Another misguided “war” about obesity

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently announced “Better health” campaign To fight obesity. The announcement was prompted by Johnson’s seizures at COVID-19 in April, including an intensive care stint. Johnson believes the reported 36 Body Mass Index (30 is considered obese) is responsible for the severity of his infection and is currently on a mission to slim the UK.

The intervention proposed by Johnson bans junk food ads before 9pm, and stores sell unhealthy snacks at entrances and checkouts to reduce the chances of children being exposed to such ads. Preventing from doing, banning “buy one free” promotions for unhealthy foods, and calorie restaurants with more than 250 employees. Other measures include encouraging physicians to prescribe cycling, which is Johnson’s preferred mode of transportation, and facilitating access to weight loss programs.

Critic Johnson’s obesity measures are correct Claim that they are incomplete Because it focuses on individual responsibility, rather than attacking the underlying causes of obesity, poverty and inequality. Others have pointed out that the calorie count of restaurants has in the past Negligible impact Regarding consumer behavior.

As a researcher and educator Obesity History and PoliticsAlso note that Johnson and legislators in other countries who may follow his footsteps need to be cautious. Weight is a delicate matter and mistreatment of the “war” against fat and obesity can compromise the physical and mental health of obese people.

This is not to say that the association between obesity and COVID-19 should be ignored. There is evidence In severe cases of COVID-19, obesity is the most important risk factor, Second only to age.. A survey of populations in China, Italy, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom has shown that obese people may Double their risk The likelihood of death during hospitalization or due to COVID-19 and the relationship between weight and COVID-19 Pronunciation among young people And men..

42% Classified as American adult obesity.

There are many explanations about why obesity can exacerbate COVID-19 infection. Scientists have found that COVID-19 often enters the body through an enzyme called ACE2, and people with adipose tissue have more ACE2 receptors, making them more susceptible to infection and viral load. Did.

When infected with COVID-19, some doctors suggest that adipose tissue presses against the diaphragm and lungs, causing obesity to cause respiratory distress. Another general theory is that obesity can interfere with the proper functioning of immune cells, causing an excessive immune response called the “cytokine storm,” which can lead to potentially life-threatening inflammation and organ failure. Is that. Some researchers have also suggested that irregular levels of hormones associated with obesity, such as glucose-regulated adiponectin and weight-regulated leptin, endanger the immune response to the virus.

As researchers continue to investigate the association between obesity and COVID-19, national and public health organizations will be advised to renew their attention to obesity. In doing so, public health initiatives need to learn from mistakes in previous campaigns that blame obese people as lazy and weak-willed junk food cannibals.

In 2012, both Children’s Healthcare in Atlanta (Georgia’s largest pediatric health care system) and Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Minnesota were launched. Controversial advertising campaigns Those critics are correctly characterized as fat shame. 1 Georgia poster Four overweight children appeared with the following captions: There was a big meal. Meanwhile, Minnesota advertising is targeting parents. One of them The commercial is Big man in a fast food store carrying a tray of burgers, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings and sugared drinks. The man bravely walked towards the booth, listening to his overweight son in competition with other boys whose father could eat most. He was suddenly ashamed.

I’m worried that these types of misguided advertising and anti-obesity campaigns will resurface in the age of COVID-19. Overweight children can be bullied by peers when they have internet advertisements, commercials, posters, and signs that blame the obese people and their diet and exercise habits.

Among adults, anonymous commentators on news stories about COVID-19 have already posted that the destiny of people is the result of “poor lifestyles.” “Homosexual lifestyle”. Moreover, blaming people for their weight, like African Americans, is against current considerations of racial injustice Women And Latin Children Most disproportionately affected by obesity in America.

Just as sensational anti-tobacco ads are needed to drive the risk of smoking home, for those who argue that a frank message is needed to emphasize the importance of obesity, public health Research has shown that stigma is not only ineffective but can induce obese people gain Instead of dropping, pounds.

Research found Both children and adults who have undergone weight-based bullying or discrimination can quit exercise due to eating anxiety for comfort, developing eating disorders, and anxiety about their physical display High in quality. Condemning people’s weight impairs mental health and increases stress, resulting in Elevated stress hormone cortisol Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and weight.

To avoid these consequences, campaigns to reduce obesity should focus on the positive side of maintaining a healthy diet and exercise habits. And because low-income Americans and racial minorities are likely to live in relatively few areas, supermarket And Green spacePublic policy interventions should also ensure access to affordable, healthy food and spaces that also promote exercise and recreation. Such interventions are consistent with the consensus among obesity experts that weight is a function of interaction Gene and environment..

Finally, it is imperative that the anti-obesity initiative also include an educational element that the public and even health care providers are informed about the effects of weight bias. Rebecca M. Pur and Chelsea A. Heuer, leaders of research in this area, Research points Healthcare professionals may consider obese patients to be “lazy, lacking self-discipline, dishonest, ignorant, annoying, and incompatible with treatment,” stating that a heavier patient’s consultation is shorter than a lean patient. I made it clear.

Obese patients perceive these minorities, their health care providers don’t take them seriously, mistakenly assume that their weight is the cause of all illnesses, and succumb to them in losing weight. I am reporting. Hospital gowns, examination tables, and medical devices not designed for the larger body exacerbate the embarrassment and resentment they experience. As a result, obese patients may forget future medical care, including life-saving cancer screening.

On the surface, at least Boris Johnson seems to have come to appreciate the importance of caring for obesity. In 2004 he wrote a newspaper Column heading “Face it: It’s all because of your own fat.” Now he Reassuring the British people His anti-obesity program is not intended to be “overly stupid or nanny”, add to“We want this to be really sympathetic to people, understand the difficulties they are facing with their weight, and just help.”