in both obese and severely underweight/malnourished individuals. When leptin levels are too high, the individual experiences leptin resistance.

When an individual becomes leptin resistant, the body prevents leptin from passing through the blood brain barrier, which also prevents the brain from receiving the signal that leptin levels are at an optimal level. Instead, the brain senses that the body is in a state of starvation, and the individual becomes hungry. Leptin levels go up as a result.

High triglyceride levels also contribute to the prevention of leptin passing through the blood brain barrier. Triglyceride levels are often high in obese individuals as a result of poor dietary choices. In the individual with anorexia, triglyceride levels are often high because of liver damage and anorexia-induced hormone disruption.

If you think that you may be suffering from Leptin Resistance, there are several things that you can do.

Get plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep disrupts many hormonal processes, including leptin levels.
Avoid non-fruit sources of fructose. Studies show that fructose raises triglyceride levels, blocking leptin from crossing the blood brain barrier. To read more on these studies read “Fructose, Leptin and The Rapid Weight Gain They Can Bring”
Avoid lectins, (carbohydrate-binding proteins that are found in most plants, particularly seeds and tubers such as cereal crops, potatoes, and beans) especially those from cereal grains (rice, wheat, barley, corn and oats) as they tend to bind to leptin receptors, preventing leptin binding. This intensifies the affect of leptin resistance. For an easy cereal replacement, read my article on amaranth!
Cook and supplement with healthy fats, like coconut oil. Coconut oil lowers triglyceride levels, increases metabolism, and promotes healing in the gut (and liver for those recovering from anorexia).
Eat a high protein, low carb diet and stay active! Diet and exercise have the greatest effect on overcoming leptin resistance.

Sources:

BMC Endocrine Disorders – “Agrarian diet and diseases of affluence – Do evolutionary novel dietary lectins cause leptin resistance?” (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6823/5/10)

Mark’s Daily Apple – “A Primal Primer: Leptin” (http://www.marksdailyapple.com/LEPTIN/)

The Fat Resistance Diet – “Leptin Resistance” (http://fatresistancediet.com/leptin-weight-loss/66-leptin-resistance)

Low Carb Age – “Leptin Resistance” (http://lowcarbage.com/blog/2011/04/07/leptin-resistance/)

Live Strong – “High Cholesterol Levels in Anorexia” (http://www.livestrong.com/article/86767-high-cholesterol-levels-anorexia/)

Science 2.0 – “Fructose, Leptin and The Rapid Weight Gain They Can Bring” (http://www.science20.com/news_releases/fructose_leptin_and_the_rapid_weight_gain_they_can_bring)

Tags: Anorexia, epidemic of obesity, fitness facts, hormones, leptin, leptin resistance, nutrition information, obesity
Posted in Eating Disorders and Obesity, Fitness Facts + Handouts, Services | No Comments »

News You Can Use

Wednesday, October 26th, 2011

Your weekly health news update!

Lawsuit Against the Corn Refiners Association Moving Forward
Why the New Corn Syrup Labeling is Misleading
O.N.E. Coconut Water Pledges $10,000 to Nonprofit Whole Planet Foundation to Help Fight World Poverty
Organic Apples Make the Perfect Health Food
Which cereal brands are truly committed to producing clean, organic food?
Eat Your GOMBBS!
Label Plan Offered to Rate Food Nutrition
Leptin Levels Linked To Anxiety And Depressive Symptoms
Genetically Modified Salmon: The Fishy Risk the FDA Is Taking with Your Health

Were there any news articles that you saw this week that really grabbed your attention? Leave a comment with a link. If the article helped you, it will likely help some of my other readers!

