Air-con(ditioning) and lack of sleep promote obesity

[quaoar]

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9416-aircon-and-lack-of-sleep-promote-obesity.html

Obesity is just as likely to be caused by lack of sleep and too much air-conditioning as it is by a sedentary lifestyle and aggressive marketing by the food industry, according to a research article that challenges the conventional wisdom.

David Allison, an obesity researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, US, and colleagues have published a paper questioning the importance of what they call the "Big Two" obesity factors: overeating as a result of junk food marketing and lack of exercise.

< snip >

The researchers drew up a list of 10 factors that might have as much or more to do with increasing waistlines as the Big Two. For instance, they point out that studies show that people who do not get enough sleep have increased appetites. Notably the amount of sleep an average US adult gets has decreased from nine hours to seven hours in the last several decades.

Heating and air conditioning might also be to blame. When people and animals go above or below a "thermoneutral" ambient temperature, they lose weight - if it is too cold they burn fat to stay warm, and if too hot their appetites decrease. But studies show that people are keeping their houses warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than they did a few decades ago, so these natural influences on weight are negated.

[MindPilot]

1. I don't suppose that 2 hour reduction in sleep might correspond

to the 2-hour increase in the length of the average workday...mmmm?

[mcscajun]

9. Plus longer and longer commutes. Over-consumption of "energy" drinks

Caffeine can wreck your sleep. 2-hour one-way commutes can kill you in time.

Sleep disturbances can cause problems with blood pressure and of course, energy levels. Sleep apnea is not limited to the overweight, but it can create issues making it very difficult to lose weight.

In the long term, the clinical consequences of untreated sleep disorders are large indeed. They are associated with numerous, serious medical illnesses, including:

* High blood pressure
* Heart attack
* Heart failure
* Stroke
* Obesity
* Psychiatric problems, including depression and other mood disorders
* Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
* Mental impairment
* Fetal and childhood growth retardation
* Injury from accidents
* Disruption of bed partner's sleep quality
* Poor quality of life

Studies show an increased mortality risk for those reporting less than either six or seven hours per night. One study found that reduced sleep time is a greater mortality risk than smoking, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Sleep disturbance is also one of the leading predictors of institutionalization in the elderly, and severe insomnia triples the mortality risk in elderly men.

Remarkably, sleep loss may also be a contributing factor to obesity. John Winkelman, MD, PhD, medical director of the Sleep Health Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School sums up this finding up nicely: "What most people do not realize is that better sleep habits may be instrumental to the success of any weight management plan." And Michael Thorpy, MD, director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York adds, "Any American making a resolution to lose weight ... should probably consider a parallel commitment for getting more sleep."

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/64/72426.htm

And we have a huge population of sleep-deprived Americans, and you can't "sleep in" on Sunday to make up your "sleep deficit"; it just doesn't work that way.

But the collective fatigue is growing. People sleep nearly an hour less each night than they did two generations ago, according to historic estimates of sleep patterns. High-school seniors are among the most sleep-deprived, getting about two hours less each weeknight than the nine hours they need.

The sleep experts say relax, drink less coffee and booze, eat better, rest more. The drug companies say take a pill.

These days, a prescription is far easier to acquire than a healthy life.

Americans filled an astounding 42 million prescriptions for sleeping pills last year, up 60 percent since 2000, according to the research company IMS Health. Drug companies spent $300 million marketing sleeping pills such as Lunesta and Ambien last year and grossed $2 billion in sales.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003076762_susannielsen22.html

[MindPilot]

21. Most of us don't have the luxury of 8 undisturbed hours

There will be some disturbance during the night whether it be kids, neighbors, a low-flying aircraft, some noise in the house, a late night phone call. Frankly I can't remember the last time I slept all the way through the night.

If you are in the military, sleep deprivation is a way of life.

I work in IT and I'm on call 24/7. If the phone rings at 2am, I have to get up and deal with the problem. Will I go back to sleep after that? Probably not. I just wish I could fall asleep as easily at 3am as I can at 3pm.

