New Scientist magazine recent ran an article on causes of obesity other than the well known 'calories in vs calories burned' part. Some of the interesting causes include lack of sleep, climate control, drugs, (not) smoking and pollution. Most of the other issues were related to selective pressure and the condition mothers are in when they give birth.

One cause they left out is the changing nature of our food. This is not just that we are eating more highly processed foods. Our fresh food is also different. Fertilisers, chemicals and breeding programs have allowed rapid increases in the size of fruits and vegetables. However, a lot of this increase is in the form of extra water and sugar - not necessarily nutritional value. Our bodies sense the need for more nutrients and make us eat more. Of course, the same argument applies to processed foods, and is probably a stronger effect there.

The New Scientist article:

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg19225760.900-the-10-roads-to-fatsville.html

The 10 roads to Fatsville
03 November 2006

Ask anyone why there is an obesity epidemic and they will tell you that it's all down to eating too much and burning too few calories. That is undoubtedly true - you cannot get round the first law of thermodynamics. It's also true that we live in an "obesogenic environment": calorific food is plentiful and cheap and our lifestyles are increasingly sedentary. Most of us have to make an effort not to get fat.

That explanation appeals to common sense and has dominated efforts to get to the root of the obesity epidemic and reverse it. Yet obesity researchers are increasingly dissatisfied with it.

Earlier this year a review paper by 20 obesity experts set out the 10 most plausible alternative explanations for the epidemic (International Journal of Obesity, DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803326).

Quitting smoking may also be a cause.  I've gained about 10 - maybe more - since last year at this time. 

10 what?

According to another recent study based on a controlled test, if you eat slowly you will consume less, enjoy your food more and feel fuller an hour later.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/US-study-links-suburban-sprawl-to-weight/2006/12/19/1166290520170.html

US children who live in expansive suburbs may start to pay for it with expansive waistlines, new research suggests.

Using data from a national health survey, researchers found that teenagers living in sprawling suburbs were more than twice as likely to be overweight as teens in more compact urban areas.

The findings echo those of a 2003 study by the same researchers that focused on US adults. The researchers believe the same factors may be driving the link between suburban living and teenagers' weight - the major one being reliance on cars.

Experts believe that trans fatty acid is the cause of our obesity.  Denmark has already banned it - and we should really follow.

[[Unlike other fats, trans fats are neither required nor beneficial for health. Eating trans fat increases the risk of coronary heart disease. For these reasons, health authorities worldwide recommend that consumption of trans fat be reduced to trace amounts. Trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils are generally considered to be more of a health risk than those occurring naturally.]]

These are the fats used in takeaway foods and biscuits and breads that are shiny, but apparently this is where a big part of the problem lies.

As far as Americans giving their dogs diet pills - this is ridiculous.  Maybe they should just take the poor animals for more walks - it will help them as well.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/aussies-scale-new-heights-in-obesity/2007/02/22/1171733955297.html

WE MAY have produced such fine athletic specimens as Cathy Freeman, Ian Thorpe and Brett Lee, but it seems Australia has also produced a nation of fatties.

The dubious honour has been handed down by the Forbes organisation, which released its list of the fattest countries based on body mass index, a measure of weight relative to height.

Australia weighed in at 21st, with almost 70 per cent of the population considered overweight or obese, based on recent estimates from the World Health Organisation.

Of the top 10 countries on the list, eight were from the South Pacific, with Nauru tipping the scales in first position with 94 per cent of its adult population overweight.

The US was ninth with 74 per cent overweight and Britain was 28th with almost 64 per cent of its population overweight.

Quote:


Its the youth of today who are the main fat ones.
Some Causes are tv, computer games, fast food, parents driving kids to and from school. etc.

social pressure will give an incentive to become thinner

But will it achieve thinner people?

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Vic-schools-to-get-healthy-eating-tips/2007/03/13/1173722473256.html

One in four Australian children is overweight or obese and condemned to a high-risk, disease-ridden adult life, a peak health body says.

Nutrition Australia is introducing a healthy eating program to Victorian schools in a bid to curb the growing obesity epidemic.

The Healthy Eating Schools program will aid 40,000 children across 98 Victorian schools.

"Children must be taught the basics of nutrition from a very early age and then encouraged to develop healthy lifestyle behaviours, which they can carry into adulthood," Ms Dobson said.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Obesity-to-impact-on-next-generation/2007/03/15/1173722617735.html

The world is facing an obesity crisis and the generation of children born today may be the first to be sicker and die younger than their parents, Adelaide's latest thinker in residence says.