Tags: Anorexia, childhood obesity, clean labeling, Eating Disorders, epidemic of obesity, food label, HFCS, high fructose corn syrup, news you can use, obesity, processed food, snack food
Posted in News You Can Use In Your Recovery from Anorexia, Bulimia, Bulimarexia, Binge Eating Disorder and Obesity | No Comments »

The Norton Center Video – Eating Disorder Therapy in Cincinnati

Monday, October 17th, 2011

Tags: Anorexia, anorexic, Binging Anorexia, Bulimarexia, childhood obesity, Eating Disorders, epidemic of obesity, Family Therapy, Inpatient treatment doesn't always work, intensive outpatient therapy, obesity
Posted in Eating Disorders and Obesity | No Comments »

What Whole Foods Market Is Doing To Help Us Reduce Our Exposure to Obesogens – Part II

Friday, September 30th, 2011

As discussed yesterday in the first installment of ”What Whole Foods Market Is Doing To Help Us Reduce Our Exposure to Obesogens“, Whole Foods Market is taking steps to make us more aware of products containing obesogens. Yesterday, we discussed their use of obesogen-free take-out containers, and changes that are being made in their “Cleaning Supply Aisle”. What else is Whole Foods Market doing?

4. Whole Foods Market is also helping us make more informed choices when it comes to personal care products. They clearly label products that they have rated “premium” or “organic” body products. All of these products had to meet a strict set of criteria, set by Whole Foods Market. They have banned the use of over 400 chemicals in the personal care products they sell. Whole Foods implemented this rating system because there are few government standards set in regards to what the word “natural” means when it came to body care products.

◦ “Premium Body Care Products” do not contain parabens, polyproylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfates or sodium laureth sulfates. The only permissable “fragrances” will be those made from “natural essential oils” and “components of natural essential oils”.

◦ “Organic Body Care Products” will meet all the requirements of “Personal Body Care Products”, but will also be required to meet other standards. These products are the highest quality products available.

▪ If a company labels their product “organic”, the product must contain at least 95% organic ingredients and meet USDA National Organic Standards

▪ If a company claims their product is “Made with Organic X”, the product must contain 70% organic ingredients and meet USDA National Organic Standards

▪ If a product is labeled “Contains Organic X”, the products must contain 70% organic ingredients and meet NSF/ANSI 305 standards

5. Whole Foods Market is making many positive advances in their product packaging. According to their website, they have done more than any US retailer when it comes to keeping the customer informed and taking the actions needed to find safe packaging alternatives. Some of the advances they have made include:

◦ They use Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE) in packaging for their ‘private label’ products, when possible. PETE is a plastic that is not known to leach any carcinogenic or hormone- disruptive chemicals.

◦ They have banned child cups, baby bottles, and individual refillable water bottles that are made of polycarbonate plastic.

◦ When there are safe alternatives to packaging containing BPA, Whole Foods Market uses that alternative.

◦ They are putting pressure on their current suppliers to switch to BPA-free packaging.

It doesn’t stop here! Whole Foods Market is continually doing research to do everything they can to go completely BPA free. They hear us when we tell them we are concerned about the use of BPA, they are on our side. I feel relief that they are thoroughly investigating all of their options, instead of making an uneducated change.

The standards set by Whole Foods Market are helping us make more informed purchases. They are allowing our voices to be heard in telling the industry that we want full disclosure of the substances that we are allowing in our households, that we want non-toxic cleaning products!

Sources:

Whole Foods Market – Products (http://wholefoodsmarket.com/products/)

Whole Story – Are Your Cleaning Products Transparent? (http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2011/09/cleaning-products-transparent/

Inhabitat – EATware Compostable Food Containers (http://inhabitat.com/compostable-containers-by-eatware/)

Tags: Anorexia, Bulimia, childhood obesity, clean labeling, Eating Disorders, epidemic of obesity, food label, nutrition information, obesity, Whole Foods
Posted in Nutrition, Fitness, Health | No Comments »

What Whole Foods Market Is Doing To Help Us Reduce Our Exposure to Obesogens.

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

“Is Your Shampoo Affecting Your Weight Management Goals?” revealed a lot of information about the presence of obesogens in our environment. Since that post, I’ve found some really comforting news! Whole Foods Market is taking steps to make us more aware of products containing obesogens. This means we will be able to make more informed decisions without having to read every label for every product we purchase, they’ve already done some of the work for us. What are they doing to make us more informed consumers?

The take-out containers in their Prepared Foods Area are made of uncoated “molded pulp”. As mentioned in “Is Your Shampoo Affecting Your Weight Management Goals?”, many leaders in the food industry line use BPA-lined take-out containers to prevent grease and other liquids seeping through the containers.

