# data[].attributes.body
A popular solution that some experts swear by is energy balance of calories. This means that the calories in need to be equal to or less that the calories out. This is a myth though and would not help a person be healthier, in the movie they compared 160 calories of almonds to 160 of a soft drink. Even though both are equal in calories the effect on the body is not equal. Almonds that are higher in fiber take more energy for the body to process and then gives the body lasting energy whereas a soft drink would be quickly absorbed in the body and leave no benefit. Harvard School pf Public Health states the consumption and the portion size of soft drinks is on the rise and is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic (Nutrition Source, 2015).

# data[].attributes.headline
“We are not going to exercise our way out of this obesity problem.” 

# data[].attributes.subject
“We are not going to exercise our way out of this obesity problem.” 

# data[].attributes.body
This quote was stated when looking at the everyday life of a 12-year-old girl. She said that she swims four days a week and goes on walks the days she does not swim. For a 12 year old this should be enough physical activity to remain at a healthy weight but she hasn’t been able to lose any weight. This shows the obesity is not solved with physical activity. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that the solution to the world obesity epidemic will have to start and come from the food industry producing better products and the government taking better action to regulate the food industry (Verduin, 2005).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
ABSTRACT

Obesity has become an epidemic and an important public health concern. Because the problem is multidimensional, the solution will require an interdisciplinary approach involving the cooperation of the food industry with other stakeholders, such as the government, academia, and health care providers. The consumer is an important player in the solution to obesity because the consumer can make healthy lifestyle choices at the individual level. The food industry is committed to providing the consumer with healthy food options and reliable nutrition information.

INTRODUCTION

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in United States. Currently, more than 65% of Americans are overweight or obese ( 1). Obesity is correlated with several medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and certain types of cancer. Obesity and its related diseases are responsible for ≈400 000 deaths per year in the United States, paralleling the number of preventable deaths caused by smoking ( 2). Overweight in pediatric age groups has nearly tripled in the past 30 y ( 3). Today, an estimated 16.1% of adolescents (12-19 y of age) in the United States are overweight (body mass index ≥95th percentile for age) ( 4). Studies indicate that 50-77% of these adolescents will become obese adults; 80% of those with one obese parent will do so ( 5- 8). Data show significantly lower quality of life scores for obese children compared with children of normal weight ( 9). They also show increased risk of obesity-related comorbidities, including degenerative joint disease ( 10, 11) and type 2 diabetes ( 5, 12- 14).

Obesity is a multifaceted health issue that involves biological, behavioral, and environmental sources. Energy imbalance sits at the core of the obesity problem, because weight gain results from consuming more calories than one expends. In America, a changing environment has increased food choices and changed eating habits. Many Americans are sedentary: more than one-half of US adults do not meet recommended levels of moderate physical activity, and one-fourth engage in no leisure time physical activity ( 15). Technological inventions have created many time- and labor-saving products. As a result, we have reduced the overall energy expenditure in our daily lives. Critical approaches to weight reduction involve behavior change related to diet and exercise. Stakeholders, including the food industry, government, academia, and health care providers, can work together to influence the consumer to make healthy lifestyle choices. ConAgra recognizes the influence the food industry has on consumer choices.

ROLE OF THE CONSUMER

Consumers are the most important player in the solution to the obesity epidemic because they make individualized choices about food and lifestyle. As stated by Philipson in this symposium ( 16), if the consumer can be influenced with comprehensible nutrition information and a variety of healthy food choices, perhaps individuals can begin to address weight gain on a personal level. In addition to cultural and psychological influences, four motivators have been identified that affect consumer decisions: taste, quality, convenience, and price. Although consumers indicate that healthy eating and good nutrition are increasingly important to them, sales and surveys show they are more concerned with taste, convenience, and price ( 17, 18). There exists a gap between consumer attitude and behavior that the food industry must consider. Moreover, consumers are confused with the conflicting messages regarding fat, carbohydrates, protein, and calories. Consumers need clarity and reliable nutrition information to make responsible dietary decisions.

