A lack of understanding has surrounded autism until recently, as the newest research has begun to shed a light on the potential causes of the disorder iconic of Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory. Autism is a spectral disorder, meaning its manifests itself in a wide variety of forms, affecting people in a several different ways. There are several genetic mutations that are thought to be associated with the neurological disease, as well as many environmental factors that play a role. As of late, researchers have identified that most of these factors are interrelated, generally resulting in zinc deficiency and/or immune system abnormalities. In turn, dysfunctional synapses in the brain can occur, leading to the impaired social interactions and unique behavioral characteristics we see in those with autism. Some of the many environmental causes identified as risk factors for autism include parental age, prenatal viral infection, maternal diabetes, pre- and perinatal stress, as well as gastrointestinal abnormalities, often called “leaky guy syndrome”.
For example, increased parental age has been shown to increase the likelihood of autism in the child. This is due to the fact that as parents age, there is an increased rate of mutation in the sperm from the father, leading to genetic mutations in the child. When a pregnant mother contracts various bacterial or viral infections there is also an increased risk of autism. Influenza, rubella, and cytomegalovirus are the most common of these infections. Maternal diabetes during pregnancy has been cited to cause a two-fold increased risk of autism in the child. In terms of stress, pregnant mothers release hormones when under stressful situations, which can cross the placenta and affect neurodevelopment of the fetus, resulting in an increased risk for autism. Lastly, several studies have listed gastrointestinal abnormalities as a risk factor for autism as many parents report digestion issues in their children affected by autism.
In addition, many skeptics argue that vaccinations may cause some sort of increased risk of autism. However, an abounding amount of research has argued the opposite: that there is no relationship between vaccines and risk of autism. Yet it seems so often we hear of new studies investigating the possible link. So my question is why are we still funding research on vaccines and autism? Is it worth the money we spend searching for a scare that has been denied by study after study? How are those that choose not to get vaccinated affecting our population and immunity as a whole? All questions quite debatable, and multi-faceted certainly, but how can we ignore the scientific evidence that ultimately says there is no link between autism and vaccination? Definitely something to think about and consider, especially for all the expecting parents out there.
Autism: Aging Parents Reflect Increasing Rates
According to CNN, Autism diagnosis rates have increased 30% in the last two years in the United States. More than ever, researchers have been attempting to find the causes and disrupted pathways that lead to the development of autism. There is a noticeable stigma surrounding autism. People have a difficult time understanding the disorder as well as handling those with it in an acceptable manner. What is causing the increase in diagnosis? What causes the disorder? There are many theories surrounding the increase in diagnosis of autism. One is the obvious theory, autism rates are actually increasing in children. I’m more on board with this theory. Other theories however are far more interesting and controversial. There are financial incentives for those diagnosed with learning disorders or autism because of government aid as well as insurance covered services. It is also believed that people push for physicians to diagnose their children with a learning disorder in order to explain them being “different”.
It is believed that many parents push for diagnoses of their children in an effort to receive financial aid or special treatment in learning environments for their child. What allows this theory to have any sort of strength is that autism is seen across a very broad spectrum. There are some extremely high functioning people who are diagnosed as autistic and you’d never know unless someone told you.
The idea that parents push for diagnoses to explain their kids being “different” is fueled by the fact that we as humans have a fundamental flaw. We don’t like being the ones to blame. If we can push the blame onto others or else push the blame onto a disorder then we will. If it explains why our child is not like everyone else’s then we can accept that fact.
The science behind autism shows that it is a neurological disorder resulting in a decrease in synaptic plasticity in areas of the brain such as the amygdala and the hippocampus. The amygdala controls fear, arousal, and other behavioral functions while the hippocampus controls learning and memory. Synaptic plasticity in autism is reduced due to malformed synapses. These synapses are held tightly together by scaffold proteins like nuerexin and neuroligin. A mutation in the mRNA that forms these proteins causes mutations rendering these proteins unable to properly perform their job. This causes synapses to no longer be held tightly together, reducing the activity of the synapse and thus its synaptic plasticity. The risk of mutation in these proteins is increased with the age of the parents at age on conception, primarily the father’s.
