In the News: Mom Selfies

There has been a couple of stories in the news lately about mom's posting pictures of their fabulous post-baby bodies. It's created quite the stir. Some feel like pictures like these cause harm because they give people unrealistic expectations about women's bodies.

Honestly, I don't have particularly strong opinions about this. Perhaps it's because when I see pictures like in the link, I think "Wow, that's kind of freakish she looks like that a few days after giving birth. This is probably hoax. Or she has an eating disorder." There is no "I feel bad about my body" or "I should work harder so I can look like that".

I have known enough women to know what 90% of women look like after they have had a baby. There are a few women that you see a week after and they look like they never were pregnant. But most of us still look pregnant for a couple of days,  (if you have a c-section you still look pregnant for even longer) and we have a tummy or pooch for months or even forever. It's not a question of how hard you work or how good you eat--it's genetics and anatomy. The uterus has to shrink, ab muscles have to return to their correct places, and  most women just aren't lucky enough to have the magic kind of skin that doesn't get stretch marks and goes back to normal after pregnancy.

How do I feel about moms posting pictures like? I like to ignore the vanity and attention-getting motives that are certainly and annoyingly there and think that they are really trying to motivate other moms to take better care of their bodies and I guess I have no issue with that.

So my final opinion about these kind of pictures: Annoying? Yes. Inspiring? Might be for a few women. Harmful? It shouldn't be because we should instantly recognize it as being so far from reality, it's not worth any comparison.

To balance out the other picture, here's a picture of me a few days after my daughter was born, still wearing my maternity clothes. (I'm wearing the maternity clothes, not my daughter.) (Of course I'm not wearing my daughter, who wears children? Curse you dangling modifiers!)

In the News: Letters for Obese Children on Halloween

There is a woman in South Dakota that plans on giving letters, instead of Candy, to children she deems obese. In the letter she says "you child is, in  my opinion, moderately obese and should not be consuming sugar and treats to the extent of some children this Halloween season. My hope is that you will step up as a parent and ration candy this Halloween and not continue these unhealthy eating habits." You can see the article HERE.

I imagine almost everyone's reaction to this woman is something on the lines of, in the spirit of Halloween, "what a mean witch". At the very least, something feels very wrong about her doing this.

First of all, this doesn't even have to be about obesity to feel wrong. I had no idea, before becoming a parent, of the full contact sport of "perfect parenting". I imagine the sport has gained strength and popularity with the advent of social media, non-stop news stories, and especially blogs.  We are all now so very aware of all the ways to parent and the very strong opinions behind them.

"Perfect parenting" is what creates the contention between people with different parenting styles..."oh, you cry it out? I would never let my baby just cry". It's what makes someone give a snarky comment at the check out line, or scathing blog post against moms that take time to exercise, or why the news picks up stories of a mom that's doing something unique like facebook shaming their child. For some reason, people have taken "it takes a village to raise a child" and turned it into, your parenting is up for public discussion and I can tell you what you're doing wrong. 

This woman could have handed out letters to mom's like me who's kids hair is a mess and have food on their face at the store, or she could stand outside a daycare and hand letters there, or she could stand by the formula at the store and hand out letters. None of these would be appropriate either. We have too much arrogance of parents and non-parents that think they know best. What we need more of is cooperation and kindness and overall less comparing.

Childhood obesity is such a complicated and sensitive problem. First let's consider what good could come from her letters. I'm not sure if she is deluded enough to think that a mom or dad will read the letter and think "Holy Cow, she's right. My child is obese. I'm going to takes steps right now and fix this." It my experience that as humans, we don't respond to negative messages very well. We tend to get defensive and maybe even rebel. I kind of think this woman is more interesting in passing judgement and delivering a blow than actually helping the obesity problem. She could have just handed out bouncy balls instead of candy if she really wanted to be helpful.