ROLE OF THE FOOD INDUSTRY

The food industry should help the consumer make healthy food choices. Food manufacturers are sensitive to consumer tastes and expectations. Industry should be committed to giving clear, consistent, and honest product claims, as well as working with retailers and restaurants to offer consumers relevant information about the products they purchase. Industry should promote nutrition education at all levels, from public schools to medical schools, and enhance nutrition awareness at the consumer level. Industry can create new products that meet individual nutritional needs, reformulate existing products to be healthier, and provide controlled portion sizes. In doing so, industry faces the challenge of satisfying consumer expectations for taste, quality, and price. The hope is that industry can develop healthier products by partnering with science-based communities and the government.

INDUSTRY COMMITMENT TO HEALTHY LIVING

The food industry recognizes the challenges a consumer faces when making food choices. ConAgra has developed new food products and improved old favorites to offer consumers a large range of healthy food options. The variety within this range of healthy products provides consumers with the flexibility to satisfy different dietary needs and different lifestyles.

The Healthy Choice product line began in 1988 and now has over 200 healthy products available. Healthy Choice provides consumers with low-calorie, nutritious meals, deli meats, breads, soups, and desserts. Healthy Choice "Flavor Adventures " are frozen meals with exciting seasonings and ingredients that enhance taste without compromising healthful benefits and nutrients.

Egg Beaters is another popular, tried-and-true item within the good-for-you product range. Egg Beaters is a real egg product that features no fat, no cholesterol, and half the calories of regular eggs, in addition to the ease of reusable packaging, which gives consumers another quick and healthy food option.

The PAM line of no-stick cooking sprays now includes fat-free original, fat-free olive oil, and fat-free "for grilling" varieties, which promote healthier and hassle-free options for cooking and grilling.

Fleischmann's margarine products, targeted at health conscious consumers, offers Light, Unsalted, and No Trans fat cholesterol-free alternatives to butter.

Hunt's Tomatoes and their foodservice counterpart Angela Mia have teamed with the American Dietetic Association to promote the health benefits of tomatoes, which are rich in lycopene. Hunt's also offers organic tomatoes.

The Lightlife brand caters to vegetarian needs with meatless, soy-based products.

ConAgra now features a new line called Life Choice for consumers who want meals low in carbohydrates.

Ultragrain, a creation of the ConAgra Ingredients group, combines the nutritional value of whole grains with the taste and texture of refined grains to enrich the diets of consumers who prefer refined grains.

ConAgra promotes healthy living in many other capacities, including a Healthy Choice website at www.healthychoice.com and a monthly email newsletter called "To Your Health" that features coupons, recipes, and nutritional tips.

ConAgra's COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY

In addition to providing consumers with a multitude of healthy food options, ConAgra remains committed to helping the environment and communities in need. ConAgra's "Feeding Children Better" foundation has funded over 160 Kids Cafes, providing logistics assistance and food donations for millions of "food insecure" American children. ConAgra has joined with the American Dietetic Association to promote Home Food Safety and to decrease the prevalence of food-borne diseases.

COOPERATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT

ConAgra stresses the importance of a close harmony between the food industry and other important stakeholders within the obesity epidemic, such as the government, academia, and health care providers. The government can help educate consumers to make healthier choices through food labeling, physical activity endorsement, and the support of community-based programs. The food industry should cooperate with the government to guarantee the production and availability of low-calorie, nutritious foods. This can be achieved by providing incentives to industry and also stimulating media participation in the prevention of obesity. The government should develop and support new food technology and improve communication across responsible parties and consumers.

