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EventsDeveloping world reaches a billion overweight people – time for a change?
in The obesity epidemic 
The obesity epidemic is not only affecting the rich world. According to a new report, the number of overweight people in developing countries has quadrupled since 1980. In countries like China, Egypt and Mexico, there are now over a billion people with a weight problem.
BBC News: Obesity quadruples to nearly one billion in developing world
The Statistics
The trend is seen worldwide. Here’s the percentage of people with a weight problem in different regions in 1980 (yellow graphs) and 2008 (blue graphs):
Asia looks pretty good if you look at BMI numbers. But in reality things are a lot worse, as people of Asian origin on average are of a smaller build. When they reach overweight, as measured by BMI, they may already suffer from severe health problems, something that is illustrated by China’s ongoing diabetes disaster.
Despite lower BMI numbers, China seems to already have greater problems with weight-related ill health than Western countries do.
No Rethinking
A report by a British think tank offers no new ideas on how to solve the problem. Instead, the belief is that the obesity epidemic is caused by eating too little of starchy foods – and too much fat and animal foods. Really? When study after study has proven that such a dietary change on the contrary is the most effective for weight loss?
It’s perhaps not a coincidence that the UK is the fattest country in Europe. When British experts still believe in the outdated low-fat ideas that created the obesity epidemic, then there’s no hope of any help from them. But in the future, they will be questioned if they don’t update themselves… and finally people will stop listening to them. Fortunately there are already quite a few British critics rethinking this.
Einstein’s famous quote says: insanity is doing the same thing – over and over – and expecting a different result. It’s high time to stop the madness.
More
Insane Fat-Fighting Strategy in the UK
Many examples of people who rethought
I have seen the super market culture grow here only in the last ten years and people find it convenient to shop everthing at one place. But, it has its own drawbacks one of it being the easy availability of junk food. Hence, the above report pointing to growing obesity.
I saw this article in one of India's newspapers explaining the findings and suggestions of a study done in India regarding the burgeoning sugar consumption and its effects on Indian population:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Tax-beverages-in-India...
Now it is left to the decision makers.
The stated goal of this promotion is to help these countries feed everyone. But what they actually do is to replace the small local farmers who don't have access to American capital and aid. Thus, the small farmers and their local economies are pushed out. Then, the already filthy rich and greedy corporations get even richer. At the same time these policies will destroy the land and water as American agriculture is doing here at home. A great book to read about this is 'The Vegetarian Myth' by Lierre Keith. I think Lierre's book is on the same level of importance as Silent Spring and The Jungle.
It is the anti-Europe right-wing party in Hungary that is making an issue of it at the next EU parlement elections later this year (or is it next year?). It is becoming more moderate and so they are likely to get a lot of votes.
In my native Russia I can see more and more fat people on streets, even fat children. Without studying the statistic of food consumption, my personal impression- the reason is the capitalism which is obviously better than socialism, but creates an abundance and creative marketing which leads to the increase in snacking and the arrival of new products which are promoted as more nutritious, but in reality belong to the category of high-carbs-low-fat foods, which is not in the line with traditional pattern of eating.
During socialism we had no fat children and less fat adults, but still considerate amount of people with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer and other modern diseases.
Since fructose accelerates or causes the metabolic syndrome, also a lot more diabetes in the western world than Russia then.
I guess all grain based diets will cause heart disease, even whithout sugar in the bread, as long as there is enough food to cause blood sugar spikes after most meals and there are several meals a day.
To reverse arterial plaque blood sugar after meals must be kept as low as possible, else inflammation in arterial walls will re-build plaque. Google carbohydrates and postprandial blood sugar for details from trackyourplaque ! Lots of study references too!
https://asunews.asu.edu/201201008_glutenfreeresearch
What I comment is just what I think, so I think that in traditional cultures people continue to consider meat and eggs as products which should be stretched as far as possible by adding carbs, so they very easy achieve the very wrong fat/carbs ration when animal products get more available. When they start eating more meat, they still consume too much carbohydrates.
My father died from a heart arrest at 51, he was diagnosed with ischemia at 40. Dad was always thin except for a very brief period when he tried to follow a no-meat diet which his cardiologist advised. Without meat dad couldn't stop eating, and gave-up on a diet and going to his doctor after gaining weight at the middle. Weigh promptly went back to normal. He seems to be one of the people who had very lean extremities, and fat went only on his trunk. Doctor also advised to walk fast every day for at least one hour ,what my father did. Didn't make big difference in his longevity.
You do the same. Since when do you trust in research results so much? I gave you a reference to the study that oats are wrong even for horses, I bet it didn't prevent you from eating you favorite oatmeal daily.
In 6 weeks my angina was gone on a strict low carb high animal and coconut fat diet. That is two years ago now and my apoB/apoA was "less than normal risk for a heart attack 8 months ago. 0.63. Considering a couple of longer time left side heart stoppages between 2005 and December 2011, it must be regarded as an incredible improvement.
So I have plenty of "free time" to waste here after the Lucky Strike with Kostdoktorn, Diet Doctor and Annika Dalqvist! Need to pay back some way!
As I said, now I live more towards blood sugar neutral (BSN) eating and although it is mostly classical LCHF I add more greens and soups. Yet with fats to vegetables to get the most nutrients out of them. Yet I need to get rid of some more visceral fat around the organs as a key parameter, elevated morning sugar appeared after the first 6 months on LCHF.
Strength training and low protein at night may balance out the remaining metabolic syndrome after a year or so I believe but I am adding some interesting things that's for another time!
Sorry about your dad, but it is very hard to not follow doctors orders when one have spent the best part of ones life healthy assuming they will be there for you one day when you need them. It takes time and thought and lots of stubbornness to change that. Luckily for me I had good internet access already 2005 so I could at least check all the side effects. When I found that the listed ones - pharma official websites - were same as I had and my doctor hadn't told about them I lost confidence in the cardiologist. In a way that freed me to search for something better.
I think it is about 11 usd as a ebook or kindle. Those formats are best as you can go back and search for interesting bits and pieces later. He has tonnes of references also.
I've formed an opinion from observing people that the ones with extremities with very little amount of subcutaneous fat at more challenged in the are of cardio health because their legs and arms resist any fat accommodation. Probably, intermittent fasting is worth to try, but I am reluctant to recommend it to you 100% because it may increase the glucose production by liver in some people, and you already have some fasting glucose increase. I would advice you to stop all snacking, and have no more than 3 meals, absolutely no food 4 hours before bed-time. Did you think about doing HIIT (high intensity interval training)? I don't know, how safe it is for a person with serious heart condition because the short intervals (30 seconds to 1 minutes) should be very intense, like 90% of max heart rate.
Check out the latest article on the BBC website: "Campaigners vow to cut sugar in food"
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25650352
Is the world finally getting a grasp?
Happy new year and best wishes to all.
Before I learned better, I loved oatmeal..And oatmeal cookies too. I shutter to think what I've done to my body over the years eating such garbage!
And oats and other grains are not just bad for horses,but pet rabbits as well.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/GI_diseases/Fat_liver/Liver_en.htm
I got the research from the Paleo Guy blog http://thatpaleoguy.com/2011/10/10/neolithic-equids-why-the-long-face/. The research in question is that one http://lfg.live.mediaspanonline.com/assets/7043236/E33BTFS-092911_1.pdf
@Galina L. - The Paleo is the way to go.
Check out the budgetmealplanning.com website for Paleo Diet Recipes
I wouldn't call Dr.Oz a quack because I recently learned that a web-site Quackwatch has even Weston Price listed there. Dr.Oz turned into a Jerry Springer twin with a medical degree who stopped being a reputable source of information long time ago providing sort-of tabloid version of medical news aiming for predominantly silly females (judging by his audience). Even when he gets something right like telling about the usefulness of low-carbohydrate diet, he explains it in the dumbest way possible - using a flaming torch on a piece of Styrofoam and telling something like- "just like than your fat is being destroyed by a low-carb diet".