What harm can come from a letter like this? What harm would come if a parent actually kept their child from trick or treating? Depending on the age, and arguably kids at all ages, the issue of weight needs to be handled very carefully. Kids are kids and weight and body image are what I would call an adult issue. You would never want your child to mistakenly get the message "there is something wrong with me", "food is bad"or "my worth is tied to my weight". I realize people could disagree with just how open you are with your child about their weight, but I think you can successfully help your child without singling them out or even having to ever talk about their weight.

The best way to help an obese child is to make changes as a family. Because the changes that will help your child struggling with weight, will be beneficial to the entire family. Make it positive "we're going to get healthy because it will make us feel good!" Here are some areas you might want to focus on:

•  Limit junk food brought into the house. Save them for special occasions, like Halloween.
• Provide healthier meals--more vegetables, less prepackaged foods.
• Limit meals eaten out. 
• Watch snacking. Consider limiting or excluding snacks all together, or only allowing fruits and vegetables as snacks.  
• Sit down together to eat dinner as a family. 
• Limit screen time (for everyone). 
• Send your kids outside to play. 
• Put them in a sport or dance class they would enjoy. Try different sports or activities until they find one they like and support them in this.
• Go for walks, hikes, bike rides as a family.  Go to the park as a family.
• Have your children walk to school, when possible.
• Buy toys that encourage movement over toys that encourage being sedentary (basketball hoop, bicycle, scooter vs video games)
• Make sure your child is getting enough sleep.
• Be a good example. 

You might find after all you have done, your child is still struggling with overeating. There is likely something else going on and it would be helpful to consult a doctor or even a child therapist to help figure out what deeper emotional issues need to be addressed. A therapist would be able to help them identify what they are feeling and come up with a positive way to cope.

Of course we all have areas for improvement, but I think most of us take steps to promote our own and our children's health. You wouldn't be reading a blog like this if it wasn't on your mind. Have a Happy Halloween and make sure your kids can be kids and have lots of fun!

"There's no way to be a perfect parent. But there are a million ways to be a good one." 

Be a Skeptic

A friend posted this article the other day and it goes well with something I've been planning to talk about. 

The gist of the article is that because of one man, Linus Pauling, the nation embraced the idea that the nutrition we get from food isn't enough and that we could cure disease through the use of vitamin supplements, specifically larger than recommended doses. Pauling is the reason you think you need to take a bunch of vitamin C when you get a cold. Unfortunately, over time researchers have found that vitamin supplements use can be harmful, specifically increasing the risk of heart disease and cancer. 

It reminds me of another man, Andrew Wakefield, who's fraud regarding the MMR vaccine made everyone question the safety of all vaccinations given to children. The consequence is now the resurgence of diseases that we shouldn't be seeing at all, such as pertussis. Again, researchers have continued to show vaccines are safe, but the damage has been done and there is a large movement of parents that refuse to vaccinate their children.

                                               
                                                 An infant with pertussis, photo credit: google

There is a phrase that comes to mind when I think of these two men, as well as a host of other companies and people in the food, nutrition and health world--"conspiring men". Forgive me for using a religious reference, but I believe there is great wisdom in this principle. There is a section in our scriptures, we even call it "the Word of Wisdom", that teaches about what foods will promote health and what things to avoid that could be harmful. It's why Mormons don't drink alcohol or use tobacco. At the beginning of the section scripture, it says:

Behold, verily thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation.

The point of this scripture is to warn us that there are people that will present information, ideas, or even products, that will not be truly health-promoting and might even be harmful. My take home message from it? Be skeptical.

When the motive is to make money (the weight-loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and I've seen the number estimated as high as 66 billion) it's easier to smell a rat. My own home, Utah is the supplement capitol of the world with so many fruity drink supplements. Here is a checklist of things that instantly make me skeptical:

1. If it's new. I seriously doubt our weight-problems are going to magically be solved by a new product or a new diet.
2. If they're selling a book. I'm skeptical of any diet that requires you to buy a book to learn how to do it. 
3. If there's a buzz-word on the packaging (i.e. natural, organic, gluten-free, detoox) Companies love to cash in on new health trends. Just because something is trendy, doesn't mean it is correct or works.
4. If it guarantees substantial weight loss. Real life isn't like the biggest loser. Healthy weight loss is slow (1-2 lbs per week). Be very suspicious of anyone selling something that will make you lose 5-10 lbs or more a week. 
5. If it guarantees the miraculous. I believe God has a monopoly on the miracle business.

