Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently released the report F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America 2009, which highlights the unabated growth (pun intended) of obesity in the United States. Adult obesity rates have increased in 23 states and have not decreased in any of the remaining states over the past year.
The report also ranks the fattest states. Mississippi leads the nation for the fifth year in a row with a 32.5% rate of adult obesity. The runners-up include Alabama (31.2%), West Virginia (31.1%), and Tennessee (30.2%). For comparison with the past, in 1991, there were no states that exceeded an adult obesity rate of 20%. Today, there are 49 states and Washington, D.C. that do.
The obesity epidemic is also beginning at an early age. About 44.4% of children in Mississippi are either overweight or obese. The numbers are similarly high in Arkansas at 37.5% and Georgia at 37.3%. The rate of childhood obesity has also tripled over the past 2 decades.
The report calls for action to address our currently failing anti-obesity strategies and provides recommendations to ameliorate the situation. With the innumerable morbid complications of obesity — not to mention cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death in the United States — this is an issue that could save billions of health care dollars if resolved. But, it is easier said that done: As I was once asked, “Why do hamburgers taste sooo good?”
The “New & Interesting” series features short compilations of select research findings, news articles, and random tidbits in bullet-point format.
General Interest Articles
Beth Israel Deaconess researchers compared the effects of true and sham acupuncture in relieving symptoms of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). The study did not find evidence to support superiority of true acupuncture over its sham counterpart. Both techniques were, however, shown to be more effective than no acupuncture treatment. (Am J Gastroenterol)
Obesity in early adulthood was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, while obesity in older age had worse mortality outcomes with pancreatic cancer (JAMA)
Technical Articles
Researchers at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the University of Michigan developed mathematical models to combat jet lag, shift-work, and other 24-hour work schedules. (PLoS Computational Biology)
Catherine Mohr, research surgeon and instructor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, presents a TED talk on the history of surgery and the exciting visions for the future.
The journey begins 10,000 years earlier with the illustration of a trephanated skull and rapidly traverses eons to talk about the seemingly barbaric operations preceding the development of anesthesia. The demonstration of ether as an anesthetic at the Massachusetts General Hospital in 1847 heralded a new era in pain-free surgery, but the triumphs were marred with poor mortality rates. Dr. Mohr then highlights the revolution in surgical outcomes after the introduction of the sterile technique. She briefly discusses laparoscopic surgery and fast forwards to the invention of robotic surgery … and beyond.
To avoid spoiling the whole talk, I will let you view the video and hear for yourself some exciting new developments in the field of surgery.
Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently released the report F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America 2009, which highlights the unabated growth (pun intended) of obesity in the United States. Adult obesity rates have increased in 23 states and have not decreased in any of the remaining states over the past year.
The “New & Interesting” series features short compilations of select research findings, news articles, and random tidbits in bullet-point format.
