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Obesity has become a widespread epidemic in our world today. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, from 2013-2014, more than 2 in 3 adults (70.2%) were considered to be overweight or have obesity, about 1 in 13 adults (7.7%) were considered to have extreme obesity, almost 3 in 4 men (73.7%) were considered to be overweight or have obesity, and about 2 in 3 women (66.9%) were considered to be overweight or have obesity (Ogden, 2017). These statistics show the harsh reality of obesity and how many people suffer from obesity. Obesity occurs in many different cases whether it be a sedentary individual with a poor diet, a mother who struggles to lose her weight post-baby, an individual who has bariatric surgery and doesnt have enough education regarding ways to control their obesity, a person with diabetes who cant get their diet under control, or many other situations. While obesity is still prevalent in our society, many researchers have focused their efforts on discovering effective ways to help prevent or reduce obesity. Much of the research that has been done focuses on interventions in children because researchers believe the onset of obesity begins in childhood. In the article done by Lytle (2012), the researcher stated that most trends in treating childhood obesity include behavior treatment, reduction of sedentariness, activity, or dietary changes. These types of treatment options are used not only for childhood obesity but obesity in general. Research has shown that dietary changes as a type of treatment for obesity are effective. Researchers found that reducing energy-dense foods was an effective way to manage body weight and also control hunger (Ello-Martin, 2007). This research article along with many others proves that dietary changes are effective when controlling or preventing obesity.

Intuitive Eating

Intuitive eating is defined as a strong connection with, and eating in response to, internal physiological hunger and satiety cues (Herbert, 2013). This means a person would stop eating when he or she experienced satiety. Those who struggle with obesity typically overeat, meaning that they eat past being full causing them to eat too much ultimately leading to obesity. Intuitive eating allows a person to eat in a way that supports health and helps maintain adequate body weight and nutrition, and it also helps control overeating, obsessing over how much food they consume, and dieting in a harmful way (Herbert, 2013). A group of researchers completed a study regarding intuitive eating and weight loss in individuals who took part in bariatric surgery. The goal was to see if intuitive eating had any positive effects on weight loss in these post-op patients. Women who had undergone bariatric surgery were given a questionnaire through social media regarding intuitive eating and its effects on their weight loss. The results showed that intuitive eating was an effective way to lose weight after bariatric surgery (Nogué, 2019). Another study was done regarding intuitive eating and weight loss during postpartum. Fifty-seven women between the ages of 18 and 35 years of age who were 12-18 months postpartum were recruited through the WIC center and Birth Options Alliance Facebook page and online list. The women were given a survey regarding their weight pre-, during, and post-pregnancy and birth. Questions were also asked regarding the breastfeeding of the infants. The women also completed the Intuitive Eating Scale. The results from this study showed that intuitive eating led to a greater decrease in postpartum weight and BMI than not following an intuitive eating-based diet. These studies support intuitive eating being an effective technique to control or prevent obesity.

Decrease in Sugar Consumption

Obesity has been linked to many types of bad habits when it comes to nutrition. One of the most well-known bad habits that people tend to have is the overconsumption of sugar. A study was done in New York testing the effects of sugar-sweetened beverages on obesity. The Community Health Survey (CHS) was used to gather the information the researchers needed for the participants. The questions involved BMI, how often the participants drank sugar-sweetened soda, and how often the participants drank other sweetened drinks like sweet tea, sports drinks, fruit punch, or other sugary fruit-flavored drinks. They split groups between those who drank four or more sugar-sweetened drinks a day and those who did not drink sugar-sweetened drinks. The results showed that those who were in the group of participants who consumed four or more sugar-sweetened drinks per day had a higher BMI than those who did not consume sugar-sweetened drinks. While consuming sugar-sweetened beverages may not be the only answer for the higher BMI in the sugar-sweetened beverage group, the results show that it plays a role (Burgermaster, 2012). Another study focused on ultra-processed foods and added sugars in the diet of those from the United States. Since the study done by Burgermaster, 2012 focused on sugar and how it causes an increase in BMI, it is important to understand that consumption of ultra-processed foods is the source of most individuals added sugar intake. In this cross-sectional study, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was given to individuals to see how much of their dietary content was made up of added sugars and how much total energy these individuals obtained from added sugars. The results showed that ultra-processed foods contributed to 57.9% of total energy intake, with 89.7% of that energy intake coming from added sugar. These researchers concluded that decreasing the amount of ultra-processed