We hear it all the time, especiallyaround the start of each new year: Many Americans are fat. On average,we weigh moreand eat more than people in most other countries, aswell as our parents and grandparents did. Plus, the problem is startingso early that we’re now seeing some of the most severe weight problemsnamely obesityamong children and teens.
What’smore, the problem of childhood obesity is a growing one. Based on bodymass index (BMI) calculations, the National Health and NutritionExamination Survey III estimates that 20% of children in North America are obese. It’s a big local problem, too, one that’s so visible it’s caught the attention of the Medical College of Wisconsin,which has been conducting research on the genetics of obesity since1995.
After recruiting more than 4,000 study participants through theMilwaukee-based nonprofit weight-loss organization TOPS (Take OffPounds Sensibly), the researchers, currently led by Dr. Ahmed Kissebahof the Medical College, were able to search for genes they suspectedplay a large part in our country’s weight problems.
“We werethinking there were going to be one or two major genes controllingeverything but discovered instead that there’s a mafia of genes thatform networks, groups of genes all working together, that are majorplayers in obesity,” said Roland James, scientific director for theTOPS Center for Obesity and Metabolic Research, which helps coordinatethe study at the Medical College.
Now the researchers want tounderstand which genes are involved in these “fat mafias.” Until 2012,they’ll be studying about 400 children from local overweight familiesto see which genes lead to weight problems in adulthood and whetherthese genes are activated during puberty.
The researchersaren’t just swooping in and collecting data about these kids: They’realso helping themand their families develop healthier habits incollaboration with TOPS.
According to Ruth Gielow, TOPS’s regionaldirector, the 60-year-old nonprofit provides the foundation many people need to lose weight and, more importantly, get healthy. “Whenit comes to losing weight, some people have a lot of support at home,but many don’t. When I first walked into a TOPS meeting, I could feelthe warmth and caring of the people there, and it was what reallyinspired me to do something for my health,” she said.
Especially herein the Milwaukee area, TOPS members are known for going above andbeyond the call of duty, calling one another at night to check in onnutrition goals and over the lunch hour to go for walks. “It’snot a place where you just come in, step on the scale and leave,”Gielow said. “It’s a place to make the kind of friends every personshould have.”
Mobilizing Friends
TheMedical College is trying to mobilize some of this friend-making powerfor the kids it’s studying, too. One of the biggest barriers to weightloss for obese kids is anxiety about making friends. Most kids withweight problems face ridicule from their peers and embarrassment whenthey can’t fit into the clothes they want to wear. Issues such as thesecan quickly snowball into poor self-image and a vicious cycle of stressand depression, problems that kids often address by overeating and bylosing themselves in television programs and computer games.
Theseare the very activities that keep kids from losing weight, especiallywhen they become habits. Last month, the researchers teamed up withTOPS to hold a party for their new research subjects and their friendsat the Country Springs Hotel’s water park. TOPS welcomes kids and teensinto their weight-loss support groups and will also form groups justfor younger folks if people in the community indicate an interest,Gielow said. However, researchers and weightloss experts agree that themost important source of support is the kids’ families.
“Parentshave to be involved because they’re the ones who take them to all ofthose activities swimming lessons, soccer games, dance lessons, allthose things that keep kids active,” Gielow said. “They also make theirmeals and teach them how to eat properly, both what they tell theirkids and what they show them through examples. It’s those examples thatreally matter.”
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What Causes Obesity?
Obesity’snot something that has one simple “cause.” It’s influenced by a numberof factors, from the foods you eat to the type and amount of exerciseyou do to your family’s genetic makeup. Beyond food, fitness and yourgenes, here are a few of the major culprits in weight gain and loss:
- Stress: People who are chronically stressed outincluding kidstend tosecrete more of a hormone called cortisol, which encourages abdominalfat to build up. Chronic stress is also associated with insulinresistance and “emotional eating”in other words, snacking when nothungry to deal with anxiety.
- Sleep: The research is prettyclear: Kids and adults who sleep more tend to weigh less. Those whosleep less than seven hours per night tend to be the heaviest, as dothose who wake up during the middle of the night.
- Safety:According to a recent article in Psychology Today, people who perceivetheir neighborhoods as dangerous are 1.5 times more likely than averageto be overweight, most likely because they’re nervous about spendingmuch time outside.
- Socioeconomic status: Researchers at Oklahoma State Universityrecently foundas many studies before them have that there’s a stronglink between poverty and obesity. People who have lots of lifestressors, particularly worries about making ends meet, are less likelyto focus on fitness and nutrition goals if they don’t get much supportfrom their community.
Weight-control Tips
Thekeys to losing weight are, for the most part, similar whether you’re akid or an adult. Nearly everyone knows that exercising regularly andlimiting calories and fat can go a long way. However, there are tons ofother simple tricks you can use to eat and exercise more effectively.Here are a few tips you may not have heard yet, culled from MedicalCollege researchers, TOPS Regional Director Ruth Gielow and theNational Weight Control Registry (NWCR):
- Eat breakfast every day.Research has shown that people who do thisespecially kidsfeel fullerand eat less throughout the day.
- Ditch the sweets. Putting healthyfoods like apples, carrots, yogurt or even a relish tray at eye levelin the fridge and stowing sweets in the produce bin helps you snacksmarter.
- Add small bursts of exercise to your routine. Studieshave shown that the pounds start to fall off when people increase theirexercise levels to a total of 60 minutes per day. It may not seem thathelpful, but adding a few sets of jumping jacks during TV commercialsor taking a 10-minute walk after each meal can go a long way towardweight-loss and fitness goals.
- Buddy up. You’re less likely toreplace a workout with a nap or a snack if you’ve promised one or twoother people you’ll do it with them.
- Have a fast-food strategy. Prepareat least a few meals per week at home, which tends to curb calories andoffers a great opportunity to get kids interested in nutrition. Whenyou’re on the go, read the nutritional information at fast-foodrestaurants and try to choose high-protein items and limit starchy andsugary add-ons like french fries and ice cream.
- Turn off theTV. Limit sedentary activities such as TV-watching and Internet surfing.Whip out Wii Fit or Dance Dance Revolution, go ice skating or sledding,or snowshoe down a local trail. It’ll hardly feel like exercise.
Weight-loss Resources
The National Weight Control Registry: 1-800-606-NWCR, www.nwcr.ws
TOPS: 414-482-4620, www.tops.org
Medical College of Wisconsin’s Metabolic Syndrome Clinic: 414-805-6242, www.mcw.edu/endocrinology/centers/MetabolicCenter.htm
