In 2011, a mother lost custody of her 200lb 3rd-grade son for medical neglect. When enrollment into the “Healthy Kids, Healthy Weight” program was unsuccessful, and his weight kept rising, authorities got involved. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCF) took the mother to court and won, after which the boy was placed in the foster care system.?? As a physician, I have seen the effects of obesity on health. Obesity is a risk factor for many life-threatening diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, strokes, arrhythmias, and heart attacks.???????? During my Masters of Public Health here at the University of Miami, I’ve learned that although the lifespan of the average American is increasing, the quality of life is not. Chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, are now the most prevalent.✓???????? Obesity is not only a physical burden; there is also the risk of bullying and its psychological aftereffects. The Florida Department of Health found that among bullied high school students, 52.4% were for weight, size, and physical appearance. https://youtu.be/JE4i78Kz5xs They are being bullied also increased their risk of violence, drug and alcohol use, risky sexual behavior, depression, self-harm, and suicide ideation. ✓ A quick solution to preventing childhood obesity is needed. However, reporting it as medical neglect would cause additional psychological harm. If not genetically predisposed, obesity is preventable with lifestyle modifications such as balanced meals, regular exercise, and adequate sleep. I suggest we start there at school and home.???????? In Florida, the average obesity rate for 2-18-year-olds is approximately 13%. Although a study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) implemented efforts at the state, local, and community levels to lower childhood obesity, results were modest, and the study was limited to 2-4-year-old participants of the Women, Infants, and Children nutritional supplementation program (WIC). Other studies have shown that eating habits are acquired in the first years of life, and even if healthier choices were provided at school, the kids wouldn’t eat them.???????? Also, a study showed that kids who had school lunch had a more balanced meal than those who brought lunch from home. Proves that interventions targeting both school and home must work together to affect change. Therefore, interventions at home must not only start early in the child’s life but with support of the school and guidance from their doctors. The initial response should involve a team of doctors from multiple specialties to reinforce healthy habits and to provide instructions and explanations as to why healthy choices are essential. This should be done before conception, if possible, but throughout pregnancy and the child’s life.✓ In terms of exercise, schools are increasing physical activity opportunities, but it needs to be extended to afterschool and the home. All kids should be enrolled in a mandatory afterschool physical education program. The program should include sports for at least 45 minutes, with only healthy snacks and water provided. Healthy snacks should consist of fruits and veggies.? Studies have shown that the more exposure to healthy food a child has, the more likely they are to continue eating them. Physical activity at home may have some limitations, such as access to a park, safe neighborhoods to play in, and involvement of the family. Therefore, home games should be created to help children and their families exercise together and improve bonding opportunities. Besides, T.V time should be decreased as it has been found to correlate with higher body fat. ✓ Education about this must be given to parents by the schools and their doctors. Lastly, studies have shown that sleep deprivation negatively affects metabolism and weight maintenance. Physicians should educate the parents on the adverse effects of sleep deprivation through a school-sponsored Sleep Orientation Program. Instructions on how to create a good bedtime routine must also be provided. School counselors should keep track of school performance and in-class behaviors to identify kids who may be sleep-deprived. This will facilitate personalized counseling to the children and their parents.✓ Although the court ruling shows the severity of childhood obesity and possible parental consequences, the better way to affect change is not by instilling fear but through education. Explanations and guidance are needed to help parents understand why healthier behaviors are so crucial for the health of their children. By increasing exercise, balanced meals with fruits and veggies, decreasing time spent watching T.V., and improving sleeping routine, we might be able to ‘bend the curve’ on the rising prevalence of childhood obesity in Florida. Such efforts might even decrease the prevalence of obesity in adulthood.? Share: More Posts NewsLetter Recent Articles Discover More Articles
