Tag Archives: obesity

Obese children likely to die before parents, says new government report

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London: At lease one in four children aged between two and ten is overweight or obese, a UK government report reveals.

These children face a lifetime of weight-related health problems and cost the taxpayer more than £5bn by 2010. They could also die before their parents.

The report from the National Audit Office, the Healthcare Commission and the Audit Commission says slow progress is being made towards delivering on the target cut for lowering obesity, set in July 2004.

Recent figures show that obesity had increased from 9.6 per cent of youngsters in 1995 to 13.7 per cent in 2003. The proportion of children who were overweight or obese rose from 22.7 per cent to 27.7 per cent.

The cost of childhood and adult obesity to the UK health service is around £1billion. There is a further £2.3billion to £2.6billion cost to the economy as a whole – this includes lost productivity. But Mr Bundred said the cost to the economy alone could rise to £3.6billion by 2010, with more than £1billion in costs to the NHS – a bill close to £5billion.

The report’s recommendations include the need for better local guidance on initiatives, such as increasing use of school sports facilities outside school hours.

Obesity causing adult diabetes in children

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London: Children in the UK as young as nine years are suffering from adult type diabetes, according to new figures from doctors.

Type 2 diabetes, which normally affects middle-aged adults, across the country, and is blamed on the huge increase in obesity. has been diagnosed in 100 children in the past year.

The figures released to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health could mean that some young children will look forward to ill health throughout their lives, including increased risk of heart disease, stroke, eye and kidney problems.

As well as diabetes, a further 60,000 youngsters are thought to be suffering from weight-related metabolic syndrome – a combination of conditionsincluding high blood pressure and raised cholesterol – which is thought to precede Type 2 diabetes.

Dr Julian Shield, the Bristol University paediatrician responsible for the research, said the figures were “shocking.”

Diet sugars may pile on the pounds, says top psychologist

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Swansea: Artificial sweetners, do not help slimmers to loose weight, says a top medical experts.

Professor David Benton, a psychologist from Swansea University in Wales, said those who use artificial sweetners are more likely to eat more of other foods and eat even more calories.

In a report in the magazine, Nutrition Research he says slimmers would be better off cutting out fat. He says people may compensate for the lack of sugar by eating more of other foods, which may have even more calories. Professor Benton, a psychologist who has written a report in the journal Nutrition Research Review, said people trying to lose weight and keep it off would be better reducing fat intake rather than calories in sugar.

Professor Benton, whose report was partly funded by the sugar industry,said it was questionable as to whether artificial sweetners were helpful in the long term.

American Heart Association launched first diet guide

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New York: The American Heart Association has launched its first diet book with a three-pronged approach to weight-loss.

Entitled “No-Fad Diet: A Personal Plan for Healthy Weight Loss” it recommends eating more fruits, vegetbles, whole grains and lean proteins and becoming more physically active.

Nearly two thirds of adults are overweight in many developed countries, putting them at risk from a number of life-threatening illnesses and diseases inlcuding diabetes, cancers and heart disease.

Dr Robert Eckel, president-elect of the American Heart Association and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine says: “This book is a commonsense approach that can be applied to everyday life. “

The book is the result of an analysis of research into diet, exercise and behaviour and bears in mind that no single diet works for everyone.

For more information visit the American Heart Association

Obesity

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Obesity is now an epidemic in many developed countries with one in five adults seriously overweight – 17% of men and 21% of woman are obese. There is also a large rise in the number of overweight and obese youngsters. Obesity in children aged between two and four almost doubled from five to nine per cent from 1989 to 1998. It trebled from five to 16 per cent among children aged six to 15 between 1990-2001. Obesity in women trebled between 1980 and 2002 from eight to 23 per cent. Obesity in men is even worse, with the figure rising fourfold from six to 22 per cent. Obesity causes at thousands of deaths each year, from medical conditions such as heart disease, strokes and diabetes.