It has been found that paternal mutations in offspring occur at higher rates than those from the maternal side. De novo mutations (mutations that form throughout someone’s life and are passed down to their offspring causing genetic mutations, however, don’t cause a condition in the parent) increase in men at an exponential rate once they’ve reached 30 years old. It is estimated that the total number of mutations in a man will double in about 16.5 years, once they’ve reached 30 years old. These findings suggest age as a primary factor leading to the development of autism in offspring.
Though I have primarily covered age as a cause for increased rates of autism, this is not the only cause. Environmental factors such as stress during pregnancy, viral infections in the mother during pregnancy, and Zn2+ deficiencies have all been found to be a possible cause of autism.
I personally believe that age is one of the most easily avoidable causes of autism. The younger you are as a parent, the better chance you have of not conceiving a child with autism. As education beyond high school is growing, people are starting careers before they start families. People are having children at older ages and autism rates are reflecting this. However, I am not naïve enough to believe this is the only cause given what science has uncovered thus far.
Until next time,
Sebastian
You Are What You Eat: Early Life Diet and Obesity Risk
Obesity and sedentary behaviors are commonly viewed as a reflection of cultures with widespread availability of cheap high-calorie and high-fat foods, often in developed countries like the U.S. Behavioral patterns of overeating are often viewed as a conscious choice, but research has found that consistent food choices may lead to hard-wired obesity predisposition, particularly through prenatal and early life exposure to high-fat and high-calorie diets. Obesity may be a series of poor choices that lead to permanent brain changes that impact not only the obese individual but also the development and fate of their children. Perhaps not only you, but also your children, are what you eat.
Over-nutrition in prenatal and early life diets has been found to cause brain abnormalities that predispose children to obesity and development of cognitive and memory impairments. Numerous studies using mice models have revealed alarming impacts from high-fat diets both in utero and during the weaning (nursing) period. Pregnant female mice on high-fat diets during pregnancy and weaning resulted in offspring that were hyper-insulemic and hyper-leptinemic. Offspring were also heavier at birth and remained heavier during the weaning period.
High-fat diets increase resistance to leptin, an important hormone involved in sending signals to the brain to stop eating. Leptin acts on receptors in the hypothalamus to inhibit hunger signals. Leptin resistance impairs food-reward-related brain signaling, so individuals have a higher food intake threshold they need to reach in order to feel satisfied. The hypothalamus is the area of the brain involved in hunger drives. Excessive feeding in early life leads to hypothalamic dysfunction, which intensifies eating drive into adulthood, resulting in weight gain. Insulin is a hormone that allows your body to use glucose from food to provide energy for cells. High-fat diets lead to insulin resistance, predisposing children to early development of type II diabetes.
High-fat diets can also induce local pro-apoptotic (cell death) signaling in the hippocampus. Reduced hippocampal size in obesity may accelerate later life cognitive impairment and potentially increase the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. The hippocampus is an area of the brain vital for cognition, learning, processing of short to long term memory, spatial navigation, as well as emotions. A poorly developed or damaged hippocampus results in a reduction in executive functioning and attention, decreasing global functioning and lower IQ.
Impacts of Maternal and Paternal Obesity on Childhood Brain development
Maternal obesity during pregnancy reduces production of hippocampal BDNF, an important regulator of neuronal development survival, memory and cognitive ability; it also suppresses food intake. BDNF levels are reduced by inflammatory cytokines. Production of inflammatory cytokines is increased in obese individuals, leading to impaired hippocampal function by decreasing levels of important regulators like BDNF. Genetic obesity is also linked to reduced hippocampal BDNF expression and increased cytokine expression and hippocampal inflammation.