I talked about the vegan diet, and intermittent fasting, So I thought today I’d dive into the ketogenic diet, aka Keto diet review. There is a lot of hype surrounding this type of food, and there has been talked about a lot of benefits. So let’s talk a little bit more about what this kind of diet consists of, what you’re allowed to eat. The benefits, the side effects, everything!✓ First thing first: Keto Diet Review All diets consist of certain macronutrients, aka macros. Believe it or not, I didn’t start counting my macros until recently because my fitness coach asked me to track them during my 1month fitness plan. In general, all diets consist of 3 macros: Protein, Fats, and Carbohydrates. A healthy diet is said to consist of: 20% protein 30% of fats 50% carbohydrates is quite different from a keto diet in which your primary source of energy comes from fats and protein.✓ 30-35% protein 55-60% fat 5-10% carbs You are basically limited to up to 50g of carbs PER DAY and some even go beyond to 20g max. So what happens to your body when you decrease your carb intake this much? https://youtu.be/iY3PAhQ6s_A GLUCONEOGENESIS Another excellent work for making glucose (sugar) from scratch. Your body can get glucose (sugar) from your diet like carbs, or it can make its own in the liver through this process. Because sugar is the main thing that stimulates the release of insulin, and insulin also stimulates fat and glucose storage. This low carbohydrate state reduces fat storage and helps lower blood sugar. KETOGENESIS Once the body cannot make glucose fast enough for the energy requirements of the body, it starts to produce ketones. Just a fancy word for “making ketone bodies,” aka keto diet. These ketone bodies produce more energy than regular sugar, so it been called a kind of super fuel. So what are a few of the BENEFITS of this kind of diet? Fat loss while preserving lead body mass It can improve symptoms in patients with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), including mental health-related signs. Low carb and low protein diets may reverse diabetic neuropathy (diabetic nerve pain). Can improve glycemic control in obese patients with type 2 diabetes Low carb diets can also improve blood pressure What about some SIDE EFFECTS? Well, it can include mild symptoms known as the Keto-Flu, which usually get better within a few days or weeks. This includes:✓ Headache Difficulty in exercise tolerance Nausea Vomiting Dizziness Fatigue Constipation Other side effects include: Diarrhea Insomnia Backache If you do have type 2 diabetes, it can cause hypoglycemic events (low glucose), especially if taking sulfonylureas like metformin. So make sure you consult your doctor before starting this kind of diet. Your glycemic control and the type of medication you’re on may affect your response to it, so don’t just jump into this kind of diet without guidance and observation from your doc. Those were just some short term effects. What about more long term effects? Fatty liver Kidney stones Mineral deficiencies LDL (bad cholesterol) might increase (which is odd because another study showed it might improve.. basically, we can’t be too sure). Questions you might ask yourself: What happens if you stay ketogenic long term? There was a study where obese participants maintained a keto diet for 24 weeks. It turns out that there were huge benefits to their BMI, total cholesterol, bad cholesterol decreased while good cholesterol increased. Blood glucose decreased too. DISCLAIMER = since the study was done among obese participants, we cannot extend these results to non-obese participants. Is this diet right for you? Any diet that can cause the before mentioned side effects is not sustainable, so if you react well or only have these for a short amount of time, then why not. You’re considering doing this diet, what should you do? Go see your doctor and get checked out. If you have any medical issues made worse with fatty meals, then a diet high in fats should probably not be adopted. If you’re an overall healthy person, should you do this diet? If you want to give it a try and see what happens, why not? If you have medical conditions, consult with your doctor first! Actually, consult with your doctor anyway whenever you’re starting a new diet. Fun fact: Did you guys know that colostrum: the first milk that is let down in breast milk, is ketogenic? This means that all newborns can survive and survive well-nourished on a ketogenic formula, but remember that colostrum production switches to regular milk production about day 4. Definitely nothing like a longer-term ketogenic diet, but still a fun fact, in my opinion.✓ Summary: Like any lifestyle change, it can be difficult to sustain this kind of diet. It is safe for otherwise healthy patients to try this type of diet from 2-3 weeks and even up to a year. Just make sure you follow up with your doctor so he can monitor you and your health while you’re on it. Also, remember that tapering OFF the diet is important. What does that mean? Don’t be keto for weeks, and suddenly start eating foods high in carbs again. Make sure you gradually transition from keto to regular diet. The bottom line is, we know the short-term effects of this type of diet, but the long-term effects are less known. Although there is good evidence to show that it is good for rapid weight loss that can be maintained for up to 2 years afterward and that it can help with glucose control in type 2 diabetics and even help reverse the diabetic nerve pain if the protein is also restricted; anything beyond that is something we just don’t know at this time, which is probably why it is not recommended by doctors.✓ Whether or not you have followed or will follow a keto diet, I hope you learned something new! If you have any questions, feel free to comment or just follow me on IG and let
