PROOF: Why We Need A Food Revolution

Thu 08 Dec 2011

Story by The Food Revolution Team

The Fraction of Cancer Attributable to Lifestyle & Environmental Factors

A recent study has revealed that each year nearly half of the cancers in the UK alone are caused by avoidable life choices including diet, overweight and obesity (1).

According to the World Cancer Research Fund, a third of the most common cancers could be prevented by eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and being regularly physically active(2). While tobacco is the biggest culprit of preventable cancers, the second biggest in both men and women are directly related to diet and obesity. For men, it’s lack of fresh fruit and vegetables whereas for women it is obesity (1).

Obesity and lack of fruit and vegetables can impact health and increase risk of different cancers. While nearly a 10th of the risk for breast cancer comes from being overweight or obese, which far outweighs the impact of breastfeeding or alcohol intake, half the risk of esophageal or gullet cancer, comes from eating too little fruit and veg (1).

While this is a study carried out in the UK, it’s outcomes affect many more countries, including America which is in the top 10 countries in terms of cancer frequency per country (3), and where according to the CDC, about one-third of US adults (33.8%) are overweight or obese, putting them at a higher risk for cancer(4). Additionally, approximately 17% (12.5 million) of US children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are also obese (4), and it has been reported that US teens do not eat enough fruit and veg (5).

Full Study here Cancer Research UK.

Sugar in Children’s Cereals

Popular Brands Pack More Sugar Than Snack Cakes and Cookies

A recent study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) studied 84 popular cereals, many of which are marketed to children, to see if they meet the federal government’s proposed nutritional guidelines and looser guidelines set by the industry.

Shockingly the results show that 3 of 4 cereals analyzed would not meet the proposed federal nutritional recommendations and 1 of 4 fell short of even the industry’s proposed guidelines (6).

As the EWG stresses most parents would say no to desert for breakfast, however the fact is that many children’s cereals actually contain just as much sugar or even more than some deserts. Some of the cereals tested even contained more sugar than a Twinkie! (6)

While there are health benefits from eating cereals for breakfast, due to whole grain content, this does not extend to cover the empty calories provided by unnecessary sugar. In addition, studies also show that children who eat high-sugar breakfasts have more problems at school, showing attention deficits and making more mistakes on their work (6).

Read the full study here and get tips for healthy breakfasts.

Healthy School Meals & Educational Outcomes

Diet is not only related to overweight and obesity which impact physical health, but cognitive behaviour and development too. In 2009 a study was carried out to determine the causal effects of Jamie Oliver’s 2004 ‘Feed Me Better’ campaign – which was aimed at improving school meals within the UK – on educational performance (7).

This campaign brought about drastic changes in meals offered in the schools of one area, shifting from low-budget processed meals, high in fat, salt and sugar to healthier options.

The campaign increased test scores in both English and Science when compared with those scores of children who had not taken part in the campaign. This is reflected as the percentage of pupils reaching level 4 in English increased by 3 to 6 percentage points and the percentage of pupils reaching level 5 in Science increased by 3 to 8 percentage points (7). Additionally a considerable decrease in absenteeism was found following the campaign, particularly in ‘authorised absences’ which are more likely to be due to sickness, and therefore health. The rate of absenteeism fell by about .80 percentage points which is about 15% of the average absenteeism rate within the sample (7).

Full study here, ISER Working Paper Series.

Too Fat Too Fight, A Report By Mission Readiness: Military Leaders For Kids

75% of all young Americans aged 17 to 24 years are unable to join the military. Being overweight or obese is the leading medical reason why applicants fail to qualify for the military service, with at least 9 million of this age group being classes as too overweight to serve (8).

Increasing obesity rates are therefore not only threatening the overall health of America but also the future strength of the military, as according to the CDC during the past decade the number of states with 40% of young adults considered to be overweight or obese has risen from 1 state to 39 states. In 3 states, Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi, more than half of the adults are overweight (8).

Read the full report by Mission Readiness: Military Leaders for Kids here.

On Track To Getting Even Fatter

According to projections presented by Northwestern Medicine Researchers, at the American Heart Association (AHA), by 2020 the majority of adults in America will be overweight or obese and more than half will suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions. (9)

Based on patterns observed in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) from 1988 to 2008, the study which is representative of all Americans, projects that in 2020, 83% of men and 72% of women will be overweight or obese (compared to 72% of men and 63% of women currently). In addition, the study projects a huge impact on blood sugars, predicting that in 2020, 77% of men and 53% of women will have either diabetes or pre-diabetes (compared to 62% of men and 43% of women currently)(9).

