N Eng J of Med Editorial

[jikeda at socrates.berkeley.edu]

For those interested in a copy of the editorial mentioned re: losing weight
it can be 
found on line at the following address:

http://www.nejm.org/public/1998/0338/0001/0052/1.htm>Joanne,



>Thank you for getting this to us.

>Please FAX a copy of the editorial to me!

>

>Raphaela Rozanski, MS, RD

>(508) 533-7048

>

>On Wed, 31 Dec 1997 11:55:25 -0800 (PST) jikeda at socrates.berkeley.edu

>writes:

>>This was the best Christmas present I received this year, and I am in 

>>no way

>>denigriating the lovely gifts from family members.  All the best in 

>>the

>>coming New Year!  Joanne

>>

>>

>>>To all:

>>>

>>>ABCs World News Tonight with Peter Jennings is going to air a story 

>>tonight

>>>with regard to a New England Journal of Medicine editorial--to be 

>>published

>>>tomorrow (Jan 1)--entitled "Losing Weight--An Ill-fated New Year's

>>>Resolution." (by Jerome Kassirer and Marcia Angell, editors of the

>>>journal).   I have read the editorial and it is tremdendously 

>>positive with

>>>regard to questioning the diet mentality and the very

>>>assumptions--conventional wisdom--about body weight and health.  

>>Quite

>>>honestly, I was floored.  This is just a wonderful piece.  Just a few

>>>quotes to give yo a flavor of the editorial:

>>>

>>>"Since many people cannot lose much weight no matter how hard they 

>>try, and

>>>promptly regain whatever they do lose, the vast amounts of money 

>>spent on

>>>diet clubs, special foods, and over-the-counter remedies, estimated 

>>on the

>>>order of $30 billion to $50 billion yearly, is wasted."

>>>

>>>"To add injury to insult, the latest magical cures are neither 

>>magical nor

>>>harmless."

>>>

>>>"Unfortunately, the data linking overweight and death, as well as the 

>>data

>>>showing the beneficial effects of weight loss, are limited, 

>>fragmentary,

>>>and often ambiguous.  Most of the evidence is either indirect or 

>>derived

>>>from observational epidemiological studies, many of which have 

>>serioius

>>>methodological flaws....thus, although some may claim that every year

>>>300,000 deaths in the United States are caused by obesity, that 

>>figure is

>>>by no means well estabished...not only is it derived from weak or

>>>incomplete data, but it is also called into question by the 

>>methodological

>>>difficulties of determining which of many factors contribute to 

>>premature

>>>death."

>>>

>>>"Even granting the existence of an association between increasing 

>>body

>>>weight and higher mortality, at least for younger people, it does not

>>>follow that losing weight will reduce risk.  We simply do not know 

>>whether

>>>a person who loses 20 lb will thereby acquire the same reduced risk 

>>as a

>>>person who started out 20 lb lighter."

>>>

>>>"Some influential public figures who were steeped in the struggle 

>>against

>>>tobacco are describing obesity as a 'disease,' calling it the 'second

>>>leading cause of preventable death' in the United States--an arguable

>>>assertion."

>>>

>>>"A second reason for the medical campaign against obesity may have to 

>>do

>>>with a tendency to medicalize behavior we do not approve of...it 

>>seems that

>>>obese people can be criticized with impunity, because the critics are

>>>merely trying to help them."

>>>

>>>"Until we have better data about the risks of being overweight and 

>>the

>>>benefits and risks of trying to lose wieght, we should remember that 

>>the

>>>cure for obesity may be worse than the condition."

>>>

>>>"We should speak out against the public's excessive infatuation with 

>>being

>>>thin and the extreme, expensive, and potentially dangerous measures 

>>taken

>>>to attain that goal.  Many Americans are sacrificing their 

>>appreciation of

>>>one of the great pleasures of life--eating--in an attempt to look 

>>like our

>>>semi-starved celebrities."

>>>

>>>-------

>>>

>>>If you'd like me to fax you the editorial, just let me know.  Best 

>>wishes

>>>for a happy new year.  On the news front, it seems to be starting 

>>just fine

>>>(assuming the ABC News segment runs well tonight).

>>>

>>>Glenn Gaesser

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>Joanne P. Ikeda,MA,RD

>>Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education Specialist

>>Department of Nutritional Sciences

>>University of California, Berkeley

>>CA 94720-3104

>>

>>Phone (510)642-2790

>>FAX (510)642-0535

>>E-mail  jikeda at socrates.berkeley.edu

>>

>>

>

>

Joanne P. Ikeda,MA,RD
Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education Specialist
Department of Nutritional Sciences
University of California, Berkeley
CA 94720-3104

Phone (510)642-2790
FAX (510)642-0535
E-mail  jikeda at socrates.berkeley.edu