By Dr. Mercola
The documentary film Hungry For Change1
is another revolutionary look at food and nutrition from the
creators of the best-selling film Food Matters.
Exposing food industry secrets and strategies designed to
keep you coming back for more, it reveals why so many are
suffering with weight issues and poor health despite their best
intentions.
The importance of this topic cannot be overstated, especially
in light of recent developments.
In mid-June, the American Medical Association (AMA) declared
obesity a disease, officially opening the door for a range of
medical interventions to “treat” this modern scourge. Yet the
root causes of obesity remain wholly ignored...
As reported by USA Today:2
"Experts in obesity have struggled for years to have
obesity recognized as a disease that deserves medical
attention and insurance coverage as do other diseases.
Previously, the AMA and others have referred to obesity as
'a major public health problem.'
'The American Medical Association's recognition that
obesity is a disease carries a lot of clout,' says Samuel
Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at
Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
'The most important aspect of the AMA decision is
that the AMA is a respected representative of American
medicine. Their opinion can influence policy makers who are
in a position to do more to support interventions and
research to prevent and treat obesity.'"
We don’t need to throw billions of dollars into drug-based
obesity treatment and prevention research. Well-educated
nutritional experts already KNOW what’s causing obesity and how
to fix the problem!
The truth is that the processed food industry needs to
change, agricultural subsidies need to be updated to promote
healthier fare, and the public needs to be told the truth about
nutrition.
We also need to stop the dangerous marketing of junk food to
children with their favorite cartoon characters or celebrities.
Junk food companies know exactly what they are doing, and many
children are pointing towards these unforgettable characters in
the grocery aisles before they can speak.
Yet none of these factors are being addressed. Instead, money
is being spent on obesity drugs and obesity vaccines,
of all things! This truly is madness, if you ask me. Obesity is
no more a disease than smoking is.
Who Benefits from Obesity Being Declared a Disease?
As Rob Kall, executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com3
recently stated:
“What is clear to me is that the medical profession,
in an unholy alliance with corporations, is moving the
healing profession further and further down the slippery
slope of pathologization, just as psychiatry is doing. Cui
bono is a question I like to ask—Who benefits?”
I believe it’s fair to assume that the biggest beneficiaries
will be pharmaceutical companies, along with medical
institutions at large. Meanwhile, it’s highly doubtful that
their inventions will make a real dent. I would not be surprised
if the medical treatment of obesity turns into another “war
on cancer” fiasco.
Instead of focusing on low-cost lifestyle changes that
address the root cause, the “pathologization” of obesity, to use
Kall’s word, is only going to lead to more problems, not to
mention drive health care costs skyward as expensive drug
treatments are introduced and paid for by insurance companies.
Can You Really Cure Obesity with a Vaccine?
Last summer, media outlets circulated the news that not just
one, but two obesity vaccines were in the works, which makes the
AMA’s decision to recognize obesity as a disease all the more
convenient. Additionally, two brand new obesity drugs are now
being unveiled, just in time for the AMA’s decision. Amazing how
such coincidences just “happen,” isn’t it?
As explained by GlobalResearch.org,4
one of the obesity vaccines would target the peptide hormone
somatostatin. This hormone has an inhibitory effect on the
action of human growth hormone (HGH) and insulin-growth factor
(IGF), both of which increase metabolism. By engineering a
vaccine to remove the chemical inhibition of
somatostatin on HGH and IGF, and create antibodies against
somatostatin, the researchers believe weight loss could be
achieved.
“...[T]he drug corporations see the obesity market as
an untapped monetary resource – as one executive explained:
'Can you imagine the potential for vaccines?'
Globalresearch.org writes.
'A study published in the Journal of Animal Science
and Biotechnology claims that vaccines are the answer to the
chemical and psychological issues that surround obesity. The
co-author of the study was also the president and chief
scientific officer of a company called Braasch Biotech
LLC... which specializes in the development of human and
animal vaccines. Essentially, by inhibiting natural
hormones, researchers hope to stop people from eating...
Because somatostatin is secreted in the digestive
system, the hormone would eventually be carried to the brain
where it would have a great likelihood of interacting with
the chemical makeup of the brain and thereby have an
encompassing psychological reaction.'”
Another route being investigated is a vaccine that targets
the hunger hormone ghrelin. In my view, the whole idea of an
obesity vaccine is nothing short of insanity.
Remember the old nursery rhyme about the old lady who swallowed
the fly and in turn swallowed a spider to catch it? Modern
medicine appears to use the same mistaken strategy for
addressing many of our health care concerns. Take this drug for
that symptom, take another drug to take care of the side effects
from the first drug, and it goes on and on - until, well you
know how it ends.
