Stakeholders, including the Michigan Osteopathic Association, from across Michigan joined the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) to identify strategies to improve the health of Michigan residents by reducing and preventing obesity. The Michigan Call to Action to Reduce and Prevent Obesity summit took place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at the Lansing Center in Lansing.
With two-thirds of Michigan adults and 12.4 percent of youth at an unhealthy weight, the purpose of the summit was to develop priority recommendations to reduce and prevent obesity.
These recommendations will guide MDCH as it crafts a work plan to reduce obesity and improve the quality of life in Michigan.
Governor Rick Snyder presented opening remarks, followed by a presentation on obesity trends in Michigan. MDCH Director Olga Dazzo issued a charge to the workgroups before the breakout sessions began, encouraged summit participants to join her and Governor Snyder in the effort to make Michigan a healthier, stronger state.
More than 500 participants gathered and presented their strategic priorities to MDCH for reducing and preventing obesity. Public Sector Consultants, Inc. is compiling a report on the recommendations.
Some common themes did emerge from the diverse group of participants, including the need for local and community coalitions, a statewide and consistent marketing campaign, data collection, and education for all segments of society about the roles that individuals can play – to reduce and prevent obesity.
We need to stop giving the same old advice that is not working, i.e. eat more whole grains, less fat and exercise more, and look with an unbiased eye at what is underlying the rapidly progressive problem with overweight and obesity in this country. After intense study on this problem I am convinced that we have a fundamental problem with the types of foods that our population is eating. Food manufacturers have been adding corn products both in obvious forms such as corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch and less obvious forms of food additives that are ubiquitous in our food supply. These are cheap ingredients for food manufacturers because our government subsidizes farmers to grow corn.We have also seen a glut of wheat products permeating our food supply. Wheat has a higher glycemic index than table sugar! It causes a rapid insulin response and promotes fat deposition.If we look objectively at what food macronutrients have increased in consumption over the last 40 -50 years, the culprits are clearly carbohydrates such as corn products, wheat products and sugar. Grains and corn are what we feed farm animals to fatten them up for market. We have done exactly the same thing to our population with the refined processed foods containing grains and corn products promoted by our food manufacturers. Exercise is good but clearly my fathers generation did not exercise more than mine yet we are becoming progressively more obese. Ask yourself why this is occurring and does our current model of obesity treatment work. I would be happy to discuss this further if anyone is interested.
David B Thrower DO
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We need to stop giving the same old advice that is not working, i.e. eat more whole grains, less fat and exercise more, and look with an unbiased eye at what is underlying the rapidly progressive problem with overweight and obesity in this country. After intense study on this problem I am convinced that we have a fundamental problem with the types of foods that our population is eating. Food manufacturers have been adding corn products both in obvious forms such as corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch and less obvious forms of food additives that are ubiquitous in our food supply. These are cheap ingredients for food manufacturers because our government subsidizes farmers to grow corn.We have also seen a glut of wheat products permeating our food supply. Wheat has a higher glycemic index than table sugar! It causes a rapid insulin response and promotes fat deposition.If we look objectively at what food macronutrients have increased in consumption over the last 40 -50 years, the culprits are clearly carbohydrates such as corn products, wheat products and sugar. Grain consumption has increased forty percent since the 1970′s and sugar consumption has increased nearly 50 % since 1985.Grains and corn are what we feed farm animals to fatten them up for market. We have done exactly the same thing to our population with the refined, processed sugary foods containing grains and corn products promoted by our food manufacturers. Exercise is good but clearly my father’s generation did not exercise more than mine yet we are becoming progressively more obese. Ask yourself why this is occurring and does our current model of obesity treatment and dietary recommendations work. I would be happy to discuss this further if anyone is interested.
David B Thrower DO
We need to help doctor’s advise with allied health personnel like health promotion people, nutritionists, behavioral people to work as a group to help patients followup with their committments. Same with dental and activity. Physicians and the health care system have put too much faith in people being able to “help themselves” and take personal responsibilities for their health. Not to mention the healthcare industry makes more money on the sick then the well. Incentives and reimbursements must change to control costs.