Obesity is measured by calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI). This is your weight in kilo-grams divided by the square of your height in metres. A BMI above 25 is categorised as overweight, and above 30 is obese.

A recent study by the Netherlands Morbidity Research Group, which studied the health and lifestyles of 3,500 men and women over more than half a century has concluded that being obese or overweight in adulthood decreases life expectancy as much as smoking.

Dr Anna Peeters, of the Netherlands Morbidity Research Group, who led the study, said: ‘We concluded that obesity in adulthood is associated with a decrease in life expectancy of about seven years, both in men and women.The condition leaves people at risk of heart disease, diabetes, high bloodpressure and osteoarthritis. Recent studies have shown obesity is leading to more than 30,000 premature deaths annually in Britain from illnesses caused or worsened by being overweight.

Studies have shown that the ten per cent of women who are heaviest are 20 per cent more likely to suffer breast cancer than the ten per cent at the other end of the weight scale.

Instead of extreme diets, surgical procedures or drugs, doctors recommend sustainable lifestyle changes such as a varied and sensible diet including fresh vegetables and fruit with moderate amounts of protein and exercise that doesn’t necesarily mean going to a gym, such as cycling or dancing. See Elixirs and Diet .

New discoveries

Chemical that could burn away obesity

A compound called KB-141, which speeds up metabolism and also reduce cholesterol has been developed by the pharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb. It works by stimulating the thyroid hormone that regulates metabolism and cholesterol. Previous treatments have not been able to discriminate between different thyroid functions, and have affected both metabolic and heart rates. While most research into obesity has focused on appetite suppression.

Stomach pacemaker

An Italian doctor has invented a ‘stomach pacemaker’, the size of tiny matchbox, which when implanted within the stomach, slows down the movement of food through the intestine, making a person feel fuller and preventing hunger pangs.

The Gastric Stimulator (TIGS), is similar in design to a pacemaker but slows down the movement of food through the intestine. It sends out pulses of electricity that trigger activity by natural neurons in the stomach whose job is to tell the brain when there is no more room for food. In other words, it fools the brain into
thinking the stomach is full.Results from early tests on ten patients show they were able to lose 90 per cent of their excess weight over two years. The device would stay in the body permanently.

Other treatments for obesity include drugs and surgery such as stomach stapling the most popular forms of surgery, shrinks the size of the stomach but this can lead to complications. Another option, a gastric bypass, restricts both food intake and the take-up of sugar and fats.

Trials on the stomach pacemaker are being carried out by an American implant company, Transneuronix, on 150 people in Europe and the U.S. If the results are positive the pacemaker could be inplanted in Britain patients.

The device delays the emptying of the stomach. The signals are thought to restrict movement by shrinking the entrance and exit. At the heart of the technology is a stimulation lead implanted in the gastric area using keyhole surgery and connected to a battery-powered electrical unit implanted under the skin around the abdomen. A third piece of equipment is a computer that works like a remote control to check how the technology is working, and which is also used to change the type of electrical signals being sent out. Once it has been put in place, the device can be left on indefinitely or switched on when the patient feels an urge to eat excessively.

Herbal hunger cure

Research shows that those taking Zotrim, the brand name for a product that contains a combination of three South American herbs – shed around five pounds in a month.

Nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton, who conducted the study, says the preparation could provide extra motivation for slimmers plagued by hunger pangs. ‘It promotes a physical feeling of fullness caused by a delay in the emptying of contents from the stomach,’ she said.

Taking the herbal tablets delays the rate at which the stomach empties by an average of 20 minutes. The delay is not dangerous – it merely extends the normal length of time taken to digest food. But it makes it difficult for people to eat too much as they feel uncomfortably full more quickly.

About Elixir

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Avril O’Connor is the Editor of Elixir News and Elixir magazine. It has been developed from a passion which began in 2002 when there was a proliferation of web sites selling anti-ageing products and services….but few with an independent voice.