[mcscajun]

35. So very true, and therein lies the problem. No easy solutions, either.

especially for "the sandwich generation"; squeezed between caring for children and elderly/infirm parents.

Plus the wonders of Bush's America, where multiple jobs, full or part-time (maybe both) are required for survival.

As to the military, no wonder they have 20-year retirement. Sleep deprivation, rotating shifts, night work, all of that impacts your health and lifespan.

[SoCalDem]

28. Yipes.. I'm gonna die....

I usually fall asleep around 4:30 AM, and awaken every 45 minutes or so..finally get up for good around 7:30 AM or so.. sometimes I can catch a couple of hours if I can nap arpund 10 am or so... This is EVERY day for days on end until one day, with no warning, I can catch a 6 hr "nap"...

sucks...in spades..

[mcscajun]

36. And there are plenty like you out there, unfortunately.

We've got about ten percent (10%) of the population of this country of various sleep aid medications right now.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. Sorry but that's anecdotal crap

The study even cites that people smoke less so their apetites are less supressed. Maybe that's true in an older person that stops smoking but a younger person that stops smoking will likely be more active and negate that.
I really doubt that indoor heating and air do enough to body temperature to alter metabolism.

[redqueen]

3. Why apologize?

It is what it is.

:hi:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

6. :)

Sorry for being sorry

[redqueen]

19. Hah...

you sound like me!

[bleedingheart]

8. personally I think air conditioning is the bigger problem

when I was a kid (before air conditioning was the norm for most home)....kids played outside in the summer because as hot as it was outside...our houses were even hotter....

Hell even a video game was not enough to keep my brother and I indoors (we were lucky to have pong..) because the house was so hot...

I also find that when people are hot...they eat less....

my kids are fairly active and not obese...however my husband and I noticed them staying indoors instead of using our swimming pool...so we turned off our air...and voila...the kids were outside..enjoying the pool..and playing with the croquet set and basketball hoop....

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. While there is mreit to what you say the language of the article

suggests the researchers' studies were funded by McDonald's. The tone of the article wants to absolve fast food meals that are a bazillion calories and say WAIT! LOOK OVER THERE!

[KurtNYC]

14. I was reading with the same thing in mind

They quote un-named "studies" that they claim "have failed to find a connection between being overweight and a proximity to fast food restaurants or consumption of soft drinks " etc. It seems they are parsing statistics for this word twisting soundbites. Imagine that I look at a study on rats consuming caffeine, okay guess what, my un-nammed rat study 'fails to find a connection between proximity to fast food and being overweight" -- mainly because it isn't looking for one.

It seems to me that they are carefully walking down a line. Not saying that fast food is not a factor but implying that either it isn't or that lack of sleep is a bigger factor.

People will change their diets and they will seek more physical activity. What seems far less likely is that they will turn off their AC! The article seems to reinforce a 'do nothing' attitude.

[bleedingheart]

16. while fast food is bad for people, the majority of the blame lies with

the folks who choose not to eat right.

McDonalds has a tasty walnut apple salad and a few other salads now that are tasty...but when I was last there ordering a salad (without the meat topping) ...I was the oddball...the others ordering food were all ordering burgers....their choice..not a healthy one..but their choice.

Hell people even cook unhealthy in their own homes. I make a garden and am eagerly awaiting the final stages of my arugala being ready...however I find that there are folks that do not even eat greens. My husband and I visited a friend for a few days and she had very little fruit and almost no vegetables in her home...it was bizarre...and we both felt sick after spending the weekend and stopped at a place to get a salad....all she served were starches and meats....and this was home cooking.

If anything I am happy to see McDonalds offer healthy choices...but they will stop doing so if the consumers choose not to consume them.

I think there are a lot of factors in the increased obsesity stats but not all the blame can lie with one group...

hell I am trying to lose weight now and I know it does not help me that I married a "snacker"..he is thin and constantly snacks and he loves to include me on his little cheese and wine snacks and he makes these delightful little trays of goodies and I feel just awful about the caloric intake the next day...I finally begged him to stop doing it...


edit:..I want to add that poor folks are those at the biggest disadvantage because in many cases better foods (healthier) ...are more expensive than eating junk..

