| ty is as old as time itself and for many obesity is | | | | and fast foods. |
| caused by medical or genetic problems. In today's | | | | 3. We are increasingly becoming a nation of two |
| world, however, the alarming increase in the rate of | | | | income households which means that people are now |
| obesity is very much a man-made problem, fired in | | | | cooking far less at home. The number of people |
| part by the availability, and popularity, of the gastric | | | | choosing home delivered meals, opting for fast food |
| bypass. | | | | take out or frequenting their local restaurant has |
| Advances in surgical techniques, not least the arrival | | | | grown dramatically in recent years. |
| of laparoscopic procedures, have made the gastric | | | | 4. Trade subsidies negotiated during the past twenty |
| bypass a much simpler and more acceptable solution | | | | five years have greatly cut the relative cost of food, |
| to the problem of obesity. What is more, the profile | | | | not least that of sugar and sugar syrup. This in turn |
| of the gastric bypass has been raised substantially in | | | | means that we now consume a lot more than we |
| recent years helped in no small way by the number | | | | previously did. |
| of celebrities choosing this method of weight loss. | | | | 5. Despite the present discussion over oil prices, the |
| The list of famous people following this route is long | | | | car is no longer considered a luxury and the two car |
| and includes the coach of the Notre Dame football | | | | family has become the norm. We do not think twice |
| team Charlie Weiss, the footballer Diego Maradona, | | | | now about jumping into the car for even the |
| the musician and harmonica virtuoso John Popper and | | | | shortest of journeys and many people wouldn't even |
| the rock singer Randy Jackson to name just a few. | | | | consider walking down to the shop at the end of the |
| But why is obesity on the increase and is it truly a | | | | street. |
| problem of our own making? | | | | 6. Strangest of all perhaps is the effect that the |
| Despite the fact that there was a slight rise in the | | | | craze for diet and exercise has had on the rise in |
| rate of obesity following world War II, the last | | | | obesity. We have become obsessed with dieting and |
| twenty five years have seen a major growth in | | | | many people diet as frequently as they change their |
| obesity, particularly in the USA. The precise reason | | | | clothes. Unfortunately it's the case that most diets |
| for this is not known and there is fairly wide | | | | fail and, following a diet, it is common for your weight |
| disagreement about the cause, but here are just a | | | | to rise to a level even higher than it was before you |
| few reasons over which there is general agreement. | | | | started. This pattern of falling and rising weight over |
| 1. We are far less active as a society preferring to | | | | time usually results in a steady underlying increase in |
| watch our favorite sport instead of getting out and | | | | weight towards obesity. |
| playing the game ourselves and this is the majority of | | | | Each one of the factors mentioned here not only add |
| true amongst people who are overweight. perhaps | | | | to the growth in obesity but is also clearly |
| more interestingly, if you lower the calorie intake for | | | | made-made. |
| overweight people they do not become more active | | | | Now certainly gastric bypass provides one possible |
| and if you raise the calorie intake for lean people | | | | solution. However, even though the procedure is |
| they do not become less active. Weight loss, or gain, | | | | much simpler than it used to be and is gaining in |
| has little effect on a person's level of activity, but | | | | popularity, it remains far from a pleasant experience |
| that person's level of activity does affect his weight. | | | | and is not without its risks. |
| 2. Marketing today is highly sophisticated, if not | | | | For those people who are obese today gastric |
| subliminal, and this is particularly true in the world of | | | | bypass presents an excellent solution to their |
| fast and convenience foods. In addition, a large | | | | problem. For our children and grandchildren however |
| number of restrictions were removed for advertising | | | | perhaps the answer lies in preventing obesity rather |
| made for children during the Reagan years and many | | | | than sitting back and waiting for the problem to |
| of these restrictions covered such things as sweets | | | | arrive before resorting to gastric bypass surgery. |