In April 2005 Elixir News was born. It is editorially independent enabling consumers to better make informed choices about their health and anti-ageing products and services.

We do not accept payment to write endorsements of products and services or for the inclusion of experts and services in our directories. This enables Elixir News to be a credible and independent news source, as well as including all the services and professional experts that we consider relevant to our readership. Nevertheless inclusion is not an endorsement by us and should it come to our attention that any business mentioned on our site is being conducted in an illegal or unethical manner we will remove it from our directories.

Visitors to our site should also bear in mind that many claims are made for anti-ageing products and services that are not necessarily substantiated by scientific evidence and should always take the expert advice of a qualified medical doctor.

It is the intention of Elixir News to fairly report and investigate the facts. If we consider that any claims for products/services are bogus or unsubstantiated we will say so. If you have had negative experiences with businesses in this sector please let us know and we will take up the challenge. We also report on our positive experiences with products and services. Advertising or sponsorship is clearly labelled as such.

We hope that you will find our web site useful in arming you with knowledge that can help you live a longer and happier life. But once again we do advise anyone with persistent health problems to consult a qualified medical practitioner/doctor. Anyone embarking on a intensive anti-ageing programme should, in particular, seek the advice of a qualified specialist about the supplements they plan to take and in what quantities, as they may conflict with drug therapy and certain medical conditions. The doctor may advise certain blood and other tests to determine your individual needs.

Please do let us know about your experiences and feedback on the information within this site. Email us at info@elixirnews.com

Never say die….

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In the past physical ageing was inevitable. Now, new scientific discoveries mean we can not only live longer but healthier and more enjoyable lives. Our longevity is not purely genetic – inherited factors account for only 30% of longevity. It is our health behaviour – that is, the choice of food, environment and physical activity that most importantly accounts for 70 percent of living longer. So our longevity is really in our own hands.

Improved healthcare and standards of living also mean we are seeing the growth of an active elderly population over the age of 65, and a new group of 85 years and older. Twenty percent of the world’s elderly population or 61 million people are 85+. By 2020, this group will double to 146 million. So if we are living longer we should all take preventative measures with out diet and exercise to ensure we not only live longer but that we are as happy and healthy as we can be.

So what causes ageing? The main causes of ageing and death are ageing of the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular system), ageing of the immune system, and ageing caused by accidents and the environment.

Clogging of the arteries from a diet of highly saturated fat causes heart attacks and strokes. A weak immune system and environmental toxins may be the trigger for many forms of cancer and accidents that lead to early death.

But there are a number of factors that accelerate ageing. These are mainly lifestyle choices that we make that cut years off our natural lives and include: overeating and poor nutrition, smoking of whatever form, excessive alcohol intake, lack of exercise, lack of mental challenge, and feeling unloved or uncared for. Which is another reason why we should nurture the older members of our community.

The key to successful ageing is how well we can control these factors. Take control – see a doctor who can determine what measures you should be taking to improve your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and diet. Whether you need medication, sugery or special supplements. There are lists of experts on our site.

Doctors are learning more about how to extend human life through new discoveries such as stem cells. There are already a number of supplements available that can subsitute for the loss of hormones and other building blocks. One is human growth hormone (HGH) and another sex steroids. In theory, since HGH and testosterone (or estrogen) are responsible for the rapid growth and maturation in adolescence, replenishing them in old age will reverse the effects of ageing.

A recent study (Journal of the American Medical Association, November 2002), stated that combined HGH and sex steroids did just that – increased lean body mass and decreased fat in both men and women subjects. So is this the elixir of youth? Current research has not come up with the answer. There are long term risks and side-effects such as the increased risk of cancer with HGH. There is no one magic pill but there are a number of elixirs – elixir supplements, elixir antioxidents and elixir foods – which we can all take so that we can live life to the optimum. Even with the most serious diseases of ageing described below these elixirs can assist quality of life but their real value is in prevention. The aim of ElixirNews is to report on these new developments to help you make informed choices in living life to the optimum.