Las Vegas, U.S.A. – MGM Resorts International and the Jared Foundation announced plans to work toward expanding a program that addresses chronic weight and obesity issues among children living in the region.

“We are what we eat and the United States is facing a widely-documented crisis and epidemic,” said Jim Murren, Chairman & CEO of MGM Resorts International at the announcement of the expansion of the Coordinated Approach to Childhood Health in Las Vegas.

“CATCH transforms a child’s environment, culture and society by coordinating child health efforts across all aspects of the educational experience: classroom, food services, physical education, and family. CATCH adds healthy eating and physical activity to the school environment and drives the message home to parents through family and community outreach,” said Jared Fogle, a healthy eating advocate and spokesperson for SUBWAY restaurants.

Murren and Fogle announced a fundraising campaign of $235,000. MGM Resorts International has donated an initial $25,000 to help broaden the program.

CATCH has been recognized and recommended by the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation among other organizations. It focuses on addressing the issues of childhood obesity by transforming a child’s environment by coordinating child health efforts across all aspects of the educational experience: classroom, food services, physical education, and family.

CATCH has been implemented in 132 after-school sites in Southern Nevada since 2010, serving 7000 children daily with physical activity and nutrition lessons. A federal obesity prevention grant allowed Southern Nevada Health District to bring CATCH training and programming to four parks and recreation departments and after school program sites in Boulder City, North Las Vegas, the Cities of Las Vegas and Henderson, and the YMCA of Southern Nevada.

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The invention of the steam engine at the end of the 18th century was the beginning of evolution in transportation. This development allowed people to move heavier loads faster. A hundred years after, since the motor car was created, people were able to travel long distances without using a lot of effort.

By the end of 20th century, and continuing today, he computer is the main source of communication for the vast majority of people in the world. In last 10 years, the average growth of Internet usage in the world grew by 480 percent. This increase shows that people are becoming more addicted to online communication, and the need to physically interact with people has become limited.

The absence of the necessity to walk and do other physical activities in order to complete daily tasks is one of the leading causes of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century: obesity. Obesity is defined as a body having  excessive body fat, which causes health problem and reduces the life expectancy of a person.

Moreover, it increases the probability of having various diseases such as heart disease, certain types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Obesity is caused by many factors. One reason could be the person’s genes, which usually explains 25-40 percent of a person’s weight. The remaining percentage of your body condition comes from that person’s culture, way of life, and environment. 

With the development of technology and transportation, the cost of goods has decreased, and most people are able to afford junk food, which is sold everywhere. Moreover, there is no need to go to the grocery stores as often since fast food services, such as pizza deliveries, are readily available. Such services are becoming more popular, especially among the younger generation.

The problem of obesity is more global than we think. It was estimated that Americans spend more than $33 billion annually on weight loss. Additionally, the cost of health care to treat obesity is $120 billion. The World Health Organization predicts that there will be 2.3 billion people with weight problems by 2015, which is almost a quarter of the world’s population. At the present, nearly a third the US population is obese.

How people should deal with obesity problem?

First of all, a person who is obese must understand his/her own problem and consciously decide to deal with that issue. It was recommended to use a positive criticism in order to build self-confidence, which means that criticism must be seen as a way to correct oneself, but not as an irritating factor.

As soon as an obese person is certain about his/her situation, a balanced diet must be chosen. When the goal is to lose weight by decreasing the amount of food, the body should still get all essential nutritients, since it is vital for physical health and appearance. In addition, it is important to have a habit of counting calories.

Whenever food is bought, all the labels must be read to know how many calories the product contains. If extra calories were consumed, exercise can help balance it. In conclusion, it is necessary to avoid ignoring small things. If you already decided to have a diet and be healthy, it should last for as long as possible, and must not depend on any events, such as wedding or birthday party.

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According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health conducted by doctors at the University of Michigan, one in two women of childbearing age in the United States is considered overweight or obese.

Weight-related complications during pregnancy are commonplace and healthcare providers are trying to dismiss the idea that pregnant women need to “eat for two” by doubling their caloric intake. Working with a healthcare provider, overweight women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant can find a strategy to a healthy weight gain that works for them.

Increased risk of developing gestational diabetes is a crucial reason for overweight women to closely monitor how much weight they gain during pregnancy. Gestation diabetes causes the hormones released from the placenta, the baby’s support system, to be blocked by the woman’s body.

The result is that her body is unable to process insulin. High blood glucose levels build in the mother’s system and stream to the baby through the placenta causing the baby to grow rapidly and gain unnecessary weight.

Overweight pregnant women are also at risk of developing high blood pressure. This condition tightens the blood vessels in the uterus that supplies the baby with oxygen and nutrients. It also puts the mother at risk for having a heart attack or stroke resulting in a greater likelihood that she will deliver her baby early.

Having regular checkups before becoming pregnant may help prevent obesity related complication during pregnancy. The March of Dimes recommends, “If you’re overweight or obese, your health care provider or a registered dietitian can help you lose pounds so that you reach a healthier weight before trying to get pregnant. They will talk with you about exercise and eating healthy.”

What is the correct amount of weight gain? The amount a woman’s health care provider recommends will depend on her pre-pregnancy weight. If she has a normal weight and a body mass index (BMI) in the normal range (between 18.5 and 25) then she should gain between 25 and 35 pounds.

Underweight women, with a BMI less than 18.5, should try to gain between 28 to 40 pounds. Overweight women, with a BMI between 25 and 29.9, should gain between 15 to 25 pounds and obese women, those with a BMI greater than 30, should limit their weight gain to between 11 and 20 pounds.

Women who are overweight or obese should not intentionally try to lose weight while they are pregnant however it is not uncommon for plus-sized women to lose weight while pregnant without dieting. Morning sickness can contribute to weight loss because its diminished affect on appetite and associated vomiting can cause a loss of calories.

Even so, a developing baby will still get nourishment if a mother is not dieting because overweight women have an extra reserve of calories stored in fat.

Healthy eating should be a goal of every pregnant woman, regardless of her pre-pregnancy weight. Setting a goal for how much weigh to gain with a health care provider is the key to ensuring a successful, healthy pregnancy.

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Tired of being on a diet with no results? Trying to eat healthy food, but still the same weight? Perhaps there is a completely different culprit: shampoo. As weird as it sounds a recent study by The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York has found that this is a factor to take under consideration. Doctors that participated in this project claimed that phthalates, chemical ingredients in 70 percent of cosmetics as well as many household cleaning products, can affect the body’s natural weight control system.

In the latest study, “Growing Up Healthy” researchers suggested that exposure to phthalates through daily use may be linked to childhood obesity and weight problems in adults.

The Mount Sinai team goal was to know the link between environment interactions and its influence to the diet, physical activity level, and subsequent risk for childhood obesity. Investigators measured exposure to phthalates by analyzing the urine of 330 girls living in the inner city area of East Harlem. According to Professor Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and the study author, “the heaviest girls have the highest levels of phthalates in their urine.”

In addition, Rochester University scientists, after analyzing the blood and urine of 1,451 men, found that those with the highest level of phthalates in their urine had more belly fat and insulin resistance. They also suggested that a depressed testosterone level due to chemicals was the underlying cause of their weight gain.

Another substance, Bisphenol A (BPA), also present in containers and bottles, has also been found to provide “chemical calories.” Known as endocrine disruptors, they affect the glands and hormones that regulate numerous bodily functions.

Zoe Harcombe, nutritionist and author of the Obesity Epidemic, said that even the minimum disruption to hormone levels is very bad news for someone trying to lose weight.

“In men, phthalates and other chemicals have an anti-testosterone capacity that has been linked to obesity,” Harcombe said. “In women they mess up our basic genetic hormone balance so that you get disruptions similar to those that might occur during the menopause or at puberty.”

Women  on low-fat diets may get the worst of it, because they are the ones that could suffer the most from these chemical´s side-effects.

“By reducing the fat they consume, they also reduce the fat-soluble vitamins in their body. That often leaves them with dry skin,” Harcombe said. “They slather on moisturizers to rectify that problem without realizing they are unwittingly causing another by supplying chemical calories through the skin.”Many obesity doctors have accepted that the hormonal disruption caused by exposure to chemicals does play a part in weight problems.

Dr. Paula Baillie-Hamilton is the author of Stop the 21st Century Killing You and a researcher on human metabolism who has studied the connection between chemicals and obesity at the University of Stirling. Baillie-Hamilton is convinced the abundance of chemical calories in our lives is the reason why so many people are getting fatter despite dieting and exercising more.

Go green

How can people avoid these undesirable chemical calories? Regarding this issue, Landrigan said in the study that people could reduce exposure by checking labels for phthalates and Bisphenol A.

“Eating as much organic food as you can will reduce your chemical intake, but choosing cosmetics and toiletries carefully is also very important,” Landrigan said.

Eating fresh vegetables and working out every day seems to be the best recipe for avoiding the problem of endocrine disruptors and obesity. Pediatrician Maida Galvez, who was also involved in the Mount Sinai “Growing Up Healthy” study, recommended that parents have to stay clear of Bisphenol A, present in many plastic water and baby bottles, and in microwavable and dishwasher-safe food containers. She also recommended eating fresh fruits and vegetables, instead of foods that are processed or packaged in plastic.

Chemical calorie disruption was not a worthy topic for the science community a decade ago. There is still a long way to go in this new medical field. Jeanett Tang-Peronard, of the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen, said that only a few of the tens of thousands of known environmental chemicals have been tested for their association with obesity, in her article in Obesity Reviews.

“We are only scratching the surface,” she said.

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