Chapter 8. – Food /Mood Connections
"I knew no other way than eating to alleviate the loneliness, to fill in the spaces where comfort
and security could have been."
- Andie Mitchel, It Was Me all Along. A Memoir
Being overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk of global death.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years
and older, were overweight in 2014. Of these, over 600 million – 1 in 8 adults globally - were
obese. The United Nations' goal, set in 2010, to halt the increase in obesity by 2025 will not be
met if the current trajectory continues (The Economist, 2016).
The prevalence of obesity nearly doubled between 1980 and 2008. Global evidence
shows an ever-expanding prevalence of obesity, generally defined as exceeding the average
weight for one's height and age by 20%. The prevalence of obesity is double that of
undernutrition.
Nearly 90% of Americans believe
they are overweight and more than 35% say
they want to lose at least 50 pounds.
Recently, the diet industry has been
caving into the healthy food consumption
industry "consumers are looking for a more
holistic, more health and wellness
approach... Therefore, the shift in food
trends is towards fresher and more natural
ingredients."
Figure 8.1 Prevalence of Self-Reported Obesity Among U.S. Adults
The social class seems to play a role: women from lower-class • Overweight and obesity
backgrounds whose diets are more likely to be higher in fats and account for
– 44% of diabetes
carbohydrates are
– 23% of ischemic heart
six times more disease
– 7-41% of cancer
1
, likely to be obese than upper-class women. Studies of immigrants and their descendants show
that as new generations move up the socioeconomic scale, obesity, especially among females,
declines. A simple extrapolation from the body measurements of a child's Barbie doll reveals the
tremendous social pressure toward slimness and form. - These dimensions are unrealistic for a
living female.
Figure 8.2 BODY MASS INDEX AND RISK OF DISEASE. The relative risk of disease is plotted against
body mass index (BMI), calculated as (body mass in kg)/(height in meters)2 or, alternatively, as (body mass in lbs
x 703.1)/(height in inches).
BMI values in the 20-25 range are considered desirable, 25-30 are classified as overweight, and over 30 are
classified as obese.
The relative risk of disease compares an individual's probability (corrected for age) of having a disease with that of
the general population. The curvilinear relationship indicates that obesity markedly increases disease risk.
Obese people are at increased risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, Diabetes, Back and
joint problems, and respiratory disorders. Fat men have a higher incidence of colon, rectum, and
prostate cancers. Overweight women are at a greater risk for developing Malignant tumors of the
ovaries and uterine lining and, after menopause, of the breasts.
In today's striving-for-slimness generation, there is an alarmingly high incidence of
dangerously underweight individuals. In some cases, dramatic weight loss may be attributed to a
brain tumor, bowel disease, Or glandular dysfunction.
Is Sugar The world's most popular and dangerous drug?
Giving to babies becomes a driving force behind the foods they will
crave for the rest of their lives. And there are NO IMMEDIATE
NEGATIVE EFFECTS!
Historically, Sugar is one of the numbers of "drug foods" that
came out of the tropics and upon which nations built their empires
beginning in the 16th century - Join the party with tea, cocoa,
Chocolate, and tobacco.
More than anything, it makes children happy, at least for the period
during which they're consuming it. It calms their distress, eases their pain, focuses their
attention and leaves them excited and full of joy until the dose wears off. The only downside is
2
"I knew no other way than eating to alleviate the loneliness, to fill in the spaces where comfort
and security could have been."
- Andie Mitchel, It Was Me all Along. A Memoir
Being overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk of global death.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years
and older, were overweight in 2014. Of these, over 600 million – 1 in 8 adults globally - were
obese. The United Nations' goal, set in 2010, to halt the increase in obesity by 2025 will not be
met if the current trajectory continues (The Economist, 2016).
The prevalence of obesity nearly doubled between 1980 and 2008. Global evidence
shows an ever-expanding prevalence of obesity, generally defined as exceeding the average
weight for one's height and age by 20%. The prevalence of obesity is double that of
undernutrition.
Nearly 90% of Americans believe
they are overweight and more than 35% say
they want to lose at least 50 pounds.
Recently, the diet industry has been
caving into the healthy food consumption
industry "consumers are looking for a more
holistic, more health and wellness
approach... Therefore, the shift in food
trends is towards fresher and more natural
ingredients."
Figure 8.1 Prevalence of Self-Reported Obesity Among U.S. Adults
The social class seems to play a role: women from lower-class • Overweight and obesity
backgrounds whose diets are more likely to be higher in fats and account for
– 44% of diabetes
carbohydrates are
– 23% of ischemic heart
six times more disease
– 7-41% of cancer
1
, likely to be obese than upper-class women. Studies of immigrants and their descendants show
that as new generations move up the socioeconomic scale, obesity, especially among females,
declines. A simple extrapolation from the body measurements of a child's Barbie doll reveals the
tremendous social pressure toward slimness and form. - These dimensions are unrealistic for a
living female.
Figure 8.2 BODY MASS INDEX AND RISK OF DISEASE. The relative risk of disease is plotted against
body mass index (BMI), calculated as (body mass in kg)/(height in meters)2 or, alternatively, as (body mass in lbs
x 703.1)/(height in inches).
BMI values in the 20-25 range are considered desirable, 25-30 are classified as overweight, and over 30 are
classified as obese.
The relative risk of disease compares an individual's probability (corrected for age) of having a disease with that of
the general population. The curvilinear relationship indicates that obesity markedly increases disease risk.
Obese people are at increased risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, Diabetes, Back and
joint problems, and respiratory disorders. Fat men have a higher incidence of colon, rectum, and
prostate cancers. Overweight women are at a greater risk for developing Malignant tumors of the
ovaries and uterine lining and, after menopause, of the breasts.
In today's striving-for-slimness generation, there is an alarmingly high incidence of
dangerously underweight individuals. In some cases, dramatic weight loss may be attributed to a
brain tumor, bowel disease, Or glandular dysfunction.
Is Sugar The world's most popular and dangerous drug?
Giving to babies becomes a driving force behind the foods they will
crave for the rest of their lives. And there are NO IMMEDIATE
NEGATIVE EFFECTS!
Historically, Sugar is one of the numbers of "drug foods" that
came out of the tropics and upon which nations built their empires
beginning in the 16th century - Join the party with tea, cocoa,
Chocolate, and tobacco.
More than anything, it makes children happy, at least for the period
during which they're consuming it. It calms their distress, eases their pain, focuses their
attention and leaves them excited and full of joy until the dose wears off. The only downside is
2