[Gormy Cuss]

18. Oh, nice catch.

McDonalds can claim it isn't their food, it's their HVAC that's fattening.

I'm open to the possibility that our climate controlled lives might influence eating patterns. Whether that translates into eating more food is where I become skeptical.

[Thor_MN]

37. But when it's hot, who can sleep?

I'll buy the heating arguement, maybe (if it's colder, you will eat more calories to make up for the extra heat you generate), but AC makes it possible to sleep. I grew up with Lake Superior less than 100 yards from my front door - I prefer it to be around 70 degrees max to be able to sleep well.

[lindisfarne]

40. Exactly. I don't sleep when the temp gets above about 75 at night -

and with high humidity, it's more like 70. We didn't have air conditioning as a kid and I would sleep in the basement on the floor, in front of a fan, in order to sleep.

[NashVegas]

43. When I Lived in the North

And the heat got unbearable at night, I'd dampen my t-shirt to sleep in. When it was even worse, dampen the top sheet.

Now, I'm an HVAC'd Southernor, and yes, I have gained weight.

[mcscajun]

10. More than anecdotal

Remarkably, sleep loss may also be a contributing factor to obesity. John Winkelman, MD, PhD, medical director of the Sleep Health Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School sums up this finding up nicely: "What most people do not realize is that better sleep habits may be instrumental to the success of any weight management plan." And Michael Thorpy, MD, director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York adds, "Any American making a resolution to lose weight ... should probably consider a parallel commitment for getting more sleep."

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/64/72426.htm

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

13. I agree sleep loss is bad for people for many reasons

but to claim it may be AS CONTRIBUTORY as diet to weight is a stretch. I'll be happy to be wrong about it once these researchers duplicate their research 50 times under controlled conditions, but again, the TONE of the article and the researchers comments seem to be trying to absolve fast foods and tell everyone else to look everywhere else.

[mcscajun]

15. Hell, no. Fast foods are definitely contributory. So are Processed Foods

of all types.

"Obesity is just as likely to be caused by lack of sleep and too much air-conditioning as it is by a sedentary lifestyle and aggressive marketing by the food industry, according to a research article that challenges the conventional wisdom."

They're equating the two, not saying one does more than the other. I'd say they're all part of a complex problem. However, High Fructose Corn Syrup has done more to destroy the American Diet than any other additive, because of its metabolic issues, and its ubiquitous placement in nearly every type of food and beverage.

It's been that way since the late 70s - early 80s. US subsidies ensure an overproduction of corn; something needs to be done with the excess. It can't all be fed to farm animals or plowed under. HFCS was developed at the same time that demand for corn oil margarine declined.

Sugar got dropped in favor of HFCS as the primary sweetener in sodas, snacks, cereals, condiments, you name it, as being a more cost-effective sweetener, leading to higher profits. We as a nation consume far more HFCS than we do sugar. Its metabolic (all fructose is metabolized in the liver, whereas all of the cells of the body can metabolize glucose) and habit-forming issues are just side benefits to agribusiness. Check your 'health foods' carefully; it's in many of them, too.

The facts are in:

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is processed from hydrolyzed corn starch (so it’s not completely natural) and contains a high level of fructose (which is naturally occurring in fruits and honey) and a simple sugar carbohydrate, just like sucrose. It is about 75% sweeter than sucrose, less expensive than sugar, and mixes well in many foods. Food manufacturers (especially soda manufacturers) began using HFCS widely in the early 1970s to save money, and it was thought of as a revolutionary advance in food science because of its stability and usefullness in a variety of foods.

(snip)

While many reports show that Americans consumption of white refined sugar has dropped over the past 20 years, it is mostly a result of the switch by food companies to HFCS, which according to USDA figures shows an increased consumption by 250% over the last 15 years. Estimates are that we consume about 9% of our daily calories in the form of fructose.