According to ‘Inhabitat – Green Design Will Save the World’, some of the take-out containers at Whole Foods are manufactured by a company called ‘EATware’. EATware manufactures the containers using natural raw pulp fibers. The organic containers are water resistant, oil resistant, and free of chemical and insecticides. They are also biodegradable, recyclable and renewable. So, not only are we protecting ourselves, but we are protecting the environment too. Double win!

On September 23, Whole Foods Market announced that they are moving towards an “eco-scale rating system” on their cleaning products. This new system is expected to be implemented by Earth Day 2012. This will allow time for their current suppliers to meet the new standards being set by Whole Foods Market. According to the Whole Foods Market blog, they are the first major retailer to set standards on their household cleaners.

All cleaning products will be rated using a color system. No phthalates will be permitted in any cleaning products sold at Whole Foods Market (for a complete list of ingredients that will be considered ‘unacceptable’ for each color rating, check out www.wholefoodsmarket.com/eco-scale/unacceptable.php). All products will be reviewed by a third-party company.

An “orange” rating will be assigned to those cleaning products that are free of phosphates, chlorine and fake colors.
A “yellow” rating will be assigned to those cleaning products that contain 100% natural fragrance and have minimal safety concerns
A “green” rating will be assigned to those cleaning products that contain 100% natural ingredients and non-petroleum ingredients.
Any products that are rated “red” will contain ingredients that Whole Foods Market has deemed ‘unacceptable’. These products will not be sold in Whole Foods stores.

It doesn’t stop here! Check in tomorrow to read more about what Whole Foods Market is doing to help us reduce our exposure to obesogens!

Sources:

Whole Foods Market – Products (http://wholefoodsmarket.com/products/)

Whole Story – Are Your Cleaning Products Transparent? (http://blog.wholefoodsmarket.com/2011/09/cleaning-products-transparent/_

Inhabitat – EATware Compostable Food Containers (http://inhabitat.com/compostable-containers-by-eatware/)

Tags: childhood obesity, clean labeling, Eating Disorders, epidemic of obesity, food label, leptin, nutrition information, obesity, Whole Foods
Posted in Nutrition, Fitness, Health | No Comments »

What You Need to Know In Order to Help Your Obese or ED Patient

Monday, September 26th, 2011

photo used under creative commons license

Research has clearly established a relationship between neurotoxins such as MSG, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and sweeteners Splenda and NutraSweet and the current epidemic of obesity. I believe that there is also a relationship between these neurotoxins and the proliferation of eating disorders in the US. For example, research has shown that patients suffering from Anorexia as well as those who are obese, suffer from a condition called leptin resistance.^¹^,² Further, this condition appears to be a function of the type and amount of neurotoxin ingested. In my practice, when I have helped those suffering from Anorexia, Bulimia, and Bulimarexia and obesity eliminate such neurotoxins from their re-feeding regimens, recovery time has shortened and the likelihood of relapse has decreased significantly. (I am in the process of publishing these anecdotal results and have also applied for several grants to research this relationship experimentally in greater depth.)

Treatment of obesity and eating disorders is negatively impacted for the uninformed treating professional i.e. re-feeding is a nightmare for those suffering from Anorexia, Bulimia, Bulimarexia, Binge Eating Disorder and Obesity when the role of these neurotoxins is not taken into consideration. Thus, to the degree that their impact on the eating habits of individuals suffering from ED’s and obesity is not understood, or worse, ignored, treatment is less likely to succeed, and in many cases, more likely to make the problem worse. For help on refeeding contact me directly. Also check out all of the blog articles on this site. ^³

For the past 40 years food additives, known to have neurotoxic effects, especially in children, have been added to the American food supply because they were profitable. These additives include MSG, sweeteners Aspartame and Aceulfame, (Splenda and NutraSweet) growth-enhancing hormones, and pesticides that are incorporated into the DNA of crops like soybeans. The amount of these neurotoxins added to our food has increased enormously since their introduction. For example, since 1948 the amount of MSG doubled every decade. By 1972 over 262,000 metric tons were being added. (Whetsell, 1993)[1] Today it is impossible to determine the actual amounts of the various neurotoxins that are added to the U.S. food supply, as the additives are effectively unregulated by the FDA or any other regulatory agency. As a result, they can be added in ways which make them difficult, if not impossible, to quantify.

