Contagious Habits: How Obesity Spreads | Wired Science | Wired.com

• By Jonah Lehrer
• April 19, 2011  | 
• 2:06 pm  | 
• Categories: Frontal Cortex, Science Blogs

A few years ago, Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler made a striking discovery about obesity: it spreads from person to person, much like a contagious virus. They were able to demonstrate this by mining the data sets of the Framingham Heart Study (FHS), a longitudinal survey that has revealed many of the risk factors underlying cardiovascular disease. Because the FHS noted each participant’s close friends, colleagues, and family members, Christakis and Fowler were able to recreate the social network of the town, to see how everyone was connected to everyone else.

And this is when they made their remarkable discovery about weight gain. According to the data, if one person became obese, the likelihood that his friend would follow suit increased by 57 percent. (This means that the network is far more predictive of obesity than the presence of genes associated with the condition.) If a sibling became obese, the chance that another sibling would become obese increased by 40%, while an obese spouse increased the likelihood that the other spouse would become obese increased by 37%.

The Christakis/Fowler work is an important reminder that Donne was right: No man is an island/entire of itself. Instead, we are all plugged into a vast network of social contacts and cultural norms. While we think ourselves as autonomous individuals, that autonomy is severely constrained by those around us.

But this longitudinal data – it’s a bird’s eye view of human life – still begs the question: How do other people influence us? Why does an obese friend make us so much more likely to gain weight? Why do the habits of others influence our own habits?

via m.wired.com

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Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin - TIME

As I write this, tomorrow is Tuesday, which is a cardio day. I'll spend five minutes warming up on the VersaClimber, a towering machine that requires you to move your arms and legs simultaneously. Then I'll do 30 minutes on a stair mill. On Wednesday a personal trainer will work me like a farm animal for an hour, sometimes to the point that I am dizzy — an abuse for which I pay as much as I spend on groceries in a week. Thursday is "body wedge" class, which involves another exercise contraption, this one a large foam wedge from which I will push myself up in various hateful ways for an hour. Friday will bring a 5.5-mile run, the extra half-mile my grueling expiation of any gastronomical indulgences during the week.

I have exercised like this — obsessively, a bit grimly — for years, but recently I began to wonder: Why am I doing this? Except for a two-year period at the end of an unhappy relationship — a period when I self-medicated with lots of Italian desserts — I have never been overweight. One of the most widely accepted, commonly repeated assumptions in our culture is that if you exercise, you will lose weight. But I exercise all the time, and since I ended that relationship and cut most of those desserts, my weight has returned to the same 163 lb. it has been most of my adult life. I still have gut fat that hangs over my belt when I sit. Why isn't all the exercise wiping it out?

via time.com

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How can I stop being hungry? – The Chart - CNN.com Blogs

Losing weight has always been tough for me. It's even tougher for me now that I'm in my 40s. However, I made a resolution for 2010, and with diet and exercise, I've managed to lose 35 pounds.

I've managed to lose weight through grit and determination. The problem is, I am always hungry and my appetite is ravenous, difficult to satisfy. I want to eat until I'm full EVERY TIME I eat. If it wasn't for force of will, I would continue to eat and pack the pounds back on.

Is there anything I can do to fight the hunger?

via thechart.blogs.cnn.com

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Discover Health & Wealth - Alternative Health Products

Are you looking for ways to enhance your abundance of health and wealth? You are invited to explore this site for effective alternatives that address the underlying causes of ill health - not merely deal with the symptoms.

Improve Your Health - Gain Control of Your Weight

Are you overweight and unable to shed those unwanted pounds no matter what you try? Looking for a safe and effective way to help you gain control of your eating patterns?

via discoverhealthandwealth.com

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7 Biggest Diet Myths | LiveScience

Bathing suit season is just around the corner and every friend has a new diet tip. But does science back them up? Here are some of the most popular diet myths that make scientists shake their heads.

--Robin Nixon, LiveScience Staff Writer

via livescience.com

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Is Santa sick? A doctor gives St. Nick a checkup - Health - Healthy Holidays - msnbc.com

He is overweight, constantly flushed, trying to accomplish a superhuman feat – and may be using cookies to deal with the stress.

