Madely Health Headlines Commentary for August 20, 2010

Source:

More water equals less weight: study

Related articles:

1. Parents choose lesser-calorie foods for their children when given the choice
2. Estrogen-sensitive breast cancer risk reduction study finds two drugs that work but have trade-offs
3. Omega-3 fatty acids do not improve heart health when the barn door has already closed

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for August 17, 2010

Source:

Bariatric Surgery Resolves Diabetes, Saves Money

Related articles:

1. Obesity surgery can reverse type II diabetes for some
2. Sitagliptin, a novel treatment for type II diabetes
3. Addition of fibrates to conventional treatments does not reduce heart attack risk in type II diabetics

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for August 10, 2010

Source:

Girls as young as 7 hitting puberty: U.S. study

References:

Frank M. Biro, MD, director, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati.

Biro, F. Pediatrics, published online Aug. 9, 2010.

Warren Seigel, MD, Committee on Adolescence, American Academy of Pediatrics; chair, department of pediatrics, Coney Island Hospital, Brooklyn, N.Y.

CDC: “Childhood Overweight and Obesity.”

Related articles:

1. US study shows rise of sports-related concussions in children
2. Study shows that women who drank more alcohol gained relatively less weight… because they ate less!
3. The Injury Prevention Program

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for April 1, 2010

Source:

Canadians stuck on weight-loss roller coaster

Related articles:

1. Preventing Weight Loss Scams: Weight loss centres need oversight and regulation
2. Weight loss with 4-minute workouts? Were it only thus
3. Mouse model indicates that a higher fat breakfast may control daily food intake and weight

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for March 29, 2010

Source:

Addicted to Fat: Overeating May Alter the Brain as Much as Hard Drugs

Reference:

Dopamine D2 receptors in addiction-like reward dysfunction and compulsive eating in obese rats

Comment: This study looked at a rat model. However the implications should lead to further our understanding on how this might relate to eating behaviours in humans.

Related articles:

1. New understanding how cannabis may affect brain chemistry and its relation to mood disorder risk
2. What foods and dietary patterns reduce the risk of heart disease?
3. Antibiotic resistance comes from many sources and behaviours

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for March 9, 2010

Source:

Cheers! A Drink a Day May Keep the Pounds Away

Reference:

Alcohol Consumption, Weight Gain, and Risk of Becoming Overweight in Middle-aged and Older Women

Related articles:

1. Study shows breast development beginning earlier in girls, causality needs to be determined
2. Our lifestyle choices (smoking, diet, alcohol and exercise) and impact on our health
3. Early stage study shows virus can destroy prostate cancer cells

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for March 4, 2010

Source:

Genes point to best diets

Related articles:

1. Observational data supports Mediterranean diet reduces Alzheimer risk
2. Live cartilage transplant a success in Calgary
3. More genes linked to breast cancer risk

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for November 10, 2009

Source:  Battle With Heart Disease Moves to the Doctor’s Office

Related articles:

1. Cuts in salt would reduce stroke, heart risks: study
2. Erectile dysfunction as a predictor of heart disease
3. Cortisol levels in hair may be an indicator of heart attack in men who are already at risk of heart disease

Madely Health Headlines Commentary for October 15, 2009

Source:

Big Fat Diet a recipe for good health: Doctor

Additional comment:

There are several flaws in the arguments presented by Dr. Jay Wortman with respect to cause and effect but he is to be commended as well for his anthropological insight by matching diet to genetic adaptation.

This population has adapted to its environment over thousands of years. These foods are a reintroduction of normalcy for them; a return to the traditional diets that served them well. The North American junk foods that have invaded their dietary regimen has injected excess calories and subsequent weight gain. This is evident in many First Nations communities where obesity and diabetes are common and exceed general population rates.

There is no indication in the article if the study was published; important it the peer-review process. We are then left with only observational data. The effect of this diet could be compared to other low carbohydrate diets in the medical literature if it were published and allow further critical appraisal. Would this diet have similar outcomes for other cultures and ethnic backgrounds?

The study did not look at long-term compliance; a major issue with strict dietary regimens. Compliance becomes an issue when junk foods that were introduced into this population remain available.

As mentioned, peer-review would examine the data collected and the results of the study and questioned this claim,

“Within weeks of giving up sweet, starchy foods, Wadhams lost 19 pounds and went off the diabetes medications he had been swallowing for years”

Dr. Yoni Feedhoff, author of one the best science blogs about weight management, diet, misleading food benefit claims, and food science, provides this analysis of the claim:

“The weight reportedly lost rapidly may well have been real, but not impressive.  Meaning that when someone goes on a low-carb diet (which is of course what Dr.Wortman promotes), two things happen.  Firstly their body depletes itself of its glycogen stores (primarily from liver and muscle) which make up the roughly 24 hrs worth of stored carbohydrates the body has on hand.  Glycogen is stored along with a great deal of water so utilization mobilizes the water which of course gets excreted.  This can easily affect a 5-10 lb weight loss in a single week.  Couple that with ketosis which causes increased urination and voila – rapid weight loss.”

Hence the need for peer-review and published data.

The article goes on to state,

“He says the Canadian Diabetes Association, which sets guidelines for doctors and nurses treating the two million diabetics across the country, needs to wake up to the benefits of eating more fat and eliminating carbohydrate-rich foods like pop, pasta and potatoes.

“This diet should be offered as a valid option,” says Wortman, who describes Type 2 diabetes as an “intolerance” to carbohydrates that are loaded into many modern foods.

This statement is correct from the perspective of reducing calories, not because of eating more fat. Weight loss is a result of a deficit of calories. However given the limited scope of this study and its population-specific nature, one cannot draw any conclusions on the effect it would have on people of different genetic backgrounds.

Dr. Freedhoff adds,

“Regarding the benefits of a low-carb diet for diabetics – I don’t entirely disagree.  Low-carb diets are often quite satiating due to the fact that they’re much higher in protein and fat.  Consequently people on ad-libitum low carb diets like Atkins’ and Jay’s will consume fewer calories due to being less hungry.  The issue I take with low carb dieting is the fact that for the vast majority of folks, they’re not sustained in which cases the results are just another big fat diet.”

Related articles:

1. How a low-carb, high-protein diet affects your body
2. Diet Soda May Hurt Kidneys: not with this study
3. For a healthier diet, just skip the latest fad