COOPERATION WITH ACADEMIA AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

ConAgra relies on the expertise of scientists and health care professionals within the medical field. Scientists have a unique insight to provide scientific data influencing the decisions of industry and consumers. Research scientists can work together with the food industry to generate nutritious foods and to promote reliable, science-based nutrition information. Academic institutions also play a key role in educating health care professionals, who will educate their patients and our consumers. The medical community is uniquely positioned and trusted by consumers, because consumers look for nutritional advice from knowledgeable and trustworthy professionals. Health care providers can encourage consumers to make individual lifestyle changes that will improve their health. The health care professional, in assuming such a role, can transform their interaction on this topic from clinical resolution to thoughtful prevention, thus helping consumers develop and reinforce strategies for eating and physical activity that reduce overall individual health care risk

CONCLUSION

To help fight the battle against obesity, the food industry must team up with the government, academia, and the medical community to help inform consumers, strengthen nutrition education, and develop healthier product choices. ConAgra aims to work in concert with these groups to continue providing consumers with a range of healthy food options. Giving consumers the best nutrition information and the best nutritional food options may empower them to make individualized lifestyle changes that will help overcome energy imbalance and, in the long term, may help curb our struggle with obesity.

We acknowledge and thank George L Blackburn (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA), Pat Kearney (PMK Associates, Alexandria, VA), and Mike Fernandez (ConAgra Foods Inc, Omaha, NE) for their request to write this review, their critical review, and valuable suggestions.

REFERENCES

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Solutions to obesity: perspectives from the food industry

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Obesity has become an epidemic and an important public health concern. Because the problem is multidimensional, the solution will require an interdisciplinary approach involving the cooperation of the food industry with other stakeholders, such as the government, academia, and health care providers.

# data[].attributes.headline
“The rise of the fitness industry has exactly mirrored the rise in obesity.” 

# data[].attributes.subject
“The rise of the fitness industry has exactly mirrored the rise in obesity.” 

# data[].attributes.body
The movie stated that before the 50s people thought it was harmful to their bodies to exercise but after a French doctor studied mice and made claims that physical activity would help one from gaining weight the interest in the fitness industry increased. This shows that physical activity is not the answer to the obesity problem because as the number of gym memberships from 1980 to 2000 doubled so did the obesity rate. Live Science reports that while physical activity in the US has increased so have obesity in adults and children. The article states that while physical activity might have a positive impact on an individual's wellbeing it is not enough to curb the obesity epidemic (Gholipour, 2013).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Credit: Dreamstime

Obesity rates in the United States are still increasing, and have reached nearly 60 percent for women in some counties. But the good news is that physical activity is on the rise too, according to a new study of counties across the nation.

The study found the percentage of people in the United States who get enough exercise increased from 2001 to 2009, with counties in Kentucky, Florida, Georgia and California seeing the largest gains. The biggest increase for men was in Concho County, Texas, with about 58 percent of men being active in 2009, up from 41 percent in 2001. For women, the biggest increase was in Morgan County, Ky., with 44 percent of women being active in 2009, up from 26 percent in 2001.

In 2011, the U.S. county with the highest percentage of men who did sufficient physical activity was Teton County, Wyo., with 77.5 percent, while the county with the lowest was Owsley County, Ky., where 33.1 percent of men got enough exercise. For women's physical activity rates in 2011, Routt County, Colo., had the highest (74.7 percent), and Issaquena County, Miss., had the lowest (28.4 percent).

The researchers considered 150 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 minutes of intense activity per week, as sufficient. All of the study's data on people's physical activity levels and body mass indexes were self-reported.

But even as physical activity levels increased during the study period, so did the rate of obesity. The highest increase in obesity rate among men was in Lewis County, Ky., which jumped from 29 percent in 2001 to 50 percent in 2009. Among women in Berkeley County, S.C., obesity rates increased from 36 percent in 2001 to 48 percent in 2009. [Infographic: Where Are the Highest & Lowest Obesity and Exercise Rates in the US?]

A 2011 study ranked U.S. counties according to fitness of its citizens.

Credit: by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist

The findings suggest the rise in physical activity levels will have a positive impact on Americans' health, but will not be enough to curb the obesity epidemic, the researchers said.

"More aggressive strategies to prevent and control obesity are needed. Diet and changes in individual behavior are key components," said study researcher Dr. Ali Mokdad, professor of global health at the University of Washington.

The U.S. obesity rate has been rising for the past 20 years. More than one-third of American adults, and approximately 17 percent of children and adolescents, are obese, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Obesity and low levels of physical inactivity are associated with health problems such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, which can result in early death and increased medical care costs. To create policies to address these issues, local governments need to know their areas' trends in obesity and physical activity rates, because the trends vary widely across states and counties, the researchers said.