(snip)

Corn syrup’s sugar is primarily glucose, which our body burns as a source of immediate energy, is stored in muscles and our liver for later use, and releases insulin.

Fructose, on the other hand, does not release or stimulate insulin. Insulin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps to metabolize our foods by pushing carbohydrates into our muscle cells to be used as energy, and allows carbohydrates to be stores in our liver for later use. It also stimulates production of another hormone, leptin, which helps to regulate our storage of body fat and increases our metabolism when needed. These two hormones keep our body fat regulated and tells us, for all intent purposes, when we are satisfied and sends the message to our brain to stop eating.

Researchers at the University of Michigan found that men who consume very high levels of fructose elevated their triglyceride level by 32 percent. As trygliceride enters our blood stream, it makes our cells resistant to insulin, making our body’s fat burning and storage system even more sluggish.

http://www.supermarketguru.com/page.cfm/2925

Off to work now, No time to keep chatting on this.

[MindPilot]

22. Seems to me one would sleep better

when the temperature is maintained at a comfortable level. Don't forget that heat/ac systems also filter a lot of dust, dander and other crud from the air inside the house. I'm not buying that a home's climate control system is detrimental to health. That reminds me of that old argument that car interiors shouldn't be too comfortable because it would lull the driver to sleep.

[TomInTib]

30. I don't know about that.

I live in a place where no one has AC and the heater only runs a few days a year.

You know how we spot the tourists?
They're the fat ones.

I am aware that there are many and varied mitigating factors, but I believe that if one were to pull up a list of the fattest/most fit cities we would see a distinct correlation between AC use and weight.

As a matter of fact, I found one.


25 Fattest Cities
Rank City Rank in 2004
1 Houston 2
2 Philadelphia 7
3 Detroit 1
4 Memphis, Tenn. 20
5 Chicago 5
6 Dallas 3
7 New Orleans 22
8 New York 21
9 Las Vegas 16
10 San Antonio 4
11 El Paso, Texas 24
12 Phoenix 18
13 Indianapolis 17
14 Fort Worth, Texas 6
15 Mesa, Ariz. 12
16 Columbus, Ohio 10
17 Wichita, Kan. 16*
18 Kansas City, Mo. 14
19 Miami 15
20 Long Beach, Calif. 23*
21 Oklahoma City 13
22 Tulsa, Okla. 19
23 Atlanta 11
24 Charlotte, N.C. 22*
25 Baltimore 23
* Ranking in the top 25 fittest cities in 2004


25 Fittest Cities
Rank City Rank in 2004
1 Seattle 6
2 Honolulu 1
3 Colorado Springs, Colo. 5
4 San Francisco 2
5 Denver 4
6 Portland, Ore. 8
7 Sacramento, Calif. 10
8 Tucson, Ariz. 9
9 San Diego 14
10 Albuquerque, N.M. 12
11 Boston 7
12 Virginia Beach, Va. 3
13 Minneapolis, Minn. 18
14 Fresno, Calif. 15
15 Milwaukee, Wis. 21
16 Omaha, Neb. 11
17 San Jose, Calif. 20
18 Jacksonville, Fla. 13
19 Austin, Texas 19
20 Oakland, Calif. 17
21 Los Angeles 25
22 Arlington, Texas 8*
23 Washington 25
24 Cleveland 9*
25 Nashville-Davidson, Tenn. 24
* Ranking in the top 25 fattest cities in 2004

