Obesity and Eating Disorders: Distant Relatives?

The Eating Disorder Foundation of NL (www.edfnl.ca) held their annual walk yesterday in Bowring Park. I think it’s so important to raise awareness about mental health issues like this. We tend to hear so much about obesity, but it’s just as (or maybe more) important to talk about eating disorders too. We’re all very well aware that NL has one of the highest rates of overweight and obese people in Canada, but did you know the same is true for eating disorders as well? NL has one of the highest rates. How is it that we have one of the highest rates of both obesity and eating disorders? They may seem like polar opposites, but eating disorders and obesity actually have a few things in common.

Both obesity and eating disorders are stemmed in food and weight related issues. The ultimate decisions to eat very little, or a lot, are frequently due to feelings of body dissatisfaction. Our environment is something that can contribute to both eating disorders and obesity as well. As a society we are surrounded with messages from media, family, friends, work, etc. It’s been said we make more than 200 decisions around food each day, and media has had its fair share of impact here. From air brushed models to the ultra skinny dimensions of a Barbie doll and more recently an ongoing Hollywood baby boom with pictorials and displays of celebrities with unrealistic pregnant bodies, sub-adequate weight gain and poof! overnight weight loss. We may not realize it, but we are constantly being bombarded with images of what is the ‘norm’. I was appalled to read a story in People magazine online issue last week that talked about a plus size model making her way into the fashion industry – she was a size 10. The same size as an average woman in Canada and the US. It’s still shocking, but at the same time not a surprise I guess that eating disorders are now the third most common chronic illness in adolescent girls. We’re a society that values being thin and shuns being overweight. While at the same time our communities are littered with fast food chains selling calorie laden foods at low cost. To eat or not to eat? That is the problem.

Body dissatisfaction and unhealthy dieting practices are linked to the development of eating disorders and obesity as well. How many of us say ‘I’m going to start my diet on Monday’, or ‘I feel fat in these jeans’. We'll avoid eating all together, or go ahead and eat way more, all for the very same reasons- we don't feel good about ourselves. We need to get rid of these negative thoughts.

Binge eating can be common among people with eating disorders and people who are obese. Depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders are associated with both eating disorders and obesity too. It’s estimated that one in five Canadians over the course of their lives will experience a mental illness. Mental illness affects more people each year than any other health condition, including cancer or heart disease. How many of us can relate to ‘role overload’? That’s trying to balance the responsibilities of work, home, family, friends, care giving, physical health, and community service. It affects about 50% of us, and the added stress of trying to achieve and continue this balance greatly impacts our mental health.

The final I talked about this last week, our genetics. It’s something that can influence not only body size, but our tendency towards obesity, and more recently eating disorders as well. Last week, experts suggested that in many cases, becoming anorexic or bulimic is in the genes and the trigger is going on a diet. We’re already aware there are many linkages to our genes and obesity. Child eating disorders are now on the rise, according to a CNN report last week, and we’ve been told for a while that childhood obesity is too. Is it a coincidence? Given the fact both eating disorders and obesity have some similarities? You decide.

As seen in The Telegram August 27, 2012

DNA based Diets

There are widely accepted recommendations for diet and health, but the truth is we all vary in our response to food. Why is it that couch potato Joe can eat take out fish and chips weekly and have good cholesterol, while Bob’s cholesterol, who exercises several times a week, and has a veggie based diet mind you, is sky high? It certainly gives meaning to some ‘food for thought.’ We hear about the latest in health and nutrition all the time, but have you ever asked yourself why one week to the next the info can often be polarizing? Last week studies said coffee was good for heart health, this week it’s not. The mystery behind the door here is our genetics. The science of our genes, our hereditary and the variation this can have within oneself, and members of same and differing species. Genetics, specifically nutritional genomics, is the reasoning for differences in the above scenarios. It’s a fairly new science which allows us to understand how our genes affect the way we respond to the foods, beverages and supplements we consume.