They truly do not know what they’re meddling with... Case in
point: In September of last year, The Atlantic5
published findings that put a serious damper on the anti-ghrelin
vaccine theory, as researchers discovered that knocking out
ghrelin leads to an exaggerated anxiety response to stress.6
As reported by The Atlantic:7
“[T]his is the first study8
to show that ghrelin 'prevents a hyperactive, over-anxious
response to acute stress.' So the reduced appetite caused by
ghrelin suppression might come at the cost of increased
anxiety...
The authors point out that an evolutionary response
to stress is to eat more, hypothesizing that 'under
conditions of acute stress, ghrelin limits excessive anxious
behavior by promoting the feeling of reward to ensure
appropriate food-seeking behavior and maintain energy
homeostasis.' With enough stress, compensatory eating could
end up counteracting the vaccine's effects, leaving us right
back where we started.”
Two New Prescription Diet Drugs Now Available
As of June, a new diet drug sold under the name Belviq is
available by prescription to patients with a body mass index
(BMI) above 30, or a BMI of 27 with at least one weight-related
condition, such as hypertension or type 2 diabetes. The drug
works by activating serotonin receptors in your brain, which is
thought to reduce feelings of hunger—although it sounds awfully
similar to the action of certain antidepressants, known as
selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which boost
serotonin levels and are fraught with dangerous side effects,
including suicide.
The release of Belviq comes on the heels of another
prescription weight-loss drug called Qsymia, which was released
last September. As reported by CNN Health:9
“Weight loss with both drugs is modest. Patients in
clinical trials went from an average 227 pounds to 204
pounds on Qsymia; on Belviq, the average weight dropped from
220 to 207... At the time of approval, the FDA said Belviq's
manufacturer, Arena Pharmaceuticals, would be required to
conduct six post-marketing studies, including a long-term
cardiovascular trial to assess the risk of heart attack and
stroke.
The most common side effects of Belviq in nondiabetic
patients included headache, dizziness and fatigue, according
to the FDA. In diabetic patients, side effects included pain
and low blood sugar. In addition, some people taking
medicines such as Belviq have reported heart valve problems,
according to Eisai Inc., which markets the drug. 'It is not
known if Belviq changes your risk of heart problems or of
stroke, or death due to heart problems or stroke,' according
to the drug's website.”10
Why on earth would you take a weight loss drug that might
lead to increased heart attack or stroke risk when the
appropriate dietary and lifestyle changes would REDUCE those
risks right along with the weight you drop? Not to mention you’d
be paying a lot more for the drug than you would pay for
healthier foods.
How to Safely and Effectively Combat Excess Weight
For the majority of people, severely restricting
carbohydrates such as sugars, fructose, and grains in your diet
will be the key to sustained weight loss. Refined carbohydrates
like breakfast cereals, bagels, waffles, pretzels, and most
other processed foods quickly break down to sugar, increase your
insulin levels, and cause insulin resistance, which is the
number one underlying factor of nearly every chronic disease and
condition known to man, including weight gain.
As you cut these dietary villains from your meals, you need
to replace them with healthy substitutes like vegetables and
healthy fats (including natural saturated fats!). I've detailed
a step-by-step guide to this type of healthy eating program in
my
comprehensive nutrition plan, and I urge you to consult this
guide if you are trying to lose weight.
Additionally, a growing body of evidence shows that
intermittent fasting is particularly effective for losing
weight.
One of the mechanisms that makes intermittent fasting so
effective for weight loss is the fact that it provokes the
natural secretion of human growth hormone (HGH), which is a
fat-burning hormone—essentially the same effect sought by the
obesity vaccine discussed above, but without the potential
health risks. Fasting also increases catecholamines, which
increases resting energy expenditure, while decreasing insulin
levels, which allows stored fat to be burned for fuel.
Together, these and other factors will turn you into an
effective
fat-burning machine. Hence, if like many tens of millions of
people, your goal is to shed excess fat, fasting can be both
effective and beneficial for improving many disease markers.
Keep in mind that food cravings are a sign that you're
not providing your body with proper nutrients in the appropriate
ratios, so following your hunger can in many cases be
staggeringly counterproductive. Instead, view your cravings for
what they are: a sign from your body that you’re not feeding it
properly, and make the necessary adjustments. More often than
not, people are not consuming enough healthy fats, which provide
a more sustained form of energy compared to carbs. I believe
most people may need between 50-70 percent of their daily
calories in the form of healthful fats, such as avocados,
organic pastured eggs, coconut oil, raw organic butter, and
raw nuts like macadamia.
The foods you choose to eat, and how much you eat, will be
the driving force behind successfully achieving your weight loss
goals -- even more so than exercise.
But exercise is still important for weight loss and optimal
health. The key to boosting weight loss and getting the most out
of your exercise routine is to make sure to incorporate
high-intensity, short-burst-type exercises, such as my
Peak Fitness Program, two to three times per week. Several
studies have confirmed that exercising in shorter bursts with
rest periods in between burns more fat than exercising
continuously for an entire session.
© Copyright 1997-2013 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.