http://www.webmd.com/content/article/99/105092.htm

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

38. Some links to the financial ties of David Allison

David B. Allison, Ph.D., Professor of Biostatistics, Head of the Section on Statistical Genetics and Director of the Clinical Nutrition Center, University of Alabama, Birmingham. (Formerly) Obesity Research Center, St. Luke’s Hospital, New York, NY. Received $350/hr to serve as an expert witness to Lockheed Martin in a civil case where plaintiffs sued for the company's toxic contamination of the groundwater in the city of Redlands, California. (Roslyn Carrillo v. Lockheed Martin Corporation, 131 Cal.Rptr.2d 1; 63 P.3d 913; on file with CSPI) Member of the Kraft Foods Worldwide Health & Wellness Advisory Board. (http://www.kraft.com/obesity/09032003.html; accessed 9/24/03) Consultant to Millennium Pharmaceuticals on the role of genetic influences on obesity. Consultant to Amgen on the clinical study of leptin as an anti-obesity therapeutic, 1999. Consultant to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals on issues related to the treatment of human obesity, 1999. Consultant to Wilentz, Goldman, & Spitzer, Attorneys at Law regarding OTC weight-loss product claims litigation, 1999. Consultant to Decision Resources on the pharmacological treatment of obesity, Oct. 1999. Member of Ad Hoc Expert Panel for the Life Sciences Research Office of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences (part of the Federation of Societies for Experimental Biology) for an FDA-commissioned report on "Alternative and Traditional Models for Safety Evaluation of Food Ingredients," Dec. 1998. Member of the Wheat Council's panel of experts, 1998-2001. Consultant to Fisons Corporation and Mediva Pharmaceuticals regarding anti-obesity drug litigation, 1998. Consultant to Spadoro & Hilson, Attorneys at Law regarding actuarial lifetable estimation for obese decedents, 1998. Study on hydroxycitric acid and weight-loss funded in part by Thompson Medical Company. (J. Am. Med. Assoc. 1998;280:1596-600) Member of "Panel of Evaluators" for Current Drugs Ltd., a company that provides information on drugs under research and development, 1998. Consultant to McKenna & Cuneo, L.L.P., Attorneys at Law regarding anti-obesity drug litigation, 1998-Present. Consultant to the journal Patient Care on an article regarding the pharmacological treatment of obesity, 1997. Consultant to Eli Lilly on weight gain with neuroleptic medication, 1997-Present. Consultant to Pfizer Central Research on obesity related issues, 1997-Present. Consultant to Knoll Pharmaceuticals on the pharmacological treatment of obesity, 1996-97. Consultant to Research Testing Laboratories, Inc., regarding clinical trial of a weight-loss preparation for Slim America, 1996. Consultant to Corning HTA (for a project sponsored by Wyeth Ayerst) regarding the economic benefits of obesity treatment, 1996-97. Consultant to Glaxo Pharmaceuticals regarding the pharmacological treatment of obesity, Sept. 1996. Member of the United Soybean Panel's nutrition advisory board, 1996-Present. Consultant to (and temporary voting member of) FDA Food Advisory Committee that evaluated olestra, Nov. 1995. (http://cpmcnet.columbia.edu/dept/obesectr/NYORC/DACVframe.html#industry; accessed 9/17/03) Member of the International Food Information Council (IFIC) expert committee, 1995-2001. Statistical consultant to ILSI and recipient of the Future Leaders Award from ILSI ($30,000), 1995-96. Member of the nutrition advisory board for Nabisco, Inc. (a company that used olestra), 1994-2001. (Resume received 01/03/96; on file with CSPI)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.cspinet.org/cgi-bin/integrity.cgi

International Food Information Council
From SourceWatch
The International Food Information Council (IFIC) calls itself "a non-profit organization that disseminates sound, scientific information on food safety and nutrition to journalists, health professionals, government officials and consumers." In reality, IFIC is a public relations arm of the food and beverage industries, which provide the bulk of its funding. Its staff members hail from industry groups such as the Sugar Association and the National Soft Drink Association, and it has repeatedly led the defense for controversial food additives including monosodium glutamate, aspartame (Nutrasweet), food dyes, and olestra. IFIC has been working on food biotechnology issues since 1992 and has a lot of pro-biotech and food industry propaganda on its website, including such gung-ho gems as the following:

"New Survey Finds Americans as Positive as Ever on Food Biotechnology (http://ific.policy.net/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=18981)"
"Food Biotechnology--Benefits for Developing Countries (http://ific.policy.net/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=18040)"
"New Research Shows Consumers Willing to Try Irradiated (Cold Pasteurized) Foods; Taste Very Important (http://ific.policy.net/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=19382)"
"Consumers, Health Experts Desire Benefits of Biotech Foods and Concur with Current FDA Labeling Policy (http://ific.policy.net/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=19363)"
IFIC has used the Wirthlin Group, a Republican political and polling firm, to carry out many of its surveys on public attitudes. Tom Hoban, a sociology professor, has also been involved with survey design on IFIC-sponsored polls intended to measure public support for biotech foods.