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Canberra 'abandoning' child fat fight

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Canberra-abandoning-child-fat-fight/2007/03/19/1174152964219.html

A $100 million government plan to tackle childhood obesity may have been dumped because of a "blame the parents" mentality, a leading children's health expert says.

Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott's office would not confirm reports the government's budget razor gang had cut a scheme that would have allowed parents to seek advice on their pre-school children from practice nurses.

Mr Abbott had reportedly included the plan in his pre-budget "wish list".

Labor accused the government of abandoning parents in their fight against childhood obesity.

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Fight against obesity 'expands' in Vic

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Fight-against-obesity-expands-in-Vic/2007/03/19/1174152959554.html

The Victorian government will expand its fight against childhood obesity under a $3.6 million plan that will help more than 10,000 kids and some adults.

Acting Victorian Health Minister Gavin Jennings said the plan involves setting up new healthy eating and exercise programs in six locations across the state, expanding on three already running in Geelong, Colac and Moreland.

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Juice kids 'likely to be overweight'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Juice-kids-likely-to-be-overweight/2007/03/20/1174153014580.html

Children who drink more than two glasses of fruit juice per day are more likely to be overweight or obese, according to new research.

The researchers took a one-day snap shot of the eating habits of 2,184 children aged four to 12 years from eight kindergartens and 18 primary schools in the Barwon region in Victoria's south-west.

"Children who drank more than three glasses of soft drink - three quarters of a litre or 750ml - or four glasses of fruit juice/drinks on the day in question were more than twice as likely to be overweight or obese compared with children who did not drink these drinks," she said.

Dr Sanigorski said some parents mistakenly thought that giving their child fruit juice was a healthy alternative to soft drinks.

"One in five children ate no vegetables at all on the day in question," Dr Sanigorski said.

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PM bags minister's school obesity plan

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/pm-bags-ministers-school-obesity-plan/2007/04/13/1175971314371.html

Prime Minister John Howard has criticised a proposal by his own education minister for all Year five students to be weighed as "too prescriptive".

Parents Victoria has described the plan as potentially humiliating for children.

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Glycemic-load-doesnt-affect-weight-loss/2007/04/20/1176697046520.html

Glycemic load doesn't affect weight loss

When it comes to losing weight, the number of calories you eat, rather than the type of carbohydrates, may be what matters most, according to a new study.

The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggest that diets low in "glycemic load" are no better at taking the pounds off than more traditional - and more carbohydrate-friendly - approaches to calorie-cutting.

The concept of glycemic load is based on the fact that different carbohydrates have different effects on blood sugar. White bread and potatoes, for example, have a high glycemic index, which means they tend to cause a rapid surge in blood sugar. Other carbs, such as high-fibre cereals or beans, create a more gradual change and are considered to have a low glycemic index.

The measurement of glycemic load takes things a step further by considering not only an individual food's glycemic index, but its total number of carbohydrates. A sweet juicy piece of fruit might have a high glycemic index, but is low in calories and grams of carbohydrate. Therefore, it can fit into a diet low in glycemic load.

However, the effort of figuring out what's an allowable carb might not be worth it, if the new study is any indication.

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/junk-food-tv-ads-making-kids-fat-study/2007/04/19/1176696987584.html

Junk food TV ads making kids fat: study

Two-thirds of food advertisements during popular children's television programs promote junk food, and a new study claims it could be making children fat.

The report comes amid growing concern over childhood obesity and evidence it is linked to television watching.

The University of Sydney researchers say their findings are further evidence that laws governing acceptable viewing for children should be tightened to reduce their exposure to junk food marketing.

The study measured the number of advertisements for high-fat and high-sugar foods during programs popular with children aged five to 12 and teenagers aged 13 to 17, and compared it to adult viewing hours.

The research team found the number of junk food commercials was much higher during times when children were watching.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Parents-want-junk-food-TV-ad-ban-survey/2007/05/16/1178995191789.html

An overwhelming majority of Australian parents believe junk food advertising is bad for their children's health and should be banned during popular viewing hours, a national survey has found.

But the government has stuck to its guns and maintained a ban would not help tackle the obesity epidemic.

More than 86 per cent of parents want a complete ban on advertising of unhealthy foods at times when children watch television, while almost 89 per cent believe stronger government-imposed restrictions on advertising are warranted.

The Queensland-health funded survey, which advocacy group Coalition on Food Advertising to Children commissioned an independent polling group to conduct, quizzed a random sample of 400 parents across Australia who have children under 14.