                        
                          I'd be very skeptical of any product that looks like this. Photo credit: google

Sometimes the motive isn't about making money. Sometimes it's less defined, like notoriety or attention. Sometimes it's driven by it's own form of skepticism--there are many groups of people that I'll call conspiracy theorists and hobbyists. They have a theory or something they are passionate about, such as proving GMO's (genetically modified organisms) are dangerous or the gluten-free, casein-free Autism diet people. Their ideas are powerful and find their way into the main-stream way of thinking.  Here is my checklist for things that make me skeptical:

1. They speak negatively of the government. There is a big difference between politicians and programs like the USDA and anything in the department of Health and Human Services (i.e. FDA, NIH, CDC). If someone seems to be lumping it all together into "the government" as in "the government is lying to us" I instantly suspect what they are saying of being skewed. Personally, I trust the information that comes from government programs like the NIH and CDC.
2. They speak negatively of doctors, the healthcare system, or pharmaceuticals. This is a tough one because there is a lot of room for improvement in our health care system and I know exactly why people would be unhappy about it. However, if someone seems to be throwing it all under the bus, I doubt they are seeing things objectively. Our doctors can do some amazing things--in my immediate family I can think of a knee surgery that means I can still play sports, a c-section that without my sister and baby would have died in the old days (cephalopelvic disproportion), and a extremely complicated and massive day long surgery to remove the tumor in my Dad's neck. I distrust anyone that isn't objective enough to acknowledge the good in modern medicine.
3.  They don't use legitimate peer-reviewed research to support their claims. Either there is a complete lack of research, or they are citing a poorly done research (small sample size, conflict of interests, poorly designed study, not published in a peer-reviewed journal). Anecdotal evidence doesn't count.
4.  If it touts being holistic or natural. This is not because I don't believe there is potential value to herbs and alternative treatments. This is because of the lack of accountability and research to prove safety or effectiveness. Herbs and supplements do not have to go through the same process as drugs do to prove safety or efficacy (Thank Orrin Hatch and DSHEA for that)
   
5. They have a blog or comment board. Hopefully, you catch the irony of this one. Be careful of things published from positions of opinion. 

These check lists are not going to catch every bad idea that comes up. Sometimes it takes a long time to see we were just plain wrong about something--the attitude about breastfeeding in the first half of the 1900's comes to mind.

Unfortunately, we are most vulnerable to incorrect ideas when we are desperate and that's what makes some "conspiring men" the most despicable. They prey on people's hope. When a person is desperate for solutions because a child is ill, desperate to lose weight, desperate to cure a terminal illness, or desperate to stop aging, they are willing to try or believe anything.

I remember when my Dad had cancer, a well-meaning neighbor told me (I was probably 19 at the time) about a herbal shake that had shown great success curing cancer. My personality has always been very pragmatic and even in that desperate time and at a young age, I was skeptical and even a little offended that she would offer false hope in drink.

Don't be a victim of misinformation or bad ideas. Educate yourself. Find reputable websites, take a college class,or  buy a used text book about subjects like pathophysiology or nutrition. The more you understand the processes and key characters of  what happens in the body, the easier it is to spot lies and half-truths. I laugh at the made-up scientific words some people use to promote their products. Educate yourself in the scientific process--what makes good research. Embrace published, peer-reviewed research while at the same time scrutinize it. Try to let reason lead over emotion, especially if you are desperate. Question a source's motives. Check your fears against reputable sources and reality. Be objective. Be skeptical. Hopefully it will save you money, time, or even your own health.

