Materials
- -Bias, Prejudice and Attitudes (IAT Corp and Tolerance.org - Greenwald and Banaji)
 Provides a test of attitudes regarding age, race, gender, and obesity. Your responses are measured by your speed of associations. Most of us do have biases (preferences) that may conflict with our values. Biases can work invisibly and give us a tendency to treat others unfairly (with prejudice). By uncovering our biases, we can combat our prejudices more effectively.
News
- -01-05-04 Teens in the U.S. are the Fatest (ABC News)
"Teenagers in the United States have higher rates of obesity than those in 14 other industrialized countries, including France and Germany, a study of nearly 30,000 youngsters ages 13 and 15 found."
"Among American 15-year-olds, 15 percent of girls and nearly 14 percent of boys were obese, and 31 percent of girls and 28 percent of boys were more modestly overweight." 1-04
- 03-09-04 Obesity Catching Up to Smoking As Leading Cause of Death (ABC News)
"Obesity is quickly catching up to smoking as the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, government researchers said on Tuesday, and a concerned federal government launched an advertising campaign aimed at getting Americans to eat better and exercise more."
"A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed tobacco use was still the leading cause of death in 2000, killing 435,000 people, or 18.1 percent of everyone who died."
"But poor diet and physical inactivity caused 400,000 deaths, or 16.6 percent of the total, the report showed -- up from 300,000, or 14 percent of deaths, in 1990."
"An estimated 129.6 million of adult Americans, or 64 percent of the population, are overweight or obese, putting them at higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancer and various forms of disability." 3-04
- 04-24-03 Obesity Linked to Cancer (USAToday.com - Hellmich)
"Excess body weight may contribute to about 20% of all cancer deaths in women and 14% of all cancer deaths in men. This translates to about 90,000 cancer deaths a year in the USA, according to a landmark study on the link between obesity and cancer."
"About 65% of Americans are overweight or obese. Obesity is defined as 30 or more pounds over a healthy weight; overweight is 10 to 30 pounds over a healthy weight." 4-03
- Diabetes Can Be Prevented With Diet and Moderate Exercise (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Researchers have found that moderate exercise (30 minutes a day) and a small loss of weight (5 - 7 percent) can result in a 58 percent reduction in Type 2 diabetes for those who are most at risk. "At least 10 million Americans at high risk for type 2 diabetes can sharply lower their chances of getting the disease with diet and exercise..." Diabetes is a devastating disease that costs over 90 billion dollars a year in health care costs.
- Diabetes Can Be Prevented With Diet and Moderate Exercise (USA Today)
"Those who trimmed their weight by 5% to 7%, dropping an average 10 to 15 pounds, and exercised about 30 minutes a day, reduced their risk of progressing to diabetes within the three-year study period by 58%." Diabetes is a devastating disease that costs over 90 billion dollars a year in health care costs.
- Guide to Losing Fat (ABC News)
Provides a guide to losing fat. Examples of recommendations include eat an apple before each meal, consume at least a daily cup of broccoli (or other source of 600 milligrams of calcium to suppress the hormone calcitrol), avoid pasta and fast food, record all calories per day, and stay within 1,100 calories per day. 1-04
- Maintaining Weight Loss - What Works (KaiserPeremanente.org - Hill and Wing)
"Provides results from the National Weight Control Registry. "We could identify few commonly shared features of how these people lost weight. The only common characteristic was that 89% of registry participants used both diet and physical activity to lose weight: only 10% used diet alone, and 1% used exercise alone. This finding is very important because most weight loss programs focus primarily on dietary restriction."
"In contrast, methods for maintaining weight loss had several factors in common. This difference in commonality suggests that the two processes--losing weight and maintaining weight loss--may have important differences. In particular, the optimum strategy for successful weight loss may differ from the optimum strategy for successfully maintaining weight loss."
"We found four types of behavior common to the National Weight Control Registry participants: 1) eating a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, 2) eating breakfast almost every day, 3) frequent self-monitoring of weight, and 4) participation in a high level of physical activity."
"As reported by participants, the mean energy they expended in physical activity was 2500 kcal/week for women and 3300 kcal/week for men. This level of physical activity is very high and equates to about 60 to 90 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per day."
"To quantify the walking done by this population, we placed pedometers on a sample of registry participants and found that, on average, they took between 11,000 and 12,000 steps per day--about 5.5 to 6 miles per day." 12-03
- Obesity - Food Industry Sued (CBC News)
"The same lawyers who took on Big Tobacco met this summer in Washington to explore whether similar tactics can be used against the food industry." "And just like tobacco, the lawyers would target junk food advertising and gimmicks directed at children." 8-02
Papers
- America Getting Fatter (USNews.com - Spake)
Describes results of studies that show that obesity, especially of children and teens, has greatly increased in the past two decades. 8-02
- Breast fed Babies Slimmer As Kids (applesforhealth)
A study of over 9,000 children in southern Germany finds that those who were breast fed as infants are much less likely to suffer from obesity. 01-04.
