Could air conditioners be adding to the obesity epidemic?
According to a group of 20 researchers, air conditioning reduces sweating, which may play a role in the obesity boom. That seems like a bit of a stretch, but the researchers say cool environments are only part of the problem.
David Allison, a biostatistician at the University of Alabama, recruited 19 researchers from the U.S., Canada and Italy to assess the results of more than 100 obesity studies. The goal: Examine factors that contribute to obesity beyond what Mr. Allison believes are the two most commonly cited factors: reduced physical activity and food marketing practices.
How’s that again? Are those really the top two obesity factors? I would say that excessive calorie intake – especially from highly processed, low nutrient foods – would be a key factor. Putting “food marketing” at number two implies that we have no free will about what we choose to eat – the marketing made us fat!
No. The Twinkies we ate while sitting on the couch made us fat.
ANY way these 20 researchers came up with a list of additional factors that contribute to obesity. Some are valid (and proven), while one or two are a bit iffy.
Insufficient sleep made the list. In the e-Alert “Connect the Dots” (12/9/04), I told you about a Columbia University study that showed how an average of six hours of sleep per night increases obesity risk by nearly 25 percent.
Other obesity culprits include:
- genetic influences
- drugs that cause weight gain
- older women giving birth (studies show their children are more likely to be obese)
- a higher population of middle-aged folks and Hispanics (two groups that are prone to obesity)
- endocrine disruptors in food that alter body fats.
The factor that stands out as most iffy is “natural selection” – stating that obese people outlive underweight people. In the e-Alert “Mineral Web” (5/31/06), I told you about a study that suggested those who carry a little extra weight after the age of 80 tend to prolong their life spans compared to people who have normal weight. But that doesn’t mean that people who are obese at 65 are more likely to live to 90. Obviously the opposite is true. Drop by any nursing home. How many obese residents do you count?
Sources:
“Putative Contributors to the Secular Increase in Obesity: Exploring the Roads Less Traveled” International Journal of Obesity, 6/27/06, nature.com/ijo
“New Look at Obesity: Scientists List Fat Top 10” Marilynn Marchione, Chicago Sun Times, 6/28/06, suntimes.com