Besides being difficult to quantify, the additives are very difficult for the average consumer to identify, as they can be called such innocuous names as “citric acid” “malted barley” and “natural flavoring”! Even for individuals who are well-informed, and therefore know what to look for, it is still a daunting task to try and avoid them. Presently, they are in 90 to 95% of all packaged, bottled, and/or processed foods, including organic and/or foods that are marketed as “healthier” choices.

Perhaps the most alarming issue is that food manufacturers target children’s foods for inclusion of these additives. In the U.S. to day, 1 in 3 children are obese. Many will remain that way for life. We are one of the only countries in the world to have children who suffer from Type II Diabetes, which heretofore has been a disorder of middle adulthood. The connection between childhood obesity and an eating disorder such as Anorexia, for example, is that a history of premorbid obesity increases the risk of the development and decreases the likelihood of recovery from the disorder.

1 J Lab Clin Med. 2002 Feb;139(2):72-9.Leptin in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: importance of assay technique and method of interpretation.

2 Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental [1997, 46(12):1384-9]Neuropeptide Y, galanin, and leptin release in obese women and in women with anorexia nervosa.

3 Other resources: http://dorway.com/ http://www.drkaslow.com/html/leptin_and_amylose.html www.msgtruth.org/obesity.htm

Tags: Anorexia, anorexic, Binging Anorexia, Bulimarexia, Bulimia, clean labeling, Eating Disorders, epidemic of obesity, food label, HFCS, high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, MSG, obesity, processed food
Posted in Eating Disorders and Obesity | No Comments »

Is Your Shampoo Affecting Your Weight Management Goals?

Sunday, September 25th, 2011

photo used under creative commons license

When we think of managing our weight, the areas of our lifestyle we look at are usually diet and exercise. Right? What if there was something lurking in your shower that was the culprit for some of these excess pounds? Obesogens; agents that when absorbed, contribute to obesity. Our world is full of them. They lurk in everything from the foods we eat to the receipt for things we purchase.

According to Leah Zerbe of Rodale, obesogens are “chemicals and compounds in our environment that disrupt hormones, making it hard to maintain a healthy weight”. Obesogens mimic estrogen, causing the body to send a signal to convert stem cells to fat cells. In addition to affecting our endocrine (hormone) system, research shows that obesogens may also cause cancer, birth defects, infertility, insuline resistance, ADHD, autism, and high cholesterol. The main sources of obesogens are pesticides, BPA, personal-care products, vinyl, non-stick products, PCBs, soy and nicotine.

Pesticides, which are designed to disrupt the hormone systems of pests, also affect the hormone systems of humans. Some genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are even designed to create their own pesticides.

So, what is the solution to this seemingly impossible situation? There are several easy things we can do to reduce the amount of obesogens we are exposed to. There are also some more difficult things that will require more of a lifestyle change.

We can purchase organic foods and avoid GMOs.
Eliminating processed foods is also important, because they often contain soy and corn. Soy and corn are two of the most commonly modified crops in the US.
In situations where organic produce is not accessible, a wash and rinse with a water and vinegar spray will remove many pesticides.
To avoid BPA, choose fresh, jarred or frozen foods instead of canned. Cans are often lined with BPA to avoid a chemical reaction between the contained food and metal of the can. Some companies do not line their cans with BPA, but the chemical the do line the cans with has not been in use long enough to be deemed “safe”.
Also, try to avoid getting receipts, whenever possible. Receipts are printed with thermal printers, and BPA is used during this printing process.
Avoid using plastics. Use metal water bottles instead of plastic, use glass or stainless steel food storage containers.

If you really want to get serious:

Vinyl contains obesogens called “phthalates”. Many shower curtain liners are made of vinyl. We can used hemp shower curtain liners as an alternative. Hemp is naturally anti-microbial, and has a much longer lifespan than vinyl.