- Factsheet on Overweight in Children and Adolescents (Surgeon General)
Provides facts and tips regarding overweight children and adolescents. 11-02
- Healthy Weight (Mayo Foundation)
Provides measures for healthy weight (BMI). (See near the bottom of the page, under Self-Assessments.)
- Healthy Weight - BMI Calculation (Centers for Disease Control)
Provides the formula for measuring body mass index (BMI). 12-03
- Healthy Weight - BMI Calculator (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Provides measures for healthy weight. "Body mass index (BMI) is measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women." 12-03
- Lookism (ABC News - Stossel)
"We should add the bias of 'lookism' to sexism and racism. It's just as bad but we don't need a federal program." 8-02
- Most People Older Than 25 Are Overweight (CNN.com - )
"Poll results show that 80 percent of people older than 25 are overweight based on the body mass index (BMI), a national guideline computed through a combination of weight and height." 3-02
- Obesity (applesforhealth)
Even though some say most Americans are obsessed with being thin, if you look around you'll see that most Americans are overweight. In fact, over one third of the adult US population is obese - that's a 10% increase from the number of people who were obese in 1980. And the number continues to climb. 09-10-99.
- Obesity (applesforhealth)
Even though some say most Americans are obsessed with being thin, if you look around you'll see that most Americans are overweight. In fact, over one third of the adult US population is obese - that's a 10% increase from the number of people who were obese in 1980. And the number continues to climb. 09-10-99.
- Obesity - Being Overweight Increases Risk Of Death (applesforhealth)
The largest study on obesity and mortality ever conducted has found convincing evidence that being overweight can diminish a person's life span. The study found the heaviest people were most at risk, at least two times more likely to die early than thinner people. Furthermore, overweight people ran a higher risk of premature death, even if they were non-smokers and were otherwise healthy during their middle years. 01-07-00.
- Obesity - Diagnosis (ivillagehealth.com)
Provides a chart to diagnose whether a person is obese. Editor's Note - The chart is designed for women and the person's level of fitness is not considered in the chart. A male athlete who weighs 200 pounds and is 6 feet tall, for example, would not would not be overweight, despite what the chart implies. 3-02
- Obesity - Diet Drug Trial Shows Patients Keep Weight Off (applesforhealth)
A clinical trial in Europe of the weight-loss drug Meridia shows obese patients were able to maintain their initial weight loss for a two-year period. 06-11-99.
- Obesity - Fat Acceptance (NAAFA)
The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance provides news, monitors legal actions regarding discrimination, and provides suggestions to improve acceptance of obesity. 6-01
- Obesity - Fat Blocking Pill Aids In Weight Loss (applesforhealth)
Scientists are claiming a victory in the battle of the bulge with a pill that blocks a third of the fat a person eats from making the trip from lips to hips. 06-04-99.
- Obesity - Fat May Be Deadly Poison (applesforhealth)
Fat may be more than a strain on the heart, it can actually be a deadly poison, researchers have shown for the first time. 02-18-99.
- Obesity - Getting Control Of The "Fat" Hormone (applesforhealth)
Leptin, the so called "fat" hormone apparently has a low tolerance for exercise. A study presented at an annual conference on cardiovascular disease indicates lean, physically active people have low leptin levels. 03-10-00.
- Obesity - Good Eating Habits Start Young (applesforhealth)
While the incidence of adult obesity has increased about 15 percent since 1960, studies suggest it has risen by 54 percent among 6- to 11-year-olds, and 39 percent among 12- to 18-year-olds. 10-15-99.
- Obesity - Lose Pounds, But Not Bone Density (applesforhealth)
Women who cut calories to lose weight without significantly increasing their physical activity are likely running the risk of osteoporosis later in life, a new study suggests. 08-06-99.
- Obesity - More Evidence That Fat Is Bad (applesforhealth)
A study billed as the largest of its kind has found more evidence that being obese can reduce your life expectancy. 10-15-99.
- Obesity - Overweight Children At Risk for Heart Disease (applesforhealth)
A new analysis of a ground-breaking study on overweight children shows the majority have at least one additional risk factor for developing heart disease. 06-25-99.
- Obesity - Read Labels (applesforhealth)
Hutchinson Center study shows strong link between label reading and fat intake. 01-04-00.
- Obesity - Tips To Control Your Holiday Weight (applesforhealth)
Nutritionalist and author Ann Louise Gittleman offers several tips to help keep your weight down during the holidays and the rest of the year. 12-17-99.
