HBO's 'Weight of the Nation' examines the obesity epidemic

A compelling four-part documentary delving into the obesity epidemic sweeping the country is being aired on HBO and can be watched free by clicking here. A reporter wanting to write a series of stories on the issue would find "weight of the Nation" a good reference.

The program is divided into four parts. The first segment, "Consequences," looks at the scope of the epidemic and the ramifications of being overweight or obese. "Choices" looks at the science behind how to lose weight, how to maintain weight loss and prevent weight gain. The third part, "Children in Crisis," looks at how the problem is affecting American children, exploring the decline of physical activity, school lunch, the demise of school recess and how marketing of unhealthy food targets children. The final segment, "Challenges," looks at the major forces driving obesity, including agriculture, economics, evolutionary biology, food marketing, racial and socioeconomic disparities, physical inactivity, American food culture, and the influence of the food and beverage industries.

The documentary is on a detailed website that answers questions that range from "What is obesity?" to "How do I know if I'm overweight or obese?"

The project is a presentation of HBO and the Institute of Medicine in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, with support from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and health insurer Kaiser Permanente.

Lessons in battling obesity can be learned from the anti-tobacco movement, but there are big differences

To make real headway in battling the obesity epidemic, lessons can be learned from the war on smoking — though the two public-health issues have certain unique challenges. Judith Graham, reporting for Kaiser Health News in collaboration with USA Today, delves into the similarities and differences.

Her piece deserves to be read in its entirety, which can be done by clicking here, but here's a summary of her analysis:

Children are central. The majority of people start using tobacco as teenagers, with one-third of kids who smoke daily set to die prematurely of tobacco-related illnesses. Likewise, overweight children are at a greater risk of a vast array of health problems, including diabetes, liver disease and obesity in adulthood.

Protecting children as at the heart of both the anti-tobacco and anti-obesity efforts. "First let's protect our children," said Dr. David Ludwig, a child-obesity expert at Harvard Medical School. 

Changing social norms is the goal. While smoking in a hospital or airplane has become inconceivable, the same shift in social norms is required to fight childhood obesity. "Our (eating and physical activity) tastes, our preferences and our behaviors are learned and can be changed," said Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and vice president for global health at Emory University in Atlanta. It won't be easy, but at least "we're dealing with a population that would like to be thinner and that works in our favor."

We can't "just say no" to food. "Tobacco we can get rid of entirely," said Dr. David Katz, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center. "But we have to eat to live and make terms with food as the enemy."

That makes fighting childhood obesity much more difficult, since the message can't be "stop, don't do this." It has to instead be "make good choices, set boundaries," which is more difficult to convey and adhere to, Graham reports.

Our biology works against us. "While smoking is highly addictive, the biological responses attached to eating food are even more deeply rooted in human evolution," Graham reports. Evolutionarily speaking, humans are "built" to eat food when it's available and "we're very good at storing calories and defending calories once we've got them," said Dr. Stephen Daniels, chair of the department of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. 

Shame and denial are greater among the obese. A person's self-image is tightly tied to his or her body weight in a way that isn't true of smoking. That can provide a compelling reason to stop over-eating, but people don't tend to think of themselves as obese. "Obesity is seen as a pejorative term that people don't connect with," said Dr. William Dietz, director of the division of nutrition, physical activity and obesity at the CDC. "They think, 'I'm just 30 or 40 pounds overweight, but I'm not obese.'"

There are more food products available. "Tobacco is a single substance," Graham reports. "By contrast, the food and beverage industry is enormous and makes a huge array of goods that extend into every home, restaurant, convenience store, and grocery store in America."

There is no second-hand smoke equivalent. "The notion that my behavior as a smoker can have an effect on you and can make you sick was critically important in accelerating people's intolerance of smoking and their willingness to see the government take action," said Michael Eriksen, director of the Institute of Public Health at Georgia State University. "Your being obese does not affect me in the same direct way."

The role of the food industry is less clear. While Big Tobacco was able to be demonized, "with obesity (as compared to tobacco) there's a much more nuanced relationship with industry," said Dr. James S. Marks, director of the health group at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Couple loses combined 347 pounds in 2 years, pretty simply; similar success stories are always compelling

"When Art and Betty Halcomb look at each other, they still have a hard time believing how much weight they have lost," reports Nola Sizemore for the Harlan Daily Enterprise. Together, the couple has lost 347 pounds, a journey that started in April 2010.