There are also paternal connections to obesity predisposition. A mice study revealed fathers who were obese at the time of conception can pass on obesity predisposition to their children and the next generation. Obese male mice were mated with normal diet and normal weight females. Analysis of microRNAs in the sperm of the obese fathers revealed that high-fat diet changes the molecular makeup of sperm, which program embryos for increased risk of obesity.
What does this mean?
Essentially, when children’s brains develop in an environment of excess nutrition, the brain needs that same level of nutrition to feel satisfied. High-fat diets during prenatal and postnatal development as well as genetic influences from the mother and father have drastic effects on a child’s ability to eat properly and function normally. The brain may be hard-wired for high-fat diets, increasing the likelihood of developing obesity. Obesity not only affects physical functioning, but has stark impacts on cognitive abilities as well. Children exposed to high-fat diets may have reductions in executive functioning and attention, decreased global functioning and lower IQ’s.
What can we do?
Unfortunately, prenatal and early life over-nutrition is an issue that cannot be solved simply by telling people to eat healthier. Accessibility to healthy food varies due to factors such as socioeconomic status. Foods high in fat, salt, and preservatives are cheaper than fruits and vegetables, and those of lower SES face the dilemma of letting their family go hungry or feeding them unhealthy food. As research in the realm of obesity continues, a greater call to action is needed to change the food system by which our country is built around, which is no easy task. But how long are we willing to sacrifice the bodies and brains of our children before we make a change?
Sources:
Female mice research article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2671057/
Male mice research article:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-07/foas-odp071113.php
Are we predisposed to being obese?
Common convention has each of us believing that being overweight or obese as a sign of being lazy, apathetic, or even just slovenly. When we walk down the street and see an individual who is severely overweight, we tend to pass judgment without a second thought. We automatically assume that they don’t care, eat everything in sight, refuse to exercise, and pretty much don’t care. Here is a shocker; maybe it’s not that simple! There are so many more factors involved with being overweight that we don’t even know to think about. There are many factors that play a role in obesity, but for this post I will focus mainly on genetic predisposition, pre-birth factors, and most importantly for us in America, our food policies.
Lets take a look at the first two, genetic predisposition and pre-birth factors. There is not one individual in the world that is able to control either of these, but both have strong impacts on our lives – the great nature or nurture debate. Some things I didn’t know prior were for example the importance of leptin. Leptin is a hormone that is secreted to tell us we are full, and the gene is located on chromosome 7. The way it works is it binds to Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and inhibits its actions. NPY is the peptide that causes fat growth and increases our food intake. A decrease in leptin increases our weight. Well then, why is there a decrease in leptin? If your dad was overweight when you were created is one factor. Poor diet in men has been shown to change the molecular make up of the semen in mice leading to overweight offspring. If that’s not enough to question what we already thought, how about looking at the mother. Pregnant rats on a restricted diet had the remaining nutrition supplemented by either a high carbohydrate or high fat diet. Not surprisingly, the high fat offspring were heavier at birth. Surprisingly, the high carb babies had a higher level of NPY. Over 20 weeks, the high carb rats surpassed the other rats in weight, fat, and fell behind in metabolism.
Our food policies and regulations tend not to be regulatory regarding content of the food, but rather making sure everyone has food. Take a look at our school lunch programs, where the main factors are not necessarily what is on the plate, but making sure everyone has a plate. The regulatory agencies such as the FDA approve anything that meats the safety standard, but not much else. It was only a few years ago that trans fats were removed from public diets. The amount of calories are very seldom regulated, and the nutritional content is definitely not regulated more than just identifying what is in there. Take for example this video showing Irish people trying American snacks, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vjd4YtAImM. It clearly shows how we have conditioned our culture to accept anything. And you never know, it may tie into how we as individuals become addicted to the things like simple sugars and fats.