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Low-fat yoghurts 'have more kilojoules'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Lowfat-yoghurts-have-more-kilojoules/2007/05/25/1179601664898.html

They claim to be "lite" and easy on the hips, but many popular low-fat yoghurts have more kilojoules than their full-fat counterparts, a study has shown.

Two of them even have more fat.

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Single, obese mums breed chubby children

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Single-obese-mums-breed-chubby-children/2007/06/03/1180809311985.html

Overweight or single mums are more likely to breed chubby children, new research has found.

A study published in the Medical Journal of Australia shows a mother's weight and marital status have more influence on childhood obesity than her parenting style.

The study found that family conflict, negative life events, and maternal depression were not likely to affect a child's tendency to become overweight or obese.

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Entertaining TV shows make you pig out

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Entertaining-TV-shows-make-you-pig-out/2007/06/03/1180809309482.html

People eat more when they are glued to the television, and the more entertaining the program, the more they eat, researchers say.

It seems that distracted brains do not notice what the mouth is doing, said Dr Alan Hirsch, neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago.

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Society blames mums for fat kids: study

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Society-blames-mums-for-fat-kids-study/2007/06/13/1181414355016.html

Society almost exclusively blames mothers for fat children and the nation's growing girth in general, a new review has found.

"They had either made their children fat by bad choices in pregnancy or even marrying an overweight man," Ms Malik said.

"Or they were blamed for bottle-feeding instead of breast-feeding, shopping badly, cooking wrong and packing inappropriate school lunches."

An "extremely small" number of the news stories specifically mentioned the role of fathers.

Ms Malik said many articles implicitly pitched responsible mothers against "neglectful refrigerator mothers made soft by welfarism".

"We're not saying mothers aren't to blame because clearly they do play a role," Ms Malik said.

"But we need to be looking at the bigger picture of society as a whole to really deal with this problem."

She said the results reflected a general reluctance to manage obesity with food advertising restrictions, resistance to canteen regulation and rejection of taxes on certain types of foods.

Obesity expert Professor Ian Caterson, from the University of Sydney, said mothers were often blamed because they are seen as the gatekeepers of food.

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Kellogg to make kids' foods 'healthier'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Kellogg-to-make-kids-foods-healthier/2007/06/15/1181414508848.html

Kellogg says it will increase the nutritional value of its cereals and snacks for children or stop marketing those products to them altogether.

Company brands such as Froot Loops cereal and Pop-Tarts toaster pastries that fall outside certain standards will either be reformulated or dropped from advertising that reaches audiences where at least half of the people are under age 12.

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Aspartame linked to cancer: study

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Aspartame-linked-to-cancer-study/2007/06/26/1182623862983.html

The US Food and Drug Administration says there is no need for an urgent review of the safety of aspartame, despite a new study showing the sweetener may cause cancer.

"This is the second study by the same lab showing that aspartame causes cancer in rats," Centre for Science in the Public Interest executive director Michael Jacobson said.

Interesting - although I always thought stress caused you to lose weight.  When you are worried and upset about something - eating is difficult.

Isn't it when you're relaxed and happy you put on weight?  There's some new conclusive study to the obesity problem every week.

I wonder how they would shrink fat cells.  Sounds painful.

Sprintcyclist wrote on Jul 3^rd, 2007 at 9:20am:



This is completely correct Sprint..its a no brainer. We know how to lose weight -society as a whole is too lazy.

freediver wrote on Jul 3^rd, 2007 at 1:15pm:

I don't think it is that easy. People do those things and it doesn't seem to make a difference. I think the problem is that much larger changes are necessary than viewing it in such a simple manner would lead a person to believe.

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/One-in-five-Queensland-kids-overweight/2007/07/11/1183833577588.html

More than one in five Queensland children are overweight or obese, new figures show.

The first study of child health in Queensland since 1995 has found the state is experiencing an epidemic of unhealthy, overweight children.

Overall, 21 per cent of Queensland children aged five to 17 are overweight or obese, including 19.5 per cent of boys and 22.7 per cent of girls.

But it was a better result than some states - the obesity rate being about three per cent lower than in NSW and Western Australia.

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Obese girl taken from parents in Britain

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/obese-girl-taken-from-parents-in-britain/2007/07/13/1183833764315.html

An overweight eight-year-old British girl who already wears size 16 clothes has been taken away from her parents and put into care.