In 2011, the highest obesity rate for men was in Owsley County, Ky., where about 47 percent of men were obese. For women, the highest rate was in Issaquena County, Miss., where 60 percent of women are obese.

The lowest obesity rates were observed in San Francisco County, Calif., for men (18.3 percent) and Falls Church City County, Va., for women (17.6 percent).

The study found that in most counties, more men than women were getting enough exercise, but the increases between 2001 and 2009 were greater in women than men.

The study was published today (July 10) in the journal Population Health Metrics.

Email Bahar Gholipour. Follow LiveScience @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on LiveScience.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Physical Activity and Obesity: Both Rising

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Obesity rates in the United States are still increasing, and have reached nearly 60 percent for women in some counties. But the good news is that physical activity is on the rise too, according to a new study of counties across the nation.

# data[].attributes.headline
“People view fat people as lazy, unambitious, and lacking will power.” 

# data[].attributes.subject
“People view fat people as lazy, unambitious, and lacking will power.” 

# data[].attributes.body
The documentary stated that two thirds of Americans or obese or overweight. That would mean that the majority of the population is overweight and struggling but the perception of obesity is still negative even though it is an issue that many deal with on either a first or second hand basis. The National Center of Biotechnology Information states that part of this problem stems from how obese induvial perceive themselves. In a focus group it was found that many obese people see themselves as “ugly and frustrated with themselves.” It was also found that when people feel this way about themselves they are less likely to take the necessary steps in losing weight or changing their lifestyle (Chang, 2009).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Adults' perceptions of being overweight or obese: a focus group study. - PubMed - NCBI

# data[].attributes.headline
“This is the first time in history that more people will die from obesity than starvation.” 

# data[].attributes.subject
“This is the first time in history that more people will die from obesity than starvation.” 

# data[].attributes.body
This quote shows how there has been a shift in world health and how the number of people who are over eating and not getting the proper nutrients is out numbering the amount of people who are not eating enough and not getting enough nutrients. The Endocrine Society reported that obesity deaths have been outnumbering starvation deaths for the past 20 years. Part of the problem with obesity is that no one agrees on how to handle the issue. For starvation and malnutrition, the solution is clear but that is not the case with obesity (Zimmerman-Belsing, 2004).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Close mobile search navigation

Obesity and Treatment

Obesity has become a worldwide public health problem affecting millions of people. Obesity occurs through a long-standing imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, influenced by a complex biologic system that regulates appetite ( 1). Obesity is a chronic, stigmatized, and costly disease; it is rarely curable and is increasing in prevalence to a point today where we define obesity as an epidemic disease that outnumbers those suffering from hunger. Obesity causes hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidaemia, kidney disease, and heart disease ( 1). Until now, the available treatments, including drugs, are palliative and are effective only while the treatment is being actively used; but severe side effects have been registered ( 2, 3).

Leptin

The identification and sequencing of the ob gene and its product, leptin, in 1994 opened new approaches to the study of the mechanisms controlling body weight ( 4). Since its discovery, leptin has been the subject of enormous numbers of studies, especially within the fields of nutrition, metabolism, and endocrinology ( 5- 7).

Ghrelin, a stomach-derived orexigenic peptide ( 8, 9), and leptin, a fat-derived anorexigenic hormone, act primarily in the hypothalamus to regulate energy homeostasis probably independently of each other ( 9).

Proopiomelanocortin (POMC)

POMC is the polypeptide precursor of ACTH hormone. It was first discovered in anterior pituitary corticotroph cells, is necessary for adrenal function and undergoes extensive posttranslational tissue-specific processing ( 10). POMC expressing neurons in brain are important for the control of pain and energy homeostasis and local production of POMC-derived peptides in skin may influence melanogenesis ( 10). Thus, POMC is a polypeptide precursor illustrating the many roles of a single gene and its various products in different locations.