In order to reverse these trend on obesity, blood sugars and to improve overall cardiovascular health, Americans need to improve health behaviors related to diet, physical activity, body weight and smoking (10).

Read more here

Today’s Teens Will Die Younger of Heart Disease

Currently less than 5% of Americans have ideal cardiovascular health (9) and a new study which takes a complete snapshot of adolescent cardiovascular health in the US, has reported that today’s teens, categorized as the unhealthiest in history, are likely to die younger of heart disease than people of prior generations (11).

Health profiles of 5,547 12 - 19 year olds, representative of 33.1 million US children and adolescents have revealed alarming results – including high blood sugar levels, poor diet and overweight and obesity - all of which impact our cardiovascular health. This data indicates that ideal cardiovascular health is being lost as early as the teenage years, the impacts of which are already being seen as for the first time there is an increase in cardiovascular mortality rates in younger adults aged 35 to 44 (11).

According to the study none of the diets analyzed met all five criteria for being healthy (11). Poor diets, coupled with a low physical activity increase the likelihood of overweight and obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and increased blood sugars levels and diabetes, all of which are risk factors for heart disease (12).

Read more here.

Obesity Overtakes Smoking, Posing A Greater Health Treat To America

According to a study using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) ‘the largest ongoing state-based health survey of US adults’ and the National Health Interview Study (NHIS), obesity has overtaken smoking, posing a greater health threat to Americans.

The analysis, which uses quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), (preference based measurements of health related quality of life to provide an assessment of overall burden of disease), suggests that the morbidity-mortality curves for smoking and obesity in the US have crossed as the latter appears to have become the greater health threat. From 1993 to 2008 the proportion of smokers among US adults declined 18.5% whereas the proportion of obese people increased 85% resulting in a greater QALYs lost due to obesity than due to smoking (13).

Estimating the overall burden of smoking and obesity over time, the study results indicate that because of the marked increase in the proportion of obese people, obesity has become an equal, if not greater, contributor to the burden of disease than smoking (13).

Read the full study here

Payment For Pediatric Obesity Services Now Can Save Money Later

Pediatric obesity ends up costing $3 billion annually in the U.S. But according to a study carried out by UCLA researchers and colleagues, a significant amount of that could be saved by streamlining medical coverage to address health issues affecting young obese patients now rather than waiting to treat conditions they develop later in life. The UCLA-led work group from the FOCUS on a Fitter Future collaboration of the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions reviewed existing successful programs to evaluate what works best.

"With pediatric obesity, the focus has been on the related diseases that usually come later, such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension," said lead author Dr. Wendy Slusser, medical director of the UCLA Fit for Healthy Weight program at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA. "However, what we see now is that the obese child or adolescent may suffer from gastrointestinal disorders, mental health issues and musculoskeletal problems such as backaches or knee problems. By investing in the health issues of today, we can improve the health conditions of tomorrow and ultimately impact the future costs."

Read more here.

More Information And Facts:

Want to know the obesity rates for your state? Use this National Obesity Comparison Tool to determine the percentage of your population that is obese and compare it to national averages.

The Rudd Report: Audio Podcast Series from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity. Hosted by Kelly Brownell, Rudd Center Director, the series features experts in nutrition, food marketing, food policy and law, the food industry, and weight bias.

Check out the Food Revolution Obesity and Diabetes Factsheet for more statistics on both childhood and adult obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Studies
1. British Journal Of Cancer
2. World Cancer Research Fund
3. World Cancer Research Fund – Cancer Frequency
4. CDC Obesity Statistics
5. Web MD – CDC Teens Don’t Eat Enough Fruits and Veggies
6. EWG – Sugar in Children’s Cereals
7. Institute for Social and Economic Research
8. Too Fat Too Fight: Retired Military Leaders Want Junk Food Out Of America’s Schools - A report by Mission Readiness: Military Leaders for Kids
9. On Track To Getting Even Fatter: Northwestern University
10. CDC Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention
11.Today’s Teens Will Die Younger of Heart Disease
12.CDC Heart Disease Fact Sheet
13. Trends in Quality-Adjusted Life-Years Lost Contributed by Smoking And Obesity: Does the Burden of Obesity Overweight the Burden of Smoking?
14. UCLA Health System: Study Finds Payment For Pediatric Obesity Services Now Can Save Money Later

Image
Taken from this CDC video on Obesity trends in the USA.