The girl is 1.52 metres tall, but is already six sizes bigger than most girls her age and suffers from a range of health problems.

Cumbria County Council, in England's far north-west, has taken the girl from her parents because of fears she could be a victim of neglect, The Times reported.

It is the first time the council has removed a child from the family home because of obesity.

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Qld schools to focus more on exercise

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/qld-schools-to-focus-more-on-exercise/2007/07/17/1184559771381.html

Queensland primary school students will do 30 minutes of physical activity each day under a state government plan beginning next year.

Mr Welford said there had been a gradual drift away from physical eduction, but the plan would commit schools to looking after students' health.

He said they would be encouraged to incorporate movement into traditionally "passive" classroom subjects, like math.

"They can have formal exercise routines - or running around the oval - but they can also have action-packed classrooms. Classrooms where active learning is promoted and encouraged."

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Companies vow to control ads for kids

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Companies-vow-to-control-ads-for-kids/2007/07/19/1184559911217.html

Some of America's largest food and drink companies, including McDonald's and Coca-Cola have promised to put stricter controls on advertising aimed at children under 12.

The voluntary steps varied among the 11 companies and were announced as the Federal Trade Commission held a forum to spotlight the need for more responsible food marketing to help address childhood obesity.

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Low GI diets may improve acne

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Low-GI-diets-may-improve-acne/2007/07/23/1185042987135.html

The findings from a new study suggest another reason why diets that contain low glycemic loads may be of benefit. Not only can they improve insulin sensitivity, this type of diet also appears to clear up acne as well.

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Diet soft drinks may be risky: US study

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Diet-soft-drinks-may-be-risky-US-study/2007/07/24/1185043067518.html

Soft drinks - even diet ones - may be linked with increased risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, US researchers say.

They found adults who drink one or more soft drinks a day had about a 50 per cent higher risk of metabolic syndrome - a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure and other symptoms.

"When you have metabolic syndrome, your risk of developing heart disease or stroke doubles. You also have a risk of developing diabetes," said Dr Ramachandran Vasan of Boston University School of Medicine, whose work appears in the journal Circulation.

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New institute to tackle obesity problem

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/New-institute-to-tackle-obesity-problem/2007/07/26/1185339145671.html

A new Sydney research centre will be a key in battling Australia's obesity crisis, federal Health Minister Tony Abbott says.

Unveiling Sydney University's Institute of Obesity, Nutrition and Exercise on Thursday morning, Mr Abbott described obesity as Australia's "affluenza".

"(Obesity) is causing a whole range of chronic conditions which impact massively on our health costs and detract from our economic success," Mr Abbott said.

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No fat people in Nazi camps 'a blunder'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/No-fat-people-in-Nazi-camps-a-blunder/2007/08/05/1186252525344.html

New Zealand National leader John Key says a comment one of his MPs made that there were no fat people in concentration camps was offensive and regrettable.

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Bigger bodies 'a danger in mortuaries'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Bigger-bodies-a-danger-in-mortuaries/2007/08/05/1186252522715.html

Extremely obese bodies are becoming a safety hazard in mortuaries, according to pathologists who are calling for new "heavy duty" autopsy facilities as Australians get fatter.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Healthy-snacks-contain-stealthy-fat/2007/01/22/1169330793711.html

Several of Australia's favourite food brands have been "outed" by the independent consumer watchdog for making children fat.

Despite often being enticingly tagged as "all natural", "low GI", and "real fruit", a single serving of some of the snack foods analysed by Choice, pack as much of a kilojoule punch as a Big Mac and a middy of beer.

Nestle's Milo cereal, which trumpets its energy-building qualities, contains as much sugar and even more fat than the much maligned Kellogg's Coco Pops.

A single 27-gram Arnott's Tiny Teddy biscuit had the dubious honour of packing the most kilojoules into the least amount of food.

Ribena, promoted as a healthy children's drink, contains only five per cent blackcurrant - the rest is sugar and water.

Go Natural's berry pieces in yoghurt could be found in the health food section of a major supermarket but is laden with trans fatty acids.

Nestle spokesman Peter Kelly said Choice was confusing consumers and making an unhelpful contribution to the healthy diet debate.

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Young and old failing health guidelines

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Young-and-old-failing-health-guidelines/2007/08/31/1188067286232.html

Australians young and old are failing to meet national guidelines for exercise and nutrition, according to two major surveys of more than 30,000 people.

The studies released have painted a grim picture of a slothful, unhealthy nation of people eating poorly and exercising inadequately.

