Victimizing Obese Teens: Today's Oprah

I rarely watch Oprah, but I took a chance on it today. The topic was teenage obesity. I hoped the show would offer something other than the same old tired anti-obesity tripe that we hear day in and day out: eat fewer calories, exercise, and control emotional eating. And if that doesn't work, maybe surgery is the way to go.

Everyone with any interest in obesity should understand the following facts:

• Obesity is not a mental illness. Therapy and "learning to love yourself" can't hurt, but they are no more curative for obesity than they are for any other physical disorder.
  
  
• Appetite and cravings are hormone driven. Simply repressing them eventually throws the body into crisis mode. The hormones will win, if you can't get them under control.
  
  
• Stress can increase appetite and cravings. That's why most people eat when they are emotional.
  
  
• All calories are not equal. If you saw the show, you know the nutritionist said a glazed doughnut is a better choice than a bagel with low-fat cream cheese because it has fewer calories. Nonsense. Eat the doughnut and you'll be hungry again very soon. The bagel with cream cheese will have a less dramatic impact on your blood sugar, give you a little protein, and leave you satisfied longer. But the truth is, neither of these is a good choice.
  
  
• Gastric bypass surgery has dangerous long-term consequences. It's the typical simple-minded pseudo-science of conventional medicine that says if you lose weight with gastric bypass, you'll have a greater life expectancy. Where's the longitudinal data? What about the hormonal changes, the dangerous vitamin deficiencies, and the gastrointestinal disorders that result from bypass? How do they impact life expectancy?
  

As usual, the obese teens on today's Oprah faced a hearty dose of shaming. That's guaranteed to drive up the stress hormones and make matters worse. Dr. Oz presented some good nutritional information but, on the whole, the nutritional advice was very confusing.

Shame, confusion, and a sense of desperation turn eating into a source of anxiety--and the stress hormones rise even more. It's a damn dirty shame that we turn a biological necessity into a source of such torment. And that torment is heaped on top of all the other difficulties the truly obese must live with every day.

Exercise is the one positive in this infernal debate; it's the one thing the so-called experts seem to be getting right. Exercise can help tame and balance the hormones that drive appetite. Unfortunately, exercise alone is usually not sufficient.

When are we going to cut the crap and get to some serious answers? When it comes to obesity, traditional medicine is still way off the mark, often doing far more damage than good.

Obesity: Isn't It Time For Some Facts?

Journals published by Nature hold a vast wealth of information on the latest research in the physical sciences, particularly biology and medicine. The online site for Nature also has free informative videos. Today, I discovered yet another interesting tidbit on the topic of obesity. I already know that appetite is governed by hormones. I've just begun to learn about the central role of gut ecology in entire bodily systems, from nutrient absorption to neurotransmitters and beyond. A new video from Nature discusses the role of intestinal bacteria in obesity:

Video: Human Gut Microbes
Hear scientists explain how our gut flora are involved in how we regulate body weight and may even be a factor in the obesity epidemic. . . .
-From Nature online at http://www.nature.com/nature/videoarchive/index.html.

The video highlights individual differences in gut flora and the capacity for the body to create fat tissue. We are not all alike; as individuals, we are not living, breathing manifestations of clinical averages. To think we are all replicates from a standardized template--and that what is true for you must also be true for me--is sadly and profoundly ignorant.

On a related note, I can't resist pointing out once again that John McCain's plan for dealing with the childhood obesity epidemic is to send athletes to schools to give presentations. Dear John: If you don't have a freaking clue about the problem, don't try to devise a plan to fix it. You're simply confusing the issue and compounding the problem.

Proud to be (Politically) Incorrect

The author of Republican Ranting prominently displays the following on his site:

**Disclaimer**
This blog is highly politically incorrect (i.e.: you're fat, not "big boned"). If you don't like Republicans, you probably don't want to read this blog - so beware. Now, you can't sue me for mental damages and give 99% of your $3 million settlement to your greedy lawyer (i.e.: Geoffrey Fieger) - leaving you with $30,000.

I encourage you to communicate with The Ranter, but be aware that some of the stuff on the site serves as a painful reminder of how inhumane and ugly some of us can be. For example, in a recent post, the blogger favors the death penalty in the tragic case of a 14-year-old girl who caused the death of her newborn child. (For more commentary on that, see Get Angry With Me--and you will get angry.)

Today's Republican Rant is a tribute to those who serve in the United States military, a noble and worthy sentiment. Through my own driving sense of patriotism and civic responsibility, I was compelled to make the post below. I value charity and civility, but certain situations call for a straight shot; and in certain situations, I'm pleased to oblige.

Fat Citizen Patriot Says:
July 4, 2008 at 7:40 PM

Hope you had a great Fourth.

Wow! Glad I found your site. I LOVE straight talk. I’m one of those who is not “big boned;” I’m fat. And you are not “politically incorrect;” you’re a good, old-fashioned ignorant jerk.

How about a straight-talking debate on the subject of obesity? That would be fab! Bring it on! If feelings get hurt, I guarantee you they won’t be mine. But never mind that; let’s spend our energy on something far more important than your lack of information about obesity. (Hey, don’t feel bad: John McCain’s plan to fight obesity is to have athletes give presentations to school children. It’s hard to beat that for profound and shameful ignorance.)

Let’s talk about the state of our magnificent Democratic Republic. Are you ready for some dead-serious straight talk about the state of our beloved country? If you care deeply about this country and the principles upon which it was founded, if you have the stomach (a flat, firm, and fabulous stomach, of course) to face the unflinching truth, I challenge you to read the latest work by famed criminal prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi: The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder.

God bless our troops; their sacrifices are astounding. Many have sacrificed far more than most citizens understand. I wish I could say, “God save them from the treatment they have received and continue to receive under the Bush Administration,” but that’s not God’s job. This government was entrusted to its citizens, and we are responsible for preserving it and holding it to the highest standards.

We damn well better wake up and start acting like informed, responsible citizens. If we don’t, the only place we’ll find freedom and justice is in the rear view mirror.