Non-stick coating is found on many products, including cookware, microwave popcorn bags, fast food packaging and non-stick cooking sprays. We can avoid being exposed to this obesogen by using stainless steel or US-made cast iron cookware, popping popcorn in coconut oil on the stovetop, and using healthy oils (such as coconut or olive oil) to cook our foods.

Personal care products and household cleaners contain many obesogens, including phthalates, petrochemicals (petroleum products), and parabens. The ingredients “fragrance”, “parfum” and “perfume” are 95% petrochemicals. By eliminating products that contain “fragrance”, we can eliminate up to 700 petrochemicals from our lives. When shopping for personal care products and household cleaners, avoid any products containing ingredients ending in “eth”, such as “sodium laurETH sulfate”.

Anything ending in “eth” was produced using petrochemicals. Also, avoid any ingredients containing the words “methyl”, “propyl”, “butyl”, “ethyl”, “mineral oil” or “paraffin”, these are all parabens. Some products use a “natural” preservative called “grapefruit seed extract” but petrochemicals are used to derive this extract from the seed.

According to “green beauty expert”, Paige Padgett, good quality safe personal care products are available. Some companies that make these products include: Jane Iredale, Eco Nvey, Primitive, Suki, David Babaii, and Prima Vera. Seventh Generation makes safe household cleaners. Visit www.paigepadgett.com and www.rodale.com for additional suggestions for safe personal care products and household cleaners. Rodale also offers tutorials on creating your own household cleaning products.

Sources
Rodale – Where Health Meets Green (http://www.rodale.com/)
Paige Padgett – Green Beauty Expert (http://paigepadgett.com/)
Croxton, S. (2011, July 21). The Organic Manifesto. Underground Wellness Podcast. Podcast retrieved from www.undergroundwellness.com
Michaels, J. (2011, April 8). Fat is not the enemy and green beauty. Jillian Michaels Radio Show. Podcast retrieved from www.jillianmichaelsradioshow.com

Tags: childhood obesity, clean labeling, epidemic of obesity, food label, obesity, obesogens, organic, processed food, toxins, weight gain, weight loss
Posted in Nutrition, Fitness, Health | No Comments »

Swimming Into a Cultural Health Crisis

Monday, July 11th, 2011

Many people would say that we are becoming less and less healthy as a nation because we overindulge. On the surface, this appears to be a safe assumption. At present we have the distinction of being one of the top ten countries in the world for overweight adults! Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the population at large with a whopping 60% of all adults being overweight and one out of four being morbidly obese. Break out the numbers specifically for the aging Baby Boomers and the stats are even more distressing- practically three out of four mature U.S. adults are classified as overweight or obese. But the worst part is that obesity is increasing at such an alarming rate among U.S. children at present, that they will be the first generation in decades that are projected to have a shorter lifespan than their parents! So the future looks even worse than the present. Eating disorders are also proliferating, affecting new segments of the population that include younger and younger children, as well as older women and men.

The complications of obesity alone have wreaked havoc with our health care system as well as our national economy. For example, “Health care costs related to obesity- which is associated with conditions like hypertension and diabetes- would total $344 billion in 2018, or more than one of every five dollars spent on health care, if the trends continue. If the obesity rate were held to its current level, the country would save nearly $200 billion a year (or $1.4 Trillion) by 2018, according to the study.” (Sack 2008) In terms of Eating Disorder’s, Anorexia alone, kills more women between the ages of 15 and 24 than any other cause of death.

The question is why is this happening? The answer is that if you are a fish, you do not see the water. Because you are immersed in it, you take it for granted. In much the same way, we are immersed in a culture that we assume to be safe. This is our underlying assumption. The fish may remain in polluted water until it becomes so polluted that it is no longer life sustaining. By then, it is too late. Like the fish, we are oblivious to the forces surrounding us. To change our culture, we must first be able to identify the underlying assumptions that are driving the current epidemic of obesity and eating disorders in the U.S. We must each then act to change our lifestyle and advocate for our safety. Stay tuned for Dr. Norton’s soon to be released book that details the problems, their causes and the solutions.