In the News: People without Celiac disease shouldn't eat gluten-free

I have been planning on doing a post on the topic of gluten-free diets. I was glad to see this article in the news on the subject.

The gist of the article is that for people that do not have Celiac disease, a gluten-free diet is not recommended. The diet hasn't been shown (beyond personal testimonials) as a benefit for the general population and people are missing out on important nutrients by excluding whole grain wheat products.

                                    

I can't throw gluten-free completely out the window, even though it currently reeks of a fad diet. 

Sometimes it's hard to see facts and fiction through all the hype. Throw hope in the equation and you get some true die-hard followers. So many people swear their gluten-free diets make them feel better or make their child with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have improved behavior. It's hard to argue against that.

I can't find any actual research that  support gluten-free diets for weight loss, gluten sensitivity or even treatment for ASD. There hasn't been much research on so far. (That should tip you off that something is a fad if there hasn't been any time for any research to be done on it.) There are a few articles that have shown it doesn't help: here and here and here

In a few years, there may be research to show there are people with gluten sensitivity and they do benefit from reducing gluten from their diet.

I'm not trying to convince any people doing a gluten-free diet that they should stop. If there are any body doing that, I'm sure I've thoroughly ticked them off.  I just want to prevent the average person that has heard the "gluten-free" hype and feels like gluten is somehow evil  and something they are supposed to avoiding. Gluten-free food is quite expensive and I'd rather you spend your money on fresh fruits and vegetables.  

In the News : How to Talk to Your Daughter About Her Body

I love this article in the Huffington Post by Sarah Koppelkam. It's not often that I completely agree with articles on health or nutrition. I wish every woman would do the things she says, not just for their daughters, but for their own health and happiness. It's a very short article so go and read it.

In the News: American Medical Association recognizes obesity as a disease

This article in the NY TIMES talks about the American Medical Association's (AMA) decision to officially recognize obesity as a disease. This decision has created a stir similar to when Alcoholism was classified as a disease.

If you go by what the AMA is saying, 1/3 of our population has a disease. I know how personal people take their weight and I know this is going to offend many people. But I think that's the point.

I think the reason the AMA did this is to underline, bold and italic how serious the obesity problem is in our country. I think they want doctors, health insurance companies, politicians, the general public to stop looking at obesity as an unfortunate cosmetic issue, but  as the serious public health concern and burden that it is. Medical professionals see people with obesity as a ticking time bomb for a long list of other diseases.

While the AMA has no legal power, this decision could potentially have big ramifications when we talk about how obesity is treated and who pays for it.

The counsel on Science and Public health praised the move saying that it would help remove some of the stigma of obesity as people sometimes oversimplify it as "that person eats too much." Obese people have such a difficult time losing weight because it's just not that simple--another post we'll discuss the hormonal changes that work against an obese person losing weight.

Ironically, the "Fat Activists" are demanding that the AMA change this back because they claim it adds to the stigma of being overweight. I have very little patience for the "Fat is Beautiful" activists and that mentality. I feel like they do much more harm than good. They keep the focus on appearance and this debate should sit squarely on the shoulders of health. I feel strongly that we need to be caring about what our bodies can do and significantly less about what our bodies look like.
 
The other question is about if insurance companies and by default, all of us are going to be paying for other people's obesity. As I listened to the talk show host this morning talk about this, she was concerned about having to start paying for other people's obesity.  I yelled at my radio "WE ALREADY ARE!"

We already are paying for, what we call comorbidities of obesity. We are paying for people's quadruple bypass surgeries, and for their type 2 diabetes, and for their dialysis when their kidneys fail, for their cancer treatments (obesity significantly increases the risk for cancer) and for all the medical conditions that come hand in hand with obesity.

I promise you, the cost of preventative care, of helping someone lose weight, is way less than the cost of treating renal failure, CVD, type 2 diabetes, and Cancer.

As the rates of obesity is rising in the country, it seems we are getting used to it and it's becoming the new normal. This move by the AMA will hopefully remind people that we should be caring about this and should be taking action. At least it has people talking.