The Healthy Blogger

New uses for fat cells – stem cell research, breast augmentation

Stem cell research has always been a controversial subject, especially in the US.  One of the big reasons is the use of aborted fetuses for these purposes.  And abortion is a touchy issue.  Obesity is also a touchy issue, but in a different way.  Whereas, there are personal, religious, emotive forces behind the pros and cons of abortion, no one would ever argue that obesity is a good thing.  However, those who are obese may feel some powerful negative connotations that are degrading.

Given that, it might be good news to these people that scientists have found that they can create stem cell lines more efficiently with adipose tissues.  Since one-third of Americans are classified as overweight or obese, scientists will have more than adequate resources from which to make stem cells.  Should further research reveal that these adipose tissues can be harvested from people and be used towards research and development of cures for numerous medical diseases, then the negative connotations may be turned into something more positive. 

Obese people who donate their fat cells may be hailed as heroes to those suffering from chronic medical problems who are awaiting cures.  Furthermore, the donation of those cells may help them lose some of their weight, thereby reducing their health risks.  It seems to be a win-win situation for all if it develops that future stem cell research will be focused on using adipose tissue.

In other news, scientists are looking at using women’s own fat tissue from various body parts to be used in breast augmentation.  Sounds like it would be a lot safer than saline/silicone alternatives.  Not only that, it can help reshape a woman’s figure.  Though I am no advocate for breast augmentation, I think the idea is a good one.  I’d prefer it if my body could redistribute the fat that way naturally.

Tricks to curb your appetite

Obesity is such a BIG problem these days – no pun intended – that you hear about different tricks to curb your appetite and to lose weight.  Many are considered old wives’ tales, but if it is not dangerous, there’s nothing to lose.

For example, many of us were probably admonished by our parents for gulping down food too quickly.  I know parents are concerned about kids choking and all, but there may be more to it than just that.  It can be painful to swallow big bites of food without chewing properly.  But the chewing process is important for other reasons.  As you chew, your mouth releases many digestive enzymes.  These enzymes work to break down the food, but they also help to keep your teeth and gums clean.  When the food enters your stomach, there is less work for it to do.  Not only that, the stomach releases its own hormones to stimulate the brain and tell it that the body is hungry.  While you are chewing, these hormones are gradually suppressed so that your brain senses it is no longer hungry.  It means you eat less.  Unless you are one of those who likes to gorge even after your stomach is bulgingly full.  (I’ll admit I can be like that with some foods.)

Scientists are continually searching for the hunger triggers to try to find ways to combat the ever-growing problem of obesity.  They have now found another interesting trick to curb your appetite.  It appears that blending your food into a thick soup serves to keep your stomach satisfied longer, thereby, decreasing the chances that you will reach for those calorie-laden snacks to keep you going until dinner time.  In their research, they found that those who ate a solid meal, washing it down with water, remained satisfied for a shorter period than their counterparts who had the same meal (combined with the water) pureed into a soup.  The idea behind it is that the thick soup takes longer to be digested in the stomach, so it remains longer.  Water does not take any time to be digested, so it goes through the digestive tract quickly, while the solid food remains in the stomach.  However, if the water is combined into the soup, it remains in the stomach.

Sounds very interesting because it goes back to the previous tenet that chewing your food longer can help curb your appetite.  It may sound counter-intuitive since the soup and the well-chewed food would appear to take less time to be digested; therefore, you would get hungry quicker.  According to the research, the soup takes up more volume than the meal, once the water was washed away.  As for our old wives’ tale, it is a matter of timing.  It takes time for the stomach to send signals to the brain, telling it is satiated.  When you gulp your food, you do not allow your stomach time to do this.  Whereas, if you chew carefully and take your time, your stomach is able to send a signal to your brain in time. 

The stretching of the stomach also plays a role in obesity.  Those who eat a lot (such as those who inhale their food) stretch out their stomachs, such that it requires the same amount or more for the stomach to recognise that it is full.  This is the basis behind the stomach stapling surgery.  It intends to curb your appetite by making your stomach smaller.  For those who want to do it naturally, you simply cut back a little at a time until your stomach shrinks.  This is not the same as anorexics who abruptly cut back on their food intake.  That can be dangerous.  Weight loss of any kind should be done with the supervision of a doctor, as changes in your body may be detrimental to your health.