So is obesity a neurological or biological disease. I wish the answer is as simple yes or no. What I just finished writing about only scratches the surface of obesity. There are factors that are definitely within our control that I didn’t mention, such as exercise, consciously choosing foods that are healthier for us, and remaining educated about all the factors involved.
Source:
https://moodle.cord.edu/pluginfile.php/390940/mod_resource/content/0/obesity%20a%20brain%20disease.pdf
Obesity Epidemic: Pointing Fingers, But Is It Really Their Fault?
Obesity has been high up on the discussion topics list lately, as an “obesity epidemic” is taking over America. I believe that the term “epidemic” is an appropriate description for the enormous rise in obesity, including that of children, which we are seeing in the United States. Obese people have a higher risk of heart disease, depression, sleep apnea, cancer and/or diabetes. A large number of obese adolescents plus an increasingly high number of obese adults equals an extremely high number of people who are at a high risk of getting one or all of these illnesses. So what is being done about this “epidemic”? There has been talk of mandating a ban on foods that are bad for people, as well as the ever-popular recommendation that an obese person just needs to eat better and exercise. But would either of these options have an effect? Some say no, absolutely not. Recent research may indicate that obesity is not something that can necessarily be controlled but in fact is a brain disorder.
Studies have shown the negative consequences of a high fat diet on subjects including weight gain, insulin resistance, inflammation of the hypothalamus, increased oxidative stress in the brain, decreased volume of the hippocampus and leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone created by fat cells and controls the amount of fat stored in the body by suppressing appetite (hunger). Drawing your attention to insulin and leptin, these two molecules are responsible for making sure we know to stop eating when we are full. When there is a resistance to these two molecules, which is found to be the case in obese people, there is an absence of the signal telling them they are no longer hungry. This leads to a continued cycle of overconsumption and resistance.
In addition to this type of scientific research, there are also studies which investigate the genetic aspects of leptin, the reward pathway in the brain and the blood brain barrier. The genetic aspects of leptin have to do with the gene that encodes for leptin not being produced; therefore a person has the feeling of being continually hungry. With regard to the reward pathway, research has shown that if there is not enough dopamine released into the brain it is more difficult to achieve the “satisfaction” level of eating. Finally, with regard to the blood brain barrier, triglycerides can disrupt the blood brain barrier to the point where leptin and insulin cannot cross its boundaries. I discussed earlier the effects of the resistance of leptin and insulin.
This research that exists is essentially saying that obesity is a brain disorder and not just an outcome of an unhealthy lifestyle, but do you buy it?
Personally, I do to a certain extent. Prior to reading this paper I was the type of person who believed a person was obese solely due to their lifestyle choices. After having read information and research studies suggesting there is a clinical and/or genetic abnormality potentially at play here, my opinions have changed. There are definitely neurological factors that contribute to extensive eating and the inability to reach the point of satisfaction when consuming food. This has caused me to believe that in reality, being obese is not completely the person’s fault. I think of obesity as a habit that is hard to break, like for instance smoking. Obese people have neurological responses they have to work against to achieve a healthy lifestyle and in no way will I dispute that breaking this “habit” would be anything but extremely hard. On the other hand, I still believe that there are certain things that an individual can do to decrease their risk. I understand that obtaining a healthy lifestyle is very difficult but I still do believe/hope that some are willing to work extremely hard to avoid obesity and its consequences. I also believe that exposing children from a young age to healthy eating and exercising will better instill a lifelong habit of good health. Once bad habits start and are continuous, it is a hard to recover.
Although the debate still exists as to whether or not obesity is due to lifestyle choices or caused by a brain disorder, there is no question we are experiencing an “obesity epidemic” here in America and something needs to be done to combat it.
Picture obtained from: http://obesityinamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/map_tape.jpg
Rehab for High Fat Addiction
The obesity rate in America has been a hot topic recently. Why are so many Americans overweight, and what can we do to find a solution to the issue? Is the simple fix we need to eat healthier and exercise? Well yes that is definitely the solution to the issue, but scientists have been finding that this solution may not be as easy it sounds.
