Obesity Epidemic and Alcohol Abuse - Linked to stopping smoking?
The politically correct answer is that they aren’t linked. Experts tell us, “Ex-smokers might gain weight but not that much.” “We don’t know why the rate of alcohol abuse has increased.” One independent researcher offers evidence that those most-serious lifestyle health risks are related. He says, “Something especially lethal and wasteful is happening. Applying superficial remedies for smoking and nicotine addiction enables a bigger threat to all of us. The public health crisis and financial burden of overweight and obesity now are added to those from cigarette smoking. The better news is that we can avoid piling on the next epidemic: alcohol abuse. We can with the help of adults who recognize that this evidence is probably accurate and will warn others. Before long . . . it will be too late.”
(PRWEB) June 15, 2004 -- "Hints from published research, many clinical
observations, a good memory, strong timeline evidence and a more science-based
perspective all combined to clearly say that those health threats are linked,"
says Richard T. Lovelace. "Doing little more than pressure nicotine addicted
people to not smoke–with lawsuits, higher taxes, smoking bans, and
more–encouraged piling on another lifestyle health risk crisis. And this one
raises health care costs more than smoking." According to Lovelace, "Other
countries made the same tragic mistake. We humans have added a global overweight
and obesity epidemic to the global smoking epidemic."
"Please
understand," he requests. "You might respond to what I'm telling with something
like, 'My friend is overweight and she never smoked.' I'm giving an explanation
for the recent epidemic. That reason doesn’t apply to every
situation."
OVERLOOKED REASON FOR THE OVERWEIGHT
EPIDEMIC
Information supplied by government agencies and more
bureaucracies establish that the current "obesity epidemic" happened within the
past 30 years. The significant push to get people to avoid or quit smoking
cigarettes started a short time before. Dr. Lovelace is sure the "push" is the
primary reason for that "epidemic." "Nicotine smokers didn't have an effective,
long-term way to avoid substituting eating for smoking. Many put down their
cigarettes and picked up food and chronic excess body fat."
One in five
ex-smokers has occasional cravings for several years. Lovelace believes the
numbers are higher for "those who tried to stop or reduce smoking with NRT or
nicotine replacement therapy. NRT keeps the drug in someone's body longer than
he or she would realize." He points out that saying "nicotine replacement" can
be confusing. "It's 'cigarette replacement.' The gum, patch, lozenge and spray
are alternatives to puffing on cigarettes to get the nicotine. (Later, be sure
to see references.) People don't expect to have prolonged cravings.
Consequently, they confuse those with hunger for food. Also in those 'stressful'
situations where they smoked nicotine for its apparent calming effect, people
compensate by eating 'comfort foods' or drinking alcohol. Rather than smoke to
'reward' themselves, they eat and drink. In restaurants, malls, stadiums and
bars where they smoked before, now they eat more and drink more
alcohol."
When unable to get their drug, heroin addicts can temporarily
substitute with candy. Says Lovelace, "Nicotine users do something similar. They
stop smoking, have cravings and overeat, gain weight, understandably get
discouraged, mistakenly blame their metabolisms and return to smoking. They keep
the unhealthy fat or much of it. Later, when they cut back or try to quit again,
they put on additional unwanted pounds. Unsuccessful efforts to stop or reduce
smoking, or successfully staying quit, promotes becoming overweight or even
heavier than before." From his experience treating thousands of adults, this
specialist is certain that it's the accumulation of excess pounds that does the
damage. "Even if the average amount of weight gained after stopping is less than
10 pounds, smokers stop several times before success."
SNEAKY
PART
"That's the hidden or sneaky part of what's occurred that led to the
global obesity epidemic," this researcher believes. "People added considerable
excess body fat from several attempts to quit or cut back and are still
smoking...some smoke heavily. Other folks made several attempts to give it up or
reduce smoking, added bodyweight each time, finally succeeded and gained only a
few pounds afterward. Hardly anyone would associate all the added unhealthy
pounds with efforts to not smoke or smoke less. We humans tend to forget what we
think are our failures. If asked, we honestly don’t recall all the times we
stopped or cut back."
OVERWEIGHT YOUTH
This could explain what
happens to adults. How does Lovelace apply his discovery to the increase in
childhood obesity and overweight? "People agree that the children of smokers are
more likely to smoke. It is as probable that the children of former, or wanting
to quit, smokers who add bodyweight do the same. Fewer teens are smoking or
admitting to it. Obviously they're eating more."
"JUNK FOODS" AND "COUCH
POTATOES" NOT THAT NEW
Consumption of fast and junk foods along with
technology that discourages physical activity are common factors alleged to
contribute to the "overweight epidemic." But were fast foods, junk foods and
beverages produced and only begun to be widely used in the past three decades?
Have adults and children that recently become "couch potatoes" and disinclined
to be physically active? Dr. Lovelace asserts that the answer to both questions
is a "big NO."
"We all grew up with such convenience foods and
beverages," he says. "One difference is that the junk older Americans ate and
drank during childhood had more calories than much of what's sold today. Many of
us didn't begin to do aerobic exercise until 20 or 30 years ago. In our
neighborhoods, people now walk or jog for exercise. When we senior Americans
were children, if a grownup was running on a street, probably a dog was chasing
him. If out walking, he or she was going to a neighborhood store for a soft
drink and sugary treat."
There are additional varieties of fattening
snacks and prepared meals and more places to purchase them. Asserts Lovelace,
"Even with the considerable advertising that's done, ultimately the way it works
is that demand drives availability. There are more available because people want
them. It isn't that people want them because there are extra junk and fast foods
and places to buy them. Advertising doesn’t create the demand nearly so much as
it influences which places and fattening products people will use to satisfy
themselves and their children." This healthcare clinician is convinced that much
of the increased demand results from consistently substituting or occasional
attempts to replace cigarettes with food and drink.
BETTER NEWS – HOW TO
AVOID ADDING THE NEXT (ALCOHOL ABUSE) EPIDEMIC
Says Lovelace, "The
well-intentioned individuals and their research publications that help enable
the obesity epidemic do what's politically correct. Understandably, they prefer
research that supports their views and those of their benefactors. They, drug
companies and other allies–that generate enormous profits or tax revenues–might
claim otherwise. But exposing what experienced professionals who might help
readily can recognize as valid doesn't encourage smoking. It does the opposite.
For teens and children who don't want to become fat or fatter, it's another
incentive to not start smoking."
"It is exceedingly important,"
according to Dr. Lovelace, "to know about this link between smoking cessation
and reduction and adding large amounts of unhealthy bodyweight. It says that
instead of raising taxes and in other ways penalize people and their employers
for unhealthy behaviors our representatives need to examine some realities." He
gives examples: "No matter how much they want to help, please don't let agency
administrators and corporate executives apply superficial remedies to try and
solve public health problems that have internal, inside people, origins. We will
sufficiently overcome the widespread beliefs that create the essential cause of
nicotine smoking, overweight, obesity and alcohol abuse or we and our children
will continue to suffer for it."
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/6/prweb133639.htm