Exercise and antioxidants

An interesting health article today discussed vitamins and exercise.  Though experts are always urging us to eat a well-balanced diet in order to receive all our daily nutrients without the use of supplements, it is not an easy task.  I know people who eat healthy, but I really don’t know anyone who eats everything that is recommended in order to get all their vitamins and minerals.  Most of us are set in our ways as far as diet is concerned, with very little variation in our meals.  When the diet consists of the same thing day after day, it is likely that many nutrients are missing and many others are in excess.

I had never heard of people taking vitamins, especially C and E, after exercising in order to reduce what’s called “oxidative stress”.  This oxidative stress is created by harmful chemicals, called “free radicals”, which are released when we exercise.  Free radicals are believed to cause cancer and heart disease, amongst other things.  Vitamins C and E are antioxidants, which block these free radicals and protect the body from its damage.  Interesting, logical concepts, though I had never heard about doing this.

But scientists have now found that antioxidants after exercising may not be good.  Apparently, these free radicals can reduce the risk of diabetes by increasing insulin sensitivity.  Most diabetes caused by obesity is related to insulin insentivity.  That is, the body cannot respond to insulin, so the blood sugars remain elevated.  Muscles, when they respond to insulin, take glucose up and use that as energy.  When they don’t respond, the muscles have to use other sources of energy.  Antioxidants block these good effects of free radicals.

As always in health, there is a delicate balance that needs to be preserved.  Vitamins are good, but they should not be taken in excess.  The study highlights some negative effects of vitamins, but it only talked about vitamins taken after exercising.  There was no comment about its effects if taken at other times.  Will it help protect against free radicals in cancer and heart disease or harmful in diabetes?  Also, it did not discuss threshold levels that can help or harm.

Benefits of breastfeeding

New mothers have always been encouraged to try breastfeeding.  Among the many traditional benefits cited for breastfeeding is the ability to quickly shed that excess weight from pregnancy.  Of course, it is believed that all women are vain enough to induce them to lose weight by breastfeeding.  I breastfed my babies, but it was not because of the weight loss issue.  The most I ever weighed during pregnancy was 116 lbs. so it was not a big issue.  Breastfeeding was easy and enjoyable.  It created a bond that I feel could not have been accomplished by other means.  I loved it and wished I could have done it longer.  My first one I breastfed until she was eleven months, but the second was for only six months due to my developing mastitis.  Of course, I had to supplement during both.

Besides the emotional and psychological benefits of breastfeeding, there are numerous health benefits.  Breast milk is supposed to contain natural antibodies to protect babies from infections.  In addition, it is purported to protect babies from obesity (a major issue these days and this finding may change), diabetes, and asthma.  Some claim that breastfed babies are smarter but intelligence is hard to measure.  For women, breastfeeding produces extra hormones that protect against breast and ovarian cancer as well as osteoporosis.  Now research shows that breastfeeding may protect against heart disease and strokes.

The research, done by the University of Pittsburgh was based on surveys of 140,000 postmenopausal women.  It shows that the benefits of breastfeeding lasted even up to 35 years out from the last episode of breastfeeding.  Of course, there is a graduated level of benefit, with those breastfeeding for at least a year showing the highest advantage, but even one month of breastfeeding conferred some benefits.  Despite these wonderful findings, one needs to be careful how to interpret the data.  Perhaps there are other underlying factors that play a role.  After all, a 35-year lapse opens up many possibilities.  What about the women who breastfed and died?  There are no statistics on them.  Perhaps the next step should be a prospective study of women who breastfeed and those who do not.  They should be followed forward in time to see what they die of and when.

Despite the weaknesses in the study, there are the other benefits of breastfeeding to consider.  Those already known should be enough to encourage women to consider breastfeeding.

Alcohol and the beer belly

Recently, it was announced that many food outlets will start displaying calorie counters on their menus. Now, it appears that the government would like to make drinkers aware of the calorie count in alcoholic drinks. Whether or not they will start demanding that the labelling includes the calorie count is not known.