Should we be worried about Santa's health? [ Santa Claus: The Real Man Behind the Myth ]

In advance of his epic journey on Christmas Eve, we asked a doctor to give him a checkup.

Red nose and cheeks
While some may attribute a ruddy appearance to fever or worse (too much mulled wine?), Dr. Rachel Vreeman of the Indiana University School of Medicine thinks Santa's rosy complexion is likely benign.

via msnbc.msn.com

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Doctors, nurses often contribute to patients' weight problems - FierceHealthcare

Although some doctors and nurses seems to think stigma and shame can help motivate patients to lose weight, the opposite seems to be true, according to a doctor's commentary published today in the Los Angeles Times.

"People who are exposed to stigmatizing situations are more likely to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors and less likely to be physically active," said Rebecca Puhl, director of research at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, who was interviewed for the piece.

Indeed, most women in one study coped with stigma over their weight by eating more food or refusing to diet.

What's more, humiliating interactions may make overweight patients unwilling to seek out medical care, which means their other medical problems likely will go untreated, as well. Puhl says that healthcare providers need to adjust their expectations, pointing out that losing weight isn't just about having patients go on diets. An inability to diet down to a healthy weight isn't due to just lack of motivation, according to Puhl.

She also calls on healthcare providers to recognize that even relatively small changes in weight count as progress toward better health. Most people can't lose more than 10 percent of their body weight and keep the weight off over time, she says.

Dr. Valerie Ulene, the commentary's author and a preventive medicine specialist whose siblings tortured her when she was an overweight child, says that patients who are overweight deserve to be treated compassionately and effectively. "It's not just the right thing to do, it's the best approach for successful treatment," she writes.

To learn more:
- here's the Los Angeles Times commentary

Related Articles:
Too often, MDs blame obese patients' ills on fat
To help patients lose weight, don't call them fat
Health-conscious docs more likely to offer lifestyle advice
Conquering chronic disease with lifestyle medicine
Guest Commentary: Brad Wilson on fighting obesity

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Obesity, Morbidly Obese (fat), Overweight Resources 100922

Obesity, Morbidly Obese (fat), Overweight Resources 100922

http://www.nursefriendly.com/obesity/

Nurse selected resources for patients, healthcare professionals and doctors on the treatment of severe obesity. Obesity is usually defined by a Body Mass Index, BMI.

BMI Weight Status
Below 18.5 Underweight
18.5 Γ?? 24.9 Normal
25.0 Γ?? 29.9 Overweight
30.0 and Above Obese
(Source CDC)
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/adult_BMI/about_adult_BMI.htm#Interpreted

Categories of Resources include:

• Aesthetics-Cosmetic-Plastic-Surgery_8
• Assocations-International-Bariatrics-Obesity-Overweight_21
• Associations-Obesity-Index_48
• Bariatric_3
• Bariatric Surgeons_4
• Bariatric Surgeons Obesity Physicians-Medical-Weight-Loss_67
• Bariatric-Center-Hospital-Clinic_3
• Bariatric-Operation-Cost_3
• Bariatric-Surgery_5
• Bariatric-Surgery-Bariatrics-Treatments_58
• Bariatric-Surgery-Cost_4
• Bilio-Pancreatic-Diversion_2
• Body-Image-Dysmorphic-Disorder-Obesity-Index_11
• Cancer_Oncology_Malignancy-Obesity-Index_10
• Cardiac Coronary Heart-Obesity-Index_16
• Cat-Scan-CT-MRI_X-Ray_Radiology-_1
• Childbirth_Pregnancy_Having_A_Baby_8
• Childbirth_Pregnancy_High_Risk_7
• Childhood_Obesity_Obese_Children_7
• Clinical_Trials_Studies-Obesity-Index_2
• Clothing-Big-and-Tall_1
• Complications_Of_Obesity_Sleep_Apnea_Obstructive_2
• Counseling-Counselors-Therapists-Mental-Health_2
• Depression_Mental_Health_Psychiatric_Obesity_3
• Diabetes_Diabetics_Complications_5
• Diabetes_Diabetics_Insulin_Resistance_2
• Diabetes-Diabetics-High-Blood-Sugar_12
• Dieticians-Nutritionists-Dietary-Consultants-Nutritional-Therapists_12
• Diet-Post-Bariactric_4
• Diets-Dieting-Nutrition-Appetite-Supressants-Weight-Loss_14
• Disabilities-Disabled-Disability-Obesity-Index_17
• Eating-Disorders-Anorexia_4
• Eating-Disorders-Binge-Eating_4
• Eating-Disorders-Compulsive-Overeating_3
• Eating-Disorders-Emotional-Eating_2
• Eating-Disorders-Obesity-Index_26
• Eating-Disorders-Yo-Yo-Dieting_2
• Fat Acceptance-Size-Obesity-Discimination-Activism_13
• Government Agencies Programs-Obesity-Index_8
• Having_A_Baby_Childbirth_Pregnancy-Obesity-Index_8
• Health and Wellness and Fitness-Obesity-Index_13
• Healthcare-Quality-Of-Care-Obesity-Index_14
• Health-Wellness-Fitness-Exercise_36
• High_Risk_Pregnancy_Childbirth_5
• Hospitals-Medical-Center-Clinics_20
• Infectious_Diseases_AIDS-HIV_Sexually_Transmitted_Diseases_4
• International-Foreign-Language-Obesity-Obese-Resources_13
• Journals_Magazines_Periodicals_3
• Lap Band Surgery Pocedures_4
• Lungs_Respiratory_Pulmonary_Breathing_4
• Malignancy_Oncology_Cancer_6
• Medical Associations Organizations_7
• Medical Journals Magazines Periodicals_10
• Medical_General_Obesity_8
• Medical-Equipment-Surgical-Supplies-Durable-Goods_11
• Medical-Reference_Obesity_5
• Medical-Weight-Loss-Physican-Doctor-Supervised_23
• Medical-Weight-Management_Weight_Loss-Physican-Doctor-Supervised_1
• Mental_Health_Psychiatric_Depression_Obesity_4
• MRI_X-Ray_Radiology_Cat-Scan-CT_2
• Obesity Camps-Weight-Loss-Programs_1
• Obesity Conferences-Continuing-Education-_10
• Obesity In Children-Obese-Adolescents_20
• Obesity Journals Magazines-Periodicals_10
• Obesity Medical Software-Practice-Management_5
• Obesity Surgery Centers Surgeons_4
• Obesity Surgery Information_5
• Obesity_Complications_Of_Sleep_Apnea_Obstructive_2
• Obesity-Chat-Rooms-Discussion-Forums_5
• Obesity-Education_44
• Obesity-Education-Diet-Nutrition_21
• Obesity-Medications-Treatments-Research_36
• Obesity-Overweight-Portals_14
• oHealth and Wellness and Fitness_2
• Oncology_Malignancy_Cancer_5
• Personal Homepages_4
• Pharmaceuticals-Biotechnology-Drug-Companies_7
• Photographs_1
• Pregnancy_Childbirth_High_Risk_7
• Pregnancy_Having_A_Baby_Childbirth_8
• Psychiatric_Mental_Health_Depression_Obesity_4
• Psychiatric_Mental_Health_Obesity_4
• Pulmonary_Respiratory_Lungs_Breathing_4
• Pulmonary_Respiratory_Lungs_BreathingPulmonary_Respiratory_Lungs_Breathing_4
• Radiology-Cat-Scan-CT-MRI_X-Ray_2
• Respiratory_Pulmonary_Lungs_Breathing_4
• Roux-en-Y-Gastric-Bypass-Surgery-Operation-Bariatric_4
• Schools-Obesity-Prevention-Education_8
• Sexuality_Sexual_Health_6
• Sexually_Transmitted_Diseases_Infectious_Diseases_AIDS-HIV_5
• Size-Discrimination-Bias_5
• Sleep_Apnea_Obstructive_Complications_Of_Obesity_4
• Weight Loss Surgery_4
• Weight_Management_11
• Weight-Discrimination-Bias_2
• Weight-Loss-Dieting-Diets_13
• Womens_Health_Gynecology_Obstetrics_7
• X-Ray-Radiology-Cat-Scan-CT-MRI_3

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