Art weighed 384 pounds and Betty was 308. "We decided we were going to do everything we could do in a three-month period to see how much weight we could actually lose," Betty said. That included counting calories and daily exercise, which at first comprised for a half-mile of walking. Within two weeks, they were able to walk one mile.

"We did portion control with our meals, actually measuring out serving sizes," Betty said. "I was eating 1,200 calories per day and Art was eating 1,500 calories per day. We didn't limit ourselves to any certain foods. We wanted it to be a lifestyle change, not just another diet."

One of their major motivations was their daughter, Kristen Swanner, a two-time cancer survivor who has endured chemotherapy, radiation and a stem-cell transplant. To watch her "literally fight for her life and we were just throwing ours away, we felt so guilty," Betty said.

When they discovered Swanner was pregnant, after being told by doctors that she couldn't conceive, the couple had even more drive to shed the weight, knowing they were soon to be grandparents.

"Jesus says he wants us to have an abundant life," Betty said. "If we can do this, anyone can do it. Make that decision today to lose weight and live a more happier life. Don't give up — keep trying." (Read more)

Do You Suffer from Stress, Insomnia, Depression or Excess Weight?

Are You Looking for Ways to Change? We have a simple program that is as natural as laying back and closing your eyes.



Simply put, visualization is the process of forming mental images; it is the primary component of the imagination.

Visualization is at the core of the human ability to create, innovate and dream.

Many of history's inventors and artists attribute their success to an exceptional ability to visualize. Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, Henry Ford, and the great composer, Chopin all reported using creative visualization to spark their imaginations. Additionally, Albert Einstein once said he came up with the theory of relativity by imagining what would happen if he could travel through space on the tip of a light beam.

Creative visualization can transport you out of a state of stress or fear, and into a new space of inner calm, peace and tranquility. Additionally, a natural byproduct of creative visualization occurs when the body goes loose and limp, creating the relaxation response - the perfect state for learning and focusing on goals.

Mind/Body Support

Visualization has long been the primary tool for mind/body support. From a scientific perspective, we know, that because visualization directly impacts the body's neurological system, it can have a direct influence on us physically.

Try this for an example: Imagine I have just handed you a large, yellow, juice-filled lemon. You slice the lemon into quarters and bring one of the quarters to your mouth and bite into it . . . what happened? Did your mouth begin to pucker? Did it fill with saliva? This is a naturally occurring neurological response to an imagined thought.

Have you ever watched a horror film, and, in the midst of the excitement, found your palms sweating and your heart pounding? You knew it was "just a movie," right?

If your mind can cause this kind of impact on your body, is there any reason it can't relax your muscles, overpower nicotine, stimulate your metabolism, or even do away with chronic pain?

Why Use Creative Visualization and Guided Relaxation Together?

We all have an inner critic, a part of our mind which, based on past experience, rejects unfamiliar information without proper evaluation. This is known as the critical factor. Studies show that relaxation techniques subdue this critical factor, making you receptive to new ideas. Even though it may seem counterintuitive to "let go in order to gain control," this is exactly what happens during the relaxation response.

Through NewReality's visualization techniques, you experience positive and appropriate ways to imagine your personal goals. This helps you remain optimistic and motivated toward changes that bring about your success.

CVR Provides the Missing Link to Wellness

Recent research shows excessive stress can suppress the immune system. Therefore, it's vital to incorporate a program of stress reduction and relaxation into your everyday routine. By reducing anxiety and stress, and increasing relaxation, you can boost your immune system and use your own unlimited resources to improve your life.

But don't think CVR is only a nice, relaxing daydream. People who regularly relax with CVR processes enjoy a number of side-benefits. These may include:

• Increased blood flow to the brain, resulting in clearer thinking, better concentration, improved memory and enhanced creativity
• A 21% increase in serotonin, which calms the mind and body and creates an overall sense of wellbeing
• A 25% increase in endorphins, the hormones that flow through your body when you feel happy
• Better sleep patterns. Twenty minutes of CVR can be equivalent to 2-3 hours of sleep, so you may find yourself sleeping less, feeling more rested, accomplishing more, and finding extra enjoyment in life
• Soaring energy levels
• More fulfilling relationships
• Improved career satisfaction
• A clearer sense of purpose
• And last, but certainly not least, a seemingly effortless ability to manage stress