In 1992, IFIC hired Dr. G. Clotaire Rapaille, a Jungian psychoanalyst, to advise them on ways to win public support for GM foods. Rapaille provided a list of "words to use" and "words to lose" when talking about the topic. The "words to use" included terms such as beauty, bounty, children, choices, cross-breeding, diversity, earth, farmer, flowers, fruits, future generations, hard work, heritage, improved, organic, purity, quality, soil, tradition and wholesome. "Words to lose" included: biotechnology, chemical, DNA, economic, experiments, industry, laboratory, machines, manipulate, money, pesticides, profit, radiation, safety and scientists.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=International_Food_Information_Council

My bet is David Allison has a new source of income. The fast food industry. The guy is a hired gun. If he hasn't already, I expect him to show up as the defense expert witness for the likes of Mac Donald's et al.

Now regarding the causes of weight gain. Yes there are many and they are varied. But to claim indoor ambient temperatures and moderate sleep loss (not complete sleep depreivation) are AS LIKELY to result in obesity as fast foods is pure crap.

As far as the other causes cited by other posters, i.e. high fructose corn syrup and processed foods - no argument here. I agree.

[Minnesota Libra]

4. That 2 less hours of sleep just gives people 2 extra hours to eat.........

.....hence the increased obesity.:shrug:

[FSogol]

5. TV causes more obesity than A/C and lack of sleep combined.

Americans sit on their butts for hour upon hour watching the boob tube.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. True. The study forgot to underscore that driving causes obesity

More people drive to places they would have walked to a few decades ago

[The2ndWheel]

11. But thanks to conditioning air

it's easier to sit in front of the TV inside a house when it's freezing or cooking outside. Everything we do these days makes it easier to gain weight.

[bleedingheart]

26. The Microwave oven has been a problem too...

you can have a full meal ready in just minutes....

remember back when it actually meant bringing out pots and pans to reheat dinner...or waiting for the actual oven...???

[conflictgirl]

31. TV isn't a new invention

Can you point to any statistics or research showing that an increase in TV watching coincides with the rise in obesity?

[AlCzervik]

17. when it's really hot here which is about 5 months out of the year

the only time i eat is when i'm inside, i kind of agree with the point about a/c.

[Khaotic]

20. Lack of Sex to Blame

Americans just aren't having enough sex. Good exercise and it does a heck of a job at keeping you from thinking about food.

Ladies ... have a boyfriend of husband that you want to lose weight?

Fork over that hoo ha and get it on! The pounds will roll off.

Hmmmm ... Mickey D's or sex? No thought required there ... bring on the sex :-)

[Triana]

39. excuse me but what about the men who have wives or girlfriends

that they want to lose weight? ;) Or, are men just too disgusted to have sex with a 'fat' woman? But women are expected to want sex with a hairy, pudgy dude? Hrm.... ;)

[LostinVA]

23. Bull

Maybe in a very small percentage of the population, but AC and lack of 8+ hours of sleep don't "promote" obesity. I sleep about six to seven hours a night. I live in A/C or heat year round. BUT: I exercise for at least an hour a day, usually cardio, usually running, outside... run, shine, heat, etc. And, I try to eat decently healthy. I eat (as much as I know) zero HFCS, and keep sweets and trans fats to a minimum. And, when I do eat sweets, it's sugar-based sweets I eat, not that nasty HFCS. I haven't had a soda in years. And yeah, I eat wonderful, tasty food.