Studies have found that a high fat diet and overeating can have tremendous effects on the brain. These effects can cause people to become as addicted to eating as other individuals are addicted to smoking. So the idea of eating less is not a simple feat for individuals who suffer from obesity to the point of having brain altering affects. So what causes this addiction to a high fat diet? Well when a normal person eats their body releases dopamine and this triggers a positive response in the brain letting your brain know that your body is happy with the amount of food it got. When an obese person eats less dopamine is released so they are not as satisfied with the amount of food they ate. In order to compensate for this issue they eat more and more until they get the same satisfaction from dopamine that a regular person would get. Imagine only getting half the satisfaction you normally get every time you eat a scoop of ice cream. I would end up eating more too.
A high fat diet and obesity can have many more effects on the brain besides addiction. It can also cause inflammation in areas and decreased volumes in other areas that can lead to many cognitive issues. A few studies have shown that the average IQ of overweight students was lower than that of normal weight students.
So what measures can we make to reduce obesity in America? The most important is to start a healthy lifestyle at a young age. That’s right parents, like most things in this world it’s time for you to step up and save the day. From the point of conception until the time when children can make their own choices, what type of diet they consume determines how their body will react to their diet as they get older. So all those warnings about what pregnant women should eat has entirely new implications to it. Eating a balanced homemade meal with your children and making them stay at the table until they eat every last pea instead of giving them those tasty chicken nuggets at McDonald’s is one of the greatest way to decrease obesity. Although some of obesity may be genetic and hard to control, a majority of it is environmental and can be controlled. So making healthy life choices for your children can be the best way to ensure a healthier future for them.
Obesity: Society’s Uneducated Lack of Willpower
Obesity: Society’s Uneducated Lack of Willpower
As a future medical professional, I observe obesity as a plague that is causing dire consequences for our citizens. Obesity can be associated with a wide variety of medical complications that are often fatal such as heart disease, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), stress on other organs such as the liver and kidney, as well as diabetes. Treating these conditions requires long-term maintenance because they are chronic in nature and do not simply go away with treatment. This creates a spiraling abysmal money pit that continually drains insurance dollars of hardworking Americans.
While the solution to this problem would have been to manage weight in the first place by maintaining a healthy diet and exercising (as every damn good physician should tell you) such that these conditions never arose, if for some reason you happen to enter the realm of obesity, the best measure of correction would be to lose the weight in attempt to correct some of the ensuing problems. Better management of weight and healthy diet would almost undoubtedly prevent many of the complications that face medical professionals today. And as a result, we could certainly lessen the economic burden created by patients with these chronic weight-related conditions.
Not only is obesity an economically destructive force, it also manages to psychologically demolish patients by causing depression in addition to the clinical problems with which it is associated. I understand that as one gains weight, it becomes increasingly harder to gain the motivation to eat healthily and exercise regularly. This unfortunately is a feedback loop that often renders the patient helpless as their weight gain makes exercising painful or more difficult which then leads to further weight gain. So how then do we break this loop in order to avoid the seemingly inevitable downfall to which obesity leads?
My answer to this question is pure willpower. During my sophomore year of college, a stressful class load and poor personal choices lead to eating many late night meals and excess amounts of calories in the form of junk food and pizza. I will admit these were delicious, but they caused me to gain 20 pounds over the course of the year. Once summer rolled around, I recognized that I would soon be significantly overweight if I continued at the same pace. While it was quite difficult, my desire to maintain a healthy weight in order to avoid medical complications of weight gain in my future motivated me to lose the weight. I began eating healthier and also began a regular running routine. By the end of the summer (a mere three months), I had lose 17, and like magic, I was pretty much back down to my previous weight.