Tags: childhood obesity, Eating Disorders, epidemic of obesity, HFCS, high fructose corn syrup, Incidence of eating disorders, increased incidence of bulimarexia, monosodium glutamate, MSG, nutrition information, processed food, relationship of obesity to Eating Disorders
Posted in Eating Disorders and Obesity | No Comments »

Is There Really a Connection Between Full-Time Working Moms and Child Obesity?

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

photo used under creative common license

Over the past 35 years, the percentage of U.S. mothers who hold down a job while raising kids have soared from less than 50% to more than 70%. During this same time frame, the childhood obesity rate-which is now close to 17%- has more than tripled. Many researchers are claiming that there’s a direct connection between these two figures. The journal of Childhood Development just published a study, which showed that the longer a mother is employed, the more likely her children are to be overweight or obese. The study demonstrated that for each additional five-month period that his or her mother is employed, a child of average height could be expected to gain 1 extra pound over and above normal growth. In addition, six graders with working mothers were found to be six times more likely than those with stay-at-home moms to be overweight.

Another study published in Business Week supports this same concept, finding that was a correlation between the number of hours a women works outside the home and the BMI of her children. This research found that for a third grader of average height, the increase in BMI was equivalent to an extra one and a half to two extra pounds over what that child would normally gain in a year.

With studies like these being done, the idea that American kids are getting fat because women work outside the home now, could seem convincing. But hold on. These are correlative studies, not experimental research. The problem with these conclusions is that there may be several other things occurring simultaneously “causing” or contributing to this dietary epidemic.

Obviously, if women are spending long hours at work, as many do, home cooked meals are less of an option. In our nation it has become far too common for the wife to pop something pre packaged into the oven at night or pick up a pizza on her way home in order to accommodate her family with a meal that is quick and tasty.

The issue is that convenience foods have become a way of life for Americans. The ability to buy ready-made food is so much the norm that cooking for yourself seems like overkill, like you’re trying to win the best mom ever trophy. When push comes to shove, and it often does, most moms say the heck with it! Bring on the pizza. But that’s when the real problem kicks in, as processed foods are loaded with MSG, HFCS, Aspartame and Acesulfame, all of which are neurotoxins and all of which contribute to weight gain or disturbed eating. It doesn’t matter if the wife had the WHOLE DAY to cook a meal anymore because she wouldn’t anyway. Not when she can just run down the street to KFC and have a bucket of chicken in less than 10 minutes.

Thus it is the additives in these convenience foods that are directly responsible for why our nation and our children have become so fat. The percentage of mothers working full time may have gone up over the past 35 years, but so has the amount of MSG and high fructose corn syrup being poured into the foods we buy. They are found in just about all prepackaged, frozen and fast foods. They keep our stomachs saying “yum!” and “more,” and our blood sugar levels on a constant rollercoaster. Working mothers who have jobs don’t directly cause weight problems in their children. Reliance on and trust in processed foods containing dangerous addictive additives should be getting blamed. Unfortunately, most people don’t even know they’re there!

Sources:

Verropoulou G, Joshi H. Mothers’ Employment and Child Development. London, UK: Center for Longitudinal Development. 2006.

Business Week (online version) – WHAT! WORKING MOTHERS = FAT KIDS??? (http://www.businessweek.com/careers/workingparents/blog/archives/2007/05/who_knew_seems.html)

Tags: childhood obesity, epidemic of obesity, food label, healthy recipes, HFCS, high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, MSG, nutrition information, obesity, processed food, relationship of obesity to Eating Disorders, snack food, working mothers
Posted in Eating Disorders and Obesity | No Comments »

Eating Disorder Pro

Dr. Norton's Online Help Video

Recent Posts

Posts Tagged ‘epidemic of obesity’

It’s Sugar Addiction Awareness Day!

Appetite Hormones 101: Leptin

News You Can Use

The Norton Center Video – Eating Disorder Therapy in Cincinnati

What Whole Foods Market Is Doing To Help Us Reduce Our Exposure to Obesogens – Part II

What Whole Foods Market Is Doing To Help Us Reduce Our Exposure to Obesogens.

What You Need to Know In Order to Help Your Obese or ED Patient

Is Your Shampoo Affecting Your Weight Management Goals?

Swimming Into a Cultural Health Crisis

Is There Really a Connection Between Full-Time Working Moms and Child Obesity?