Nutrient-gene interactions are very complex. Both our genes and the nutrients we eat can cause different responses in different people (our example of fish and chip loving Joe and Bob above) and even different responses in the same individual who changes the types of food they eat. The link between food and health is well documented however people still struggle to find the right balance between energy intake and output. Take type 2 diabetes. It’s largely preventable with an adjustment of lifestyle factors, including diet. Not only is it a fairly populous condition here in NL, but it can have a genetic basis too. (It’s thought about one of two people have the ‘risk variant’ in their genes for type 2, but in NL it could very well be higher than that). Whole grains that have a low glycemic index (i.e. favorably affecting our blood sugar) may contribute to a protective effect against type 2 diabetes. Their consumption is thought to reduce the risk of not only type 2 but health disease too. One meal of white bread, bagels, potatoes and short –grain white rice won’t cause genetic changes overnight, but with time and repeated exposure to specific dietary components, genetic messages can be alarmed or put to sleep to enhance health or increase risk of disease. So if today you could find out that you are one of the two who has a higher genetic potential for type 2 diabetes would you want to know? If so, would you take proactive steps to try and change it? It’s probably a question you’ve never asked yourself before, but the way things are going it’s a good one to start considering.

Dietary patterns are strongly linked to seven of the top ten causes of sickness and death in North America. Genetic disorders that can be related to food are numerous. Genetic variants have been associated with above mentioned type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, some autoimmune diseases and cancers especially of the colon, stomach and breast. Let’s jump back to the coffee example. When it comes to coffee consumption and whether or not there is a heart health benefit the answer is actually yes, no and maybe. Due to our genes, some of us are "rapid" or “slow” caffeine metabolizers. Coffee consumption is associated with an increased risk of heart attack only in those individuals who are slow caffeine metabolizers, and in those who are rapid metabolizers it has the opposite effect. There are many more examples with the above conditions and food substances like the B vitamin folate, vitamin C, sodium, saturated and omega-3 fats. Considering the top causes of sickness and death, the fact many of them are diet related, the reality that not only can diet influence our genes but we can also manipulate out diet for better health based on our genes- one only needs to connect the dots to see that the future for diet and health is headed towards individual genetics.

As seen in The Telegram August 20, 2012

Becoming Friends with Lentils

 

Did you know Canada is the world’s leading exporter of lentils? We produce 67% of the world’s lentil supply. It’s interesting because we’re all familiar with wheat and cattle being farmed out west, and production of fish and potatoes out east, but like many of you I’m sure, I never knew we grew lentils– that was until a few weeks ago anyway, and I’m a dietitian. Lentils are nutrition superstars that have been over shadowed by the rainbow of other meat and alternative foods. How many people reading can honestly say they have meat-less Monday? i.e. eat a meal without meat, say beans, chickpeas or lentils at least once per week? From my experience this isn’t many. I want to give you more insight into lentils given our country is such a major player in the farming market, and as a consumer there are big benefits to eating these. Big benefits in terms of nutrition, cost, and convenience.

We often hear about oatmeal, bran flakes and prunes being high fibre choices. However when you compare equal serving sizes of all these foods, lentils have more. Much more. One package of instant oatmeal has 10% of our daily value (%DV) for fibre, a cup of bran flakes 28%, prunes 38%, and lentils a whopping 62%. I should also point out most children and adults fail to meet the recommendations for adequate fibre intake. In terms of nutrition what do you think of when you hear ‘banana?’ Banana, right. But 100 grams of lentils has more potassium than a large banana. What about leafy greens as a source of the B vitamin folate? When it comes to folate,  lentils contain the most for all plant foods. See what I mean now by a hidden nutrition superstar? Lentils are nutritionally jam packed. Many people following specialized diets can also benefit from increasing their consumption of lentils. They are naturally gluten-free and have low glycemic index values (a scale which determines how a food would affect blood sugar. Low is good)! In fact, studies show people feel fuller, and have a decreased overall intake when they consume lentils in a meal. People who eat more lentils tend to have lower cholesterol level. There’s about a 22% lower risk associated for heart disease if you eat legumes (beans, peas, lentils) four times a week or more. It’s no coincidence that Bill Clinton now consumes a diet rich in these foods after having his share of heart problems in recent years.

The other great thing about lentils is that they can be thrown in just about anything. Canned or cooked lentils can easily be added to salads, soups, stews, and blended for dips and sauces. For the more adventurous type you can try replacing half of ground meat in recipes like shepherd’s pie, tacos, and nachos with lentils, and for those who are a bit bolder still, use ground lentils for sweets like cupcakes and brownies. I’ve tried the lentil sweets and they’re actually quite good!