The campaign aims to focus not just on the health risks but on the weight risks. Though much has been said about alcohol being “empty calories”, it appears that most people are either not aware of what this means or they choose to ignore it. Simply, it means that alcohol is loaded with calories without any other nutritive value. There is a reason that people refer to that paunch as “the beer belly”. The Know Your Limits campaign performed a survey which revealed that many people were unaware of the calorie contents of their alcoholic drinks. For example, a pint of beer is equal in calories to a doughnut, or a glass of wine is equal to a slice of cake.

Focusing on the health risks has not deterred people from drinking, so will focusing on calories and weight do it? It seems unlikely, since obese people are not deterred from eating all those fatty foods. Of course, campaigners argue that drinkers also eat unhealthy foods and this new awareness may change some of their eating habits. If it does, perhaps they can come up with some new ideas on how to curb the eating habits of those who are obese and consume enormous amounts of fat and cholesterol.

Can calorie count combat obesity?

Many food outlets have agreed to display calorie counters on their menus. This is in response to the public asking for more information about what they are eating. I like the idea, though I wonder how much good it will actually do.

A recent survey of the British public found that about two-thirds of the people are not changing their diets despite all the information about cancer associated with unhealthy eating. Now, I doubt that all of these people already eat healthily, therefore, they need not worry about changing their diets. A good proportion of those interviewed would rather stick their heads in the sands and ignore the warnings about cancer, and another good proportion claim they are not very informed about health risks. I find it hard to believe that they would not have some idea that unhealthy eating can lead to cancer. Everyday, there seems to be yet another new article related to food and cancer. In fact, it appears that the public is inundated with these scare articles. I think more people would like to pretend they don’t know, perhaps out of fear.

Knowing this, I wonder if it will really deter people from choosing a menu item that is loaded with calories. Having that information is very useful; but will the public make use of it in order to make better decisions regarding their diet? At least obese people can no longer use the excuse that they must have a medical problem because they only eat healthy foods. An honest diet diary can reveal how many calories they are actually ingesting in a day. It will make them sit up and take stock when they add up all those cheeseburgers and pizzas.

Diabetes linked to inadequate sleep

The dangers of inadequate sleep have been stressed by scientists, but it seems that doctors do not discuss the risks with their patients as much as warning them against alcohol and cigarettes or advising on diet and exercise. This may be because many doctors themselves have lack of sleep and see it as a normal part of daily life.

Anyhow, for several years now, it has been pointed out that inadequate sleep, which some people had assumed would make them lose weight, actually caused weight gain. It is the same with stress. Though at some point in the past people had associated weight loss with stress, the reverse is now becoming true. As obesity becomes more pervasive, it just seems that it enters into every aspect of daily living. Because of this tendency to gain weight, researchers have found that those who do not get adequate sleep are at risk of developing pre-diabetes, or impaired fasting glucose, a state where the body makes excessive insulin but the body is not responding to it. There are many theories, and one is that the body makes insulin in response to stress and insulin is known to cause weight gain.

The study set the limit on sleep at six hours, which is less than the previously recommended eight hours, which many of us are struggling to get every night. So, besides all the dangers of fatigue and lack of concentration due to inadequate sleep, now everyone needs to be warned about the dangers of developing diabetes. Will the bad news ever end?

The burden of obesity

I like to keep emphasising healthy dieting (not dieting to lose weight, necessarily, but just eating right) and exercise in order to maintain a healthy weight. I am guilty of not always following this lecture, but when you have been good, you can allow yourself an occasional treat. Though I will also admit that I can overindulge. I have been fortunate in my life that I have never been overweight. When I did come close, I was busy exercising.

Unfortunately, many people out there are not as lucky. In fact, if statistics are to be believed, most people out there are not. The rise in obesity and its complications has led to commensurate rises in health care costs. It has put a significant burden on medical care, both in financial and physical terms. Excessive time, money and effort are being put into programs to prevent and treat obesity and its many medical consequences, such as diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, arthritis, etc.

As a result, there are many others who are complaining about the money being spent on obesity. Take for example, Amanda Platell’s view that obesity is not a disease but the result of slovenly behaviour, which includes overeating and under-exercising. She acknowledges that a few have medical conditions that can cause obesity, but she is ranting against the others who are abusing the NHS by doing nothing to help themselves. While she does have a point, there are others who argue that they pay their taxes, so they deserve the help when they need it.

My argument is that they should have cried out for help when they were not too far gone. The best medicine is always prevention, but when you’ve gotten beyond that point, something else needs to be done. Unfortunately, most people only decide that they need help when they can no longer take two steps without panting. Or, when their joints start acting up. Even when they’ve already developed high blood pressure, high blood sugar or high cholesterol levels, they still do not listen to the advice of doctors to diet and exercise. Many people would rather have a quick fix-it. “Just give me a pill, doc.” They don’t even understand that these pills can interact and cause so many side effects. If any negative consequences result, they go after the doctor. Many would say that if it were not for these people, doctors would be out of business. I say, if not for these people, doctors may be able to concentrate on other issues.

Personal responsibility is an issue that has been stressed ever since the banks crashed and we went into recession. This personal responsibility should not just be in the financial sector, but should extend into all facets of life, including your own personal health. When will we learn to adopt that responsibility and stop blaming others for our own failings?

Rise in diabetes worldwide

If mass stays constant, and people are gaining weight in the UK and US, where are they losing it?  It doesn’t seem that human mass stays constant with the rise in obesity worldwide (not to mention the population boom).  This obesity has led to an increase in the incidence of diabetes.  And diabetes will lead to further health problems.

Though many can treat and control their diabetes with a strict regimen of diet and exercise to lose weight, this does not work for all.  Those who go on to full-blown diabetes will find that with time, the condition gets harder to treat.  Even as they use diet to modify their disease state, it creates other problems.  Complications will develop whether the diabetes is controlled or not.

This, however, should not give diabetics the sense that it is completely out of their control; therefore, they should not be duly concerned about their blood sugars.  In fact, they need to be extra careful.  That is because good control of diabetes will slow the progression to complications, even if it can’t prevent it.  No one wants to have a heart attack or stroke at a young age.  It may be normal to think of elderly people suffering those, but uncontrolled diabetics will be prone to them at a young age.  Kidney dialysis is another end-point that is rather unpleasant.  Once on dialysis, especially hemodialysis, your lifespan will be shortened.

It is a gloomy thought and once given a diagnosis of diabetes, it may be very unnerving.  I know, because my mother was a diabetic and I’m constantly worried about if and when I will get it.  Diabetes, especially the Type II, does run in families.  The best way to prevent it, though, is good diet and exercise.  It seems the world has not been listening as it turns to junk food and TV/computer, while it puts on more weight.  Now, you have a tremendous increase in diabetes, which will cost billions in medical care in the future.

While treating diabetics is important, emphasis needs to be placed on educating young children on healthy eating and exercise.  Genetics has played its part, the environment now needs to take a role.

Can exercise compete against the TV/computer?

When you go to the doctors, have you ever noticed that you always get the same advice, just expressed in different ways each time? Essentially, the advice is to exercise, eat right, don’t smoke, don’t drink too much, etc. People hear it all the time and they get so tired of it. So much so, that I know some completely tune it out. Once they tune it out, it doesn’t matter if you quote them all the research studies proving this and that benefit.

Exercise has been touted as one of the best ways to combat all kinds of diseases. The latest study shows that it reduces your risk of some forms of colon cancer. Well, to me, that only makes sense. It simply follows from the fact that if you exercised regularly, you are probably not one of those couch potatoes, sitting in front of the TV, munching on chips, nachos, beer, sodas, pizzas, etc. One of the biggest risk factors for colon cancer is fatty foods. Many diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancers, arise from sedentary lifestyles.

Though I advocate an active lifestyle, I’m afraid the message is no longer received with much enthusiasm. People may be concerned about their health, but scare tactics by associating inactivity with disease does not seem to motivate people any more.  Telling them they need to exercise, especially in reference to their weight or cholesterol levels, can be degrading and demotivating.  What they need to hear is that exercise is fun and socially rewarding.

It’s hard to do that when the TV culture is trying its best to get more viewers. Computers and electronic games are also claiming a lot of attention. If we can make the sedentary activities less entertaining, more people might go out and take a walk. I suppose the Wii Fit can be credited with an attempt to get more people active in a fun way, but it costs a lot. What most people need is a form of exercise that is free or cheap, easy to do, and fun. We need to emphasise FUN!

To change people’s attitudes about exercise, doctors, public health workers and the government need to work together to come up with a program to promote exercise and provide a means for it. It would be one way to combat diseases that affect the overall economic health.