Obesity and Metabolic Health

READ: “Mortality risk in patients with obesity and COVID-19 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis” - published in ScienceDirect

Mortality risk in patients with obesity and COVID-19 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis - ScienceDirect

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0026049524000386

This published meta-analysis confirms what we learned anecdotally during the Covid “pandemic” about obesity and COVID-19 severity. Obesity as a serious risk factor was a topic studiously avoided by nearly everyone even as the mounting evidence was accumulationg.

Only the Lone Ranger had real Silver Bullets

Many doctors and other health professionals recommend “silver bullet” therapeutics and therapies to protect against respiratory illnesses and their severity. Some recommendations such as increasing Vitamin D levels are excellent advice needed to boost protective immune health, but many other people sometimes offer questionable advice especially regarding supplements. 

For example, a local retired public school teacher promoted herself as a nutrition consultant. Ten years ago, she began selling supplements for a well-known multi-level marketing conglomerate. Everything she knows and believes about nutrition comes from the company and its proprietary research publications that it describe the purpose and effectiveness of their products. She has no prior degrees in nutrition or any other sciences related to the human body, and she had refused to read anything other that the company’s product literature. In my opinion, she practices “silver bulletin” nutrition counselling.

My daughter stood first in her class upon graduation with a B.A.Sc. Applied Human Nutrition from the Guelph University class of 2020. She worked as summer student in a retail store for a top-name nutrition supplements corporation a few years earlier and shares my views on the “silver bullet” approach to nutritional health. Today, she works as skilled Dietetics professional in a major Canada teaching hospital.

Metabolic Syndrome

How many people do you know that can explain the nature and prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome ?

Ignored too often, perhaps the best overall health advice might be to…

PREVENT metabolic syndrome through diet and exercise in order to maintain a healthy BMI and sugar metabolism.

Today, I am the same weight (1970 lbs, 5’10” tall) as I was in the early 1970s when I played on the varsity rugby team at the University of Waterloo. This has been by choice and disciple. Whenever my weight approached 175 lbs, I consciously chose to eat less to ensure that I would never exceeded that 175 lb bar. I never have.

My biases

My lifelong interest in health and fitness has been diligently applied to my own lifestyle practices. I am proud of the results. It did, however, affect my judgement of others. For example, as young, single man, I refused to date any woman who smoked or was heavy and sedentary. I knew from my Kinesiology studies that a marriage to one of them would likely lead to many avoidable health consequences that would interfere with a wholesome and fullfing life together. Besides, it suggested to me that they had no respect for themselves, an unacceptable character flaw.

Over the years, when I observed people smoking, or grossly overweight, I admit to judgemental thoughts. I hoped for the day that I would not be expected to pay the tax bill for the consequences of their high risk lifestyle choices.

I am not proud of those judgemental moments, but I feel justified in having them. It informed my belief that people should be held accountable personally for the consequences of their lifestyle choices. 

I am not advocating the US system.

Americans may pay directly and heavily for the consequences of their personal lifestyle choices, especially when hospitalized and the bill arrives. However, the corruption of their system is where the real problems exist with their unacceptable approach. The fact of America’s obesity epidemic is clear evidence that a direct-payment system for hospital care does not necessarily deter everyone from consistently engaging in bad health habits. 

Unfortunately, those who do exercise their Freedom of Informed Choice to safeguard their personal health are usually taxed excessivlely to pay for the “sins” of others. The data collected from silent/invisible cohort of diligent health & fitness practitioners rarely affects useful conclusions in published research papers. Public funding for research in Canada rewards scientists to analyze, discuss and highlights the risky behaviours like smoking and poor nutrition habits rather than showcasing the healthy ones and their outcomes.

Mixed signals.

Our culture celebrates images of svelt young ladies in bikinis and buff young men with athletic bodies AS IF their atttactive, healthy bodies happen by an accident of birth rather than years of consistent good choices.

CHOICE is the key determinant of most health-related outcomes. To ensure those healthy bodies remain so, their owners need to know what it takes to sustain and maintain them. This implies the need for education, the application of best practices, personal responsibility and a serious commitment.

TOUGH LOVE is sometimes needed. Some people must be encouraged to face the reality that their own choices were primary causes of many of their health problems. They are NOT VICTIMs of the actions and insctiond of others. Instead, they suffer the consequences of taking their health for granted without giving their bodies the regular care and maintence needed. 

Our bodies are not leased cars which can be replaced every three years after doing the minimum to keep them working.

We get only one body and expect it to last 90+ years.

“Silver bullet” treatments taken when the body begins to perform sub-optimally is a poor substitute for a regular maintenance and tuneup schedule.  

Enjoy the day and pay attention to your metabolic health.