Not only are lentils nutritious, but they are also cheap. Using the flyers for this week I did a very rough comparison to see what it would cost for similar food guide servings for a can of beans in comparison to a similar size serving of other common protein staples like pork, chicken and beef steak. The beans came in at about $0.33 per serving, whereas the pork, chicken and steak were $0.66, $0.83 and $1.65 a serve. That probably doesn’t look like much, it just goes to show that one extra meatless meal a week over the course of a year can save money, especially if there are several mouths to feed.

The other big benefit with lentils is the convenience factor. They are the only legume that doesn’t need to be presoaked. Therefore you can easily prepare them the day of or even simpler yet use canned. If you so cook dry lentils, use three cups of liquid for each cup of lentils and boil. Green lentils will take around 30 minutes, while red ones require about 20.

When you think about the cost, convenience and nutrition of lentils, it’s a little that we don’t eat more. I think it comes down to the fact that we don’t use them that often and therefore we’re just not familiar with recipes and how to incorporate them. If you’re someone who would like to learn more about cooking with lentils drop me an email with your name, and mailing address. I’ve got a couple free cookbooks for lentil keen readers.

As seen in The Telegram August 13, 2012

Eating like Olympians (or better)!

Food has always played an important part in the lives of athletes. Interestingly, the tales of exaggerated athletic diets can be traced back to the very beginning of the Olympics in ancient Greece. It's certainly easy to be inspired by the ability and achievements of Olympians, but do exercise caution if you plan on trying out some of their 'mediacized' dietary techniques for yourself.

Ancient Olympians came from the upper social strata in Greece. These families who could afford to participate in the games and feed on protein-rich legumes (beans, peas, lentils) and meats, ultimately building a lot of muscle. Their diet is thought to have taken an 'Atkins's' style approach, i.e. low carbohydrate and high protein. In ancient Greek times wine for both drinking and cooking was very popular (and yes, when in moderation this is a popular aspect the today's Mediterranean diet). Hippocrates who has been known famously for saying 'let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food', is also reported to have told athletes “Get drunk once or twice” when they've had sore muscles!

The eating tales of Olympians past may have been very well exaggerated, but even today when we learn about some dietary strategies it's important for us not to extrapolate these ideas onto ourselves. Some examples. American swimmer Michael Phelps is known for a 12 000 calorie day diet which has included multiple mayonnaise-and-cheese-laden fried egg sandwiches for breakfast as well as a daily intake of pasta, pizza, French toast, chocolate-chip pancakes and more. Yohan Blake, a Jamaica sprinter has stated he gets his 'stamina from eating 16 bananas a day'. Another Jamacian sprinter, Usain Bolt, is famous for being the fastest man in the world and also for bolting down Chicken McNuggets. So it's important to remember, their diets are for unique subsets of the population which don't always translate into everyday average people. More often than not, the kinds of foods they consume are usually quite healthful, but athletes do have a much higher calorie requirement than the typical person. They can eat like this and not gain any weight because their workouts are so intense. Sometimes burning as much as 5000 calories a day. This isn't to say that 16 bananas a day are a great choice, but like any of us, we'll stick to and swear by something if we think it works. And obviously in the dietary world variety and moderation and still the Olympic goal.

So if you are feeling inspired to be an athlete, or already are one, here are some basic healthy eating tips to keep in mind. First things first. Always choose food first. The highest achieving athletes, which let's just say is their job to train eight hours a day, will be eating for the large majority whole and real foods. That's right. Plain ol' vegetables and fruit, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy. Food is your best source of nutrients. If athletes consuming thousands upon thousands of calories a day from whole foods than you can too. While elite athletes can afford to eat recovery shakes and chocolate milk, these high calorie foods are best kept for people who are doing a lot of training on a regular basis. Many of us don't need these extra calories, and our muscles can recover on their own. With regards to sports drinks, these are helpful if you're taking part in continous exercise lasting an hour or more. If your exercise duration is less and you aren't sweating buckets, or in extreme heat, then plain water should be A-ok.

As seen in The Telegram August 6, 2012