The central melanocortin (MC) system is an important mediator of leptin control on energy homeostasis ( 11). POMC expression in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus is induced by leptin ( Fig. 1). The precursor is processed by prohormone convertase 1 (PC1) and PC2 into αMSH, the main agonist of the MC-3-receptor (MC3-R) and MC4-R ( 11). Disruption of this loop causes obesity in both humans and rodents. Mutations of MC4-R have been demonstrated in up to 5% of severely obese children ( 12). Overexpression of agouti-related transcript, a naturally occurring MC receptor antagonist acting mostly on MC4-R, results in hyperphagia and late-onset obesity ( 13). The two receptors are complementary to each other: MC4-R influences food intake and MC3-R regulates fat stores by an exclusively metabolic pathway ( 14).

The MC system also mediates other hormonal effects of leptin. During fasting, a marked reduction in circulating thyroid hormone and leptin levels is observed ( 10). αMSH may also modulate the hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis response to leptin. αMSH-producing neurons in the arcuate nucleus, are a target of leptin, and send monosynaptic projections to TRH neurons. Additionally, intraventricular infusion of αMSH can completely restore fasting levels of pro-TRH mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus to normal-fed levels ( 15). On the other hand, alternative pathways to regulation of TRH must exist because MC4-R knockout mice, as wells as subjects with MC4-R deficiency, have normal thyroid function ( 10). Peripheral factors are also important for regulation of energy balance between the fed and fasting states including both leptin, insulin, thyroid hormones, uncoupling proteins, catecholamine, and heat production ( 16).

HPT Axis and Late-Onset Obesity

Leptin is accepted as an adiposity signal, believed to be involved in addition to thyroid hormones in the regulation of the switch from fed to starved states. It is not clear whether leptin and the MC pathways interact with the thyroid axis under physiologic conditions other than during starvation or in response to severe illness, both states in which the HPT axis may be severely suppressed ( 16). However, thyroid disease is a risk factor of adult-onset obesity ( 17). Over 40% of thyrotoxic Graves' patients were overweight at diagnosis and after at least 6 months of treatment with antithyroid drug therapy 56.2% were overweight and 18.5% obese ( 17). Two independent variables identified as predicting weight gain were weight loss and a diagnosis of Graves' disease and iatrogenic hypothyroidism during antithyroid drug treatment ( 17).

Neuronal Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factor Family, Nhlh2

In this issue of Endocrinology, Jing et al. ( 18) studied Nhlh2 using Nhlh2 knockout animals as a model for adult-onset obesity. The phenotype of late-onset obesity in Nhlh2 knockout mice mimics adult-onset obesity in humans. Their results suggest that changes in energy balance either by leptin or other pathways (maybe thyrotoxicosis?) would signal through Nhlh2. In presence of Nhlh2, the increased transcription of PC1 and the increased POMC and prepro-TRH mRNA induced by food intake or circulating leptin, would stimulate processing of newly translated prohormones. Activation of both POMC and TRH signal transduction pathways would then balance energy expenditure with intake. Thus, the study demonstrated that the Nhlh2 transcription factor is expressed regionally in POMC neurons of the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, but absence of Nhlh2 reduces expression of the PC1 and PC2 mRNA, and αMSH peptides. In the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, PC1 and PC2 and both mRNA and peptide for TRH were reduced. Thus, regulation of body weight is linked to the action of Nhlh2 on prohormone convertase mRNA levels, supporting a direct role for transcriptional control of neuropeptide processing enzymes in the etiology of adult-onset obesity also seen in thyroid patients.

Perspective

Genes and neural pathways are likely to be important in genesis of human obesity, but they should not detract from the importance of environmental factors. The identification of major and minor genes involved in the etiology and pathogenesis of obesity remains critically important for the immediate future. The paper by Jing et al. ( 18) in this issue of Endocrinology is a step on the way to understand the complex etiology and pathology of obesity.

Abbreviations:

References

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Obesity: The New Worldwide Epidemic Threat to General Health and Our Complete Lack of Effective Treatment | Endocrinology | Oxford Academic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Close mobile search navigation Obesity has become a worldwide public health problem affecting millions of people. Obesity occurs through a long-standing imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, influenced by a complex biologic system that regulates appetite ( 1).