- Obesity - Walking to School (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Provides a guide to make walking to school safer and more frequent. Recommends steps for the community and families so that groups of children, accompanied by adults, walk or ride bicycles to and from school. This may help reverse obesity in children and start them on a healthier lifestyle. 6-01
- Obesity - Walking to School (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Provides a guide to make walking to school safer and more frequent. Recommends steps for the community and families so that groups of children, accompanied by adults, walk or ride bicycles to and from school. This may help reverse obesity in children and start them on a healthier lifestyle. 6-01
- Obesity - Why More Are Getting Fatter (Nutrition Action - Brownell)
Suggests reasons why more people in the USA and globally are getting fatter and suggests solutions to reduce obesity. 6-01
- Obesity Busters Aim At New Target (applesforhealth)
Scientists looking for weapons against obesity may have found a new target. Researchers at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, Mass., and Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., have identified a protein in the small intestine that plays a key role in the body's uptake of dietary fat. 10-08-99.
- Obesity Claims Healthcare Money (applesforhealth)
Obesity continues to monopolize medical news. It is credited with causing, and exacerbating, a number of ailments and the studies keep pouring in. 08-20-99.
- Obesity Drug Leptin Shows Promise (applesforhealth)
In the first published study of the hormone leptin for typical cases of obesity in humans, scientists have shown that the genetically engineered drug does help people knock off pounds of fat. 11-05-99.
- Obesity Epidemic (ABC News)
Provides news stories related to obesity from 2003. 1-04
- Obesity Is Now the Top Preventable Health Problem (Rand - Cook)
Provides results from a study that shows that more people are now have health problems as a result of excess fat than from smoking, drinking, or conditions related to poverty. 6-01
- Obesity Reduces Lifespan (HealthandAge.org)
"Mortality rates were compared for each set of BMI scores in the nonsmoker, healthy group. This group of subjects showed quite clearly the risks of being overweight. The lowest death rates for men were at BMI scores of 23.5 to 25, and for women at scores of 22 to 23.5." 12-03
- Obesity and Genes (ApplesforHealth.com)
"By genetically engineering massively obese mice, an international team of scientists has uncovered how the brain tells the body to burn calories and lose weight." 8-02
- Obesity, Nutrition, and Physical Activity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Provides news, suggestions, and results of studies to prevent disease and improve health. 6-01
- Physical Education in the USA in 2001 (PE4Life.com)
Provides results from the report of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) for 2001 on the status of physical education in the American educational system. Includes recommendations for schools. 3-02
- Prevalence of Overweight in Children and Adolescents (Centers for Disease Control)
"Results from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), using measured heights and weights, indicate that an estimated 15 percent of children and adolescents ages 6-19 years are overweight." 11-02
- Recommendations Related to Obesity and Overweight in Children (American Heart Association)
"In treating most obese children, the main emphasis should be to prevent weight gain above what's appropriate for expected increases in height. This is called prevention of increased weight gain velocity." 11-02
Projects
- Walking and Bike Riding to School (Safe Routes to School)
"Safe Routes to Schools projects encourage and enable children to walk and cycle to school through a combined package of practical and educational measures." 3-02
- Walking and Bike Riding to School (Safe Routes to School)
The program goals include to "Reduce the number of children and other pedestrians and motorists who are injured or killed in traffic" and "Keep the number of children walking to school at 80% by making the walking routes safer." 3-02
- Walking and Bike Riding to School (Walk to School Day)
"Find out how Walk to School activities are being used to create more walkable and healthier communities all year long." 3-02
Research
- Cost-Benefit and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of a School-Based Obesity Prevention Program (ObesityResearch.com)
"Standard cost-effectiveness analysis methods and a societal perspective were used in this study. Three categories of costs were measured: intervention costs, medical care costs associated with adulthood overweight, and costs of productivity loss associated with adulthood overweight. Health outcome was measured as cases of adulthood overweight prevented and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) saved. Cost-effectiveness ratio was measured as the ratio of net intervention costs to the total number of QALYs saved, and net-benefit was measured as costs averted by the intervention minus program costs." 1-04
- Fast Food and Health (MSNBC News)
Describes the decline in health of film producer, Morgan Spurlock. "He decided to make a documentary—his first feature-length film—in which he would, in an attempt to explore why Americans are so fat, eat at McDonald’s three times a day for 30 solid days." "With regular visits to the doctor, interviews with experts on fast food and chats with regular folk on the road, the viewer gets a front-row seat as the formerly fit filmmaker eats everything on the menu, packing on the pounds, and looking—and feeling—worse in each successive frame. McDonald’s’ response? The home of the Happy Meal declined to comment in the film but has released statements saying that its menu offers an array of choices, some healthier than others." "My body just basically falls apart over the course of this diet. I start to get tired; I start to get headaches; my liver basically starts to fill up with fat because there’s so much fat and sugar in this food. My blood sugar skyrockets, my cholesterol goes up off the charts, my blood pressure becomes completely unmanageable. The doctors were like 'You have to stop.' ”1-04
- Fitness Research (PE4Life.com)
Provides over a dozen studies on obesity, fitness, and heatlh. 3-02
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