This isn't an anti "fat" people rant, I'm just saying this study s bogus. And I would LOVE to know would funded this... probably the HFCS people (did you know HFCS is in EVERY item on the McD's menu? Including bread and the salads?)

[pansypoo53219]

24. ahhh

no wonder i taint fat. crappy 50's radiators don't make enough heat in winter and no A/C in summer. except i layer insanely in winter.

[grahamhgreen]

25. Fat sellers will do anything - anything - to 'prove' that fatty foods

are not the cause of obesity and health problems in th US. There is simply too much money being made in the marketing and selling of unhealthy foods and the medical cures (from antacids to insulin to surgury) associated with them.

Like children eating too much ice-cream, we adults must must set down the rules as too how much ice cream the children can eat (yes, it's time for a fat tax!).

[Ravenseye]

27. You don't need a study, just use your head

So you want to be healthy and not overweight? What do you think you should do? What do you think you should eat?

Chances are you know what to do, and what to eat. You don't need some study telling you.

What is a healthier meal for you to eat? A light organic vegetarian meal with a glass of water, or a 1lb bacon cheeseburger with a side of fries and a large 16oz bottle of Coke?

What is the healthier activity for your children on a Saturday afternoon? Sitting inside on the couch in the air conditioning playing on their X-Box, or running around outside swimming in the pool, and playing in the yard?

What is the healthier thing for you to be doing? Coming home after work and sitting on the couch drinking a couple beers while watching the baseball game, or going out in the back yard and playing with your own kids, or playing in a club softball league and drinking water to hydrate?

YOU know what to do to be healthy. It's just a matter of self-control.*

*With the exception of people with actual diseases which cause them to be overweight. I'm talking about the vast majority of people, like myself, who are too damned lazy to actually live healthily.

[AndyTiedye]

29. Weather Hot Enough to NEED Air Conditioning Might Lead to Obesity

If it's that hot and humid, and you don't have a convenient body of water,
are you going to exercise at all? I'm not.

I suspect that in the hotter/humider parts of the country,
that a lack of A/C might lead to a lack of sleep in the summer.

I'm in much better shape now that I live in a place where it doesn't get hot and humid.

[killbotfactory]

32. I'm sure it's not the shit food we eat

It couldn't be that, heaven's no.

[Blue_Tires]

33. exactly n/t

[flvegan]

34. You should see the list of folks that have funded this quacks "research"

It's a who's who of commercial interest. Fucking sell out. His shit has been debunked before, and it will be debunked again. Assclown. Even consumerfreedom.com thinks he's a dipshit. So, then, it's sort of unanimous.

[Mike03]

41. Just Speculating

I agree that the air conditioner connection is dubious. Note that Phoenix is a "fat city" and Tucson is a "slim city."

The sleep deprivation link makes some sense to me, as less sleep would trigger hormonal changes in the body. I'm not a doctor but I know that people who work night shifts don't release melatonin the same way people with normal schedules do. People who work under fluorescent lights all day also have abnormalities in the way melatonin and other hormones are regulated. Also, I know that in the famous Nurses Study in Boston, those nurses tended to eat a diet much higher in animal products and saturated fat than non-nurses, and nurses who work a night shift have a higher incidence of cancer. Scientists don't know for sure why but have speculated it--again--has to do with hormonal abnormalities. The body gets confused about when to release melatonin. This is also one of the causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder, only the pattern is reversed: the body begins releasing melatonin earlier than normal in the afternoon and continues to release it until mid morning.

Again, I'm just thinking aloud.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

42. Oh sure...no argument there. I would agree that the issue is

multifactorial. But to claim these things are AS LIKELY to be causing weight gain is a complete stretch, especially since the article is void of actual proof. The sheer number of dollars spent at all these places and the pattern of WHEN those dollars began being spent correlates well with the endemic of obesity in this nation.

Another poster made a point above about McDonald's offering healthy salads...this only came about as a result of damage done to their reputation after so many organizations began to underscore the disastrous amount of calories and the void of nutrition on their menu.