One of the surveys, of 16,000 adult Australians, showed one in four - 25 per cent - meet physical activity guidelines, while 55 per cent eat enough fruit and 15 per cent eat enough vegetables.

But an alarmingly small number - fewer than five per cent - met the criteria for all three guidelines, a statistic the University of Sydney and Deakin University researchers say is "extremely concerning".

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Negative body image affects all

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Negative-body-image-affects-all/2007/08/31/1188067284943.html

It has long been assumed that only women fret about body image.

Not so, says psychologist Dr Vivien Lewis.

Men are just as likely to experience negative body image.

The big difference is they are much less likely to seek help.

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Smokers, obese miss out on surgery

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Smokers-obese-miss-out-on-surgery/2007/09/09/1189276515786.html

Smokers and obese patients are being rejected for elective surgery in Victoria.

News Limited newspapers report that surgeons are turning away patients because of high odds of poor surgical outcomes linked to smoking and obesity, and to save money.

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I'd like to see the proof they mentioned:

Companies accused of junk food trickery

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Companies-accused-of-junk-food-trickery/2007/09/14/1189276908009.html

Australia's leading junk food manufacturers have been lambasted for their "trickery" and aggressive marketing to children in a new report calling for an overhaul of advertising regulations.

An independent review commissioned by The Cancer Council Australia has uncovered what researchers describe as extensive promotion of unhealthy products directly to kids and manipulative methods to link them with health and fitness.

The report analyses the public policy statements of eight of the nation's largest food companies.

It found that many pledge, but fail, to deliver on their commitment to responsible marketing to children.

"Our findings suggest that, despite these policies, most of the products promoted to children - and recalled by children - were those high in sugar, fat and salt," said lead author Professor Sandra Jones, from the University of Wollongong.

The Cancer Council is now calling for regulation of junk food marketing to children to try and stem an expected surge in obesity-related cancers.

However, manufacturers say food advertising has been proven to have little bearing on obesity and say the report is designed to influence the results of the current Australian Communication and Media Authority review into food advertising.

Kellogg's, Nestle and Uncle Toby's were found to link their products to sports events and athletes to "imply that consumption increases energy levels and physical performance".

"And where advertising is apparently targeted at parents, the emphasis is often on an association with health and fitness, even though in most cases the products are high in sugar, saturated fats and salt."

http://www.choice.com.au/viewArticle.aspx?id=105736&catId=100563&tid=100008&p=1&...

There are many myths about exercise — fictions which are endlessly perpetuated and validated through sheer repetition. And it’s not just the internet and other media. Even fitness professionals get it wrong sometimes.

Many of the misconceptions about exercise relate to whether it burns fat and calories, and how much. This leads some people to eat more than they should, relative to the amount of total activity they do each day, which in turn causes them to gain weight (or not lose as much as they’d like).

In this report we take a look at the 10 most common exercise myths, and give you the real facts.

"Exercising three times a week is enough."
"Walking burns 300 calories an hour, so if I walk for an hour I’ll burn off the 300 calorie chocolate bar I ate."
"No pain, no gain."
"Low-intensity exercise burns more fat."
"Walking one kilometre burns the same calories as running one kilometre.
"Swimming isn’t a good way to lose weight."
"Your metabolism increases after exercise, so you burn more calories even though you’ve stopped exercising."
"You burn more fat if you exercise on an empty stomach."
"You should stretch before exercising."
"I’m slim and healthy, I don’t need to exercise."

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Teens who eat breakfast weigh less, US study shows

http://news.smh.com.au/teens-who-eat-breakfast-weigh-less-us-study-shows/20080304-1wtb.html

Teenagers who eat breakfast consume more daily calories but weigh less than those who skip the first meal of the day, a study released Monday in the United States showed.

"This study clearly supports what other studies have shown: kids who skip breakfast tend to gain more weight, and therefore would be at a higher risk for obesity," said Dr Mark Pereira of the University of Minnesota's department of epidemiology and community health, which conducted the study.

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Australian scientists report weight loss breakthrough

http://news.smh.com.au/australian-scientists-report-weight-loss-breakthrough/20080429-297g.html

Australian scientists may have discovered how to help people lose weight without cutting back on food, a breakthrough that could pave the way for fat-burning drugs.

Researchers in Melbourne found that by manipulating fat cells in mice they were able to speed up the animals' metabolisms.

They found that when a particular enzyme, known as angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), was removed, mice were able to eat the same amount as other mice but burn more calories and therefore gain less weight.