There is current scientific debate as to whether obesity is truly a disease that is regulated by our body’s internal chemistry that overrides our abilities to make personal choices. Interestingly, two hormones, insulin and another called leptin, work in conjunction to control and limit our appetite. In the brain, a molecule called neuropeptide y (NPY) is released between neurons and creates signals that tell us that we are hungry. The molecule leptin works to block NPY and therefore helps to suppress our inherent chemical desire to eat food. Unfortunately, if leptin is not working correctly, it is possible that we continually feel the need to eat which leads to overeating and obesity. As this happens, resistance to insulin can occur possibly resulting in Type II diabetes (acquired diabetes) or the inability to remove sugars from the bloodstream.
But this hormonal signaling process is normal. Obviously, it is important that our body recognizes the need for energy and continually oscillates between offering signals of “hungry” and “no need for energy.” It is possible that these hormones are incorrectly balanced either through over/underproduction or by increased natural resistance in patients that are obese. Certainly, there are cases in which hormonal imbalances either by destruction of part of the brain (perhaps during surgery) or a genetic predisposition could result in extreme dysregulation of our eating patterns. These cases could result in uncontrollable eating that leads to obesity, but these occurrences are rare at best.
The majority of obese people, even if there are slight shifts in hormone production still have the secondary defense called willpower. People know that they should eat healthily and exercise more often, but the fact of the matter is that these tasks take significant effort to implement into our daily lives. Often, we are too lazy to take care of ourselves and act responsibly in making the choices that we do. Even if we do have slight hormonal imbalances that tell us to devour a delicious and heaping plate of food, our unique human ability to override our animalistic instincts and refrain from doing so must activate at some point in order to maintain a healthy weight.
I hope that you have the willpower to prevent yourself from gaining weight, and if not I certainly hope you have the willpower to lose the weight once you do reach obesity. To be blunt, there is nothing good that comes out of being obese. Not only does the risk for a whole slew of medical complications increase dramatically, but there is an economic and social burden placed on the individual as well as the society that must support this person. As a conqueror of weight gain myself, I challenge all that are afflicted with this internal conflict of defeating obesity to dig deep within and find the willpower necessary to overcome any possible stereotypes or chemical dispositions that cowardly excuse you and prevent you from attaining a healthy lifestyle.
Use your brain, and be healthy. It is as simple as that. Don’t let anything else stand in your way.
Final thoughts on obesity written by Steven Dotzler
Obesity: Can We Blame It on the Brain?
Obesity is an epidemic in this country, and it doesn’t appear to be “slowing down” any time soon. Yes, we have made efforts to make people more aware of the dangerous health-effects and ways to include healthy eating and exercise into our lives, but we still eat the full-of-fat food and make the excuse that it takes too much time to work out. Sometimes – in this fast-paced world – it seems like there is nothing we can do; we’re going to become overweight whether we like it or not. But recent research has actually shown that might actually be true. There are actually changes going on in the brain of someone who is struggling with obesity. Could it be that obesity is actually a brain disease, and there is nothing we can do to stop it?
In the brain, there are certain receptors that regulate appetite. Leptin and insulin are two neurotransmitters that either activate or inhibit these receptors. They both activate a certain receptor called POMC, which in turn inhibits another receptor called MCH. The inhibition of the MCH receptor ultimately suppresses appetite and says “I’m full.” Leptin and insulin also help inhibit another receptor called NPY. When NPY is NOT inhibited, it activates MCH and tells the body it is still hungry and needs to keep eating. Leptin and insulin help to prevent that. Sometimes though, there are mutations or deletions of the genes that regulate leptin, which can cause a person to be more likely to become overweight since the “full signal” never gets processed. In addition, in obesity, the brain physically changes. Some parts, like the hippocampus are smaller in size, and there is inflammation of the hypothalamus. That satisfaction from eating is also disrupted, and much like an addiction, those that are obese require more and more food to get that satisfied and full feeling, which eventually creates a vicious cycle. Other factors – like foods you eat when you are young and how much sleep you get – influence risk obesity as well. In addition to the usual health risks associated with being overweight, there also seems to be a correlation between weight and cognitive function. Those that are more overweight have less cognitive function than those at a healthy weight.
I, however, do not completely back the “obesity is a brain disease” idea. Although those that are genetically predisposed to becoming overweight will likely have more difficulties trying to maintain a healthy weight, I do believe that it is possible to overcome that predisposition. Although it may be extremely difficult to break that cycle in the brain that is very similar to addiction, it is possible. Just like a drug addict may spend years of his/her life trying to quit, it is possible for them to do so. The choices aren’t easy and there may be relapses, but in the end, it is something that person can achieve. I believe it is the same with obesity. Yes, the genetic components and how your parents raised you may start you off on the wrong foot, but ultimately you are making choices to eat that Big Mac or watch another hour of TV instead of going for a run. Your brain might make it more difficult to make the healthy choices, but it’s not that you have no free will. Now I’m not saying that the brain doesn’t have any effect. It is definitely harder for some people to lose weight than others, but we can’t point the finger at the brain and say obesity is entirely its fault. Our decisions on what food we eat, how much we exercise, and how we raise our children all play important roles in this huge battle that America faces.
The Chicken, Egg, or Obesity?
In the controversial documentary, “Super Size Me”, the film director, Morgan Spurlock demonstrates the risks of consuming fast foods over a month’s time. For many, the documentary is memorable for the amount of weight Spurlock gains, in such a short time span, in order to prove a point to society about the dangers of the foods we consume. Besides weight, Spurlock’s blood pressure and cholesterol rise, and his nutritionist warns him of what might happen if he continues on with this path, such as cardiac rest. Yet, many look at the documentary in disgust for what he is putting into his body, but in reality many of us participate in these habits monthly, if not weekly. Spurlock brought attention to some of the problems that can occur with unhealthy eating, yet, many have not changed their eating habits after being shown the risks. Even after dealing with obesity related diseases, such as Type II Diabetes and heart problems, many people neglect the fact that they need to loose weight, eat healthier, and exercise. However, the debate has now become whether or not it is the person’s fault for the weight gain or if there is an actual predisposition, along with other factors, that contribute to the difficulty of losing weight and staying healthy.
In a country as well developed as the United States, there are many diseases and illnesses that are fairly under control. However, the United States is notorious for its obesity problem and in fact has the greatest obesity rate in the world. When a person is obese they have a higher risk of having gallstones, Type II Diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, coronary artery disease (CAD), a stroke, and sleep apnea. With obesity increasing exponentially, much research is being done to look for preventative measures to help stop this epidemic. However, we live in an economy that believes in the fast pace way of life, which means, we take more tasks on than fits into a regular day, we skip sleep to complete these tasks, and grab quick, unhealthy meals so that our hunger does not slow us down. Corporations and businesses have adjusted to this lifestyle by creating simple and fast meals, but in order to do so, have compromised nutritional value. As a result, our fast pace lifestyles may actually be contributing to our own health problems.
It is typical for the average adult American to be sleep deprived, overstressed, and have bad eating habits. Sleep deprivation has been suggested as a possible link to the increase in obesity in our society. As we try to utilize every last minute of the day, we are draining our body’s resources. When we get into these bad sleep habits, our body begins to make less of a protein called Leptin that controls our hunger and tells us when to stop eating. This hormone is created in the adipose cells, fat cells, of our bodies. When leptin is released from these cells, it sends a signal to the brain telling us that we aren’t hungry anymore by inhibiting a signaling molecule called neuropeptide Y (NPY). When leptin is down regulated in sleep-deprived people, it can lead to overeating and eventually obesity. Lack of sleep also begins to up-regulate Ghrelin, the “hunger hormone”. This hormone gives us the “hungry” signal that we associate with an empty stomach. When we are sleep-deprived we are also more likely to grab a caffeinated beverage that many times contains high amounts of sugar, we are less likely to want to exercise, and as we increase the number of hours we are awake each day we are likely to eat more.
Studies have shown that women who get 5 or less hours of sleep each night are more likely to be obese and children who lose an hour or more of sleep at night are 50% more likely to have problems with weight later on in life. These studies have also shown that mother’s who consume high fat diets while pregnant are more likely to have children who have a higher concentration of NPY. This increase in NPY causes more leptin to be needed to tell us that we are not hungry, which can lead to overeating and obesity. Besides sleep and eating habits, stress can make it hard for us to lose weight. When we are stressed from things such as work and kids, we tend to become “emotional eaters”. This extra caloric intake can lead to higher levels of NPY making it hard to control our hunger.
The question now becomes whether a predisposition to these high fat foods and the typical American lifestyle leads to obesity or if it is something that is learned throughout life? Is the prevention of obesity all about will power? It is hard to say what came first the chicken, the egg, or obesity, but one thing is clear, helping to reduce the number of obese people in the United States could potentially save the economy billions of dollars in health costs each year. With research underway to find the links with obesity and to define whether or not it is a brain disorder, there is hope for a better future for America’s people. I think one thing is clear, the faster we stop what is considered this “preventable” disease known as obesity, the faster we can begin focusing on diseases affecting societies worldwide, such as Ebola, Malaria, and malnutrition. By preventing our overconsumption, perhaps we can help those who don’t have the resources, such as food, to survive.
References:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/tc/obesity-health-risks-of-obesity
http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=4b900df9-b736-49e5-bf60-f1d6d820ab13%40sessionmgr198&hid=107&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=aph&AN=92905302
Obesity and the Blame Game
Obesity is a major problem in these here United States. Our “microwave society” and “fast food lifestyle” have made eating awful “foods” and exercising little all too common. There are many excuses society makes for obesity: genetics, big bones, society pressures, stress-eating, and so on. The paper we read in Neurochemistry class this week may have just given people another thing to blame…
…the brain…
Yes, the brain’s signaling is linked to the development and maintenance of obesity. Factors that contribute to developing the signaling of the brain that can continue the cycle of overeating high caloric food include prenatal and postnatal food environments, inflammatory responses of the body, increased insulin levels, and genetic predispositions. One of the most interesting of these factors is the prenatal environment. High caloric intake of a mother during the prenatal period can lead to the offspring’s preference of high caloric foods. Inflammatory responses in the brain can be caused by overeating and may contribute to the further signals to overeat.
All of the above factors cause the brain to signal the reward pathways more and thus contribute to the sensation of wanting more food. The article calls the brain’s processing in obesity a “biological trap” since regardless of the initial trigger, excessive eating ends up being a circular pathway that worsens itself. Even structural changes can be seen in brains of obese people, and cognitive function has been shown to be decreased as well.
…But…
In all of this… reward pathways, maternal womb environment, genetic factors, inflammation… we are not helpless beings prone to do whatever our brains tell us to do whenever they say so. We are humans who make choices and can overpower even our natural or self-made tendencies. Rather than a brain disease, I see obesity as an addiction.
Addictions are hard to deal with and hard to stop (try taking away my coffee for a day), but they are not impossible to overcome. There are some real-life brain signals and crazy firing of the reward pathways going on with any addiction. This does not mean that a person must always be at the every whim of his or her addiction….
The brain’s crazy circular pathway, snowball effect of firing that comes with addictions definitely gives people room to talk about how hard it is to lose weight or how they are predisposed to obesity (think similar to alcoholism… some people are more prone to alcohol addiction). BUT that does not mean we can place all the blame on our brains. We must own up to the fact that we need help and we must get that help and make a change. So yes, blame your brain for its messed up signals and then get off the couch and eat a salad.
The article referenced: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763413001863
Image from: http://www.tastespotting.com/detail/227314/Santorini-Summer-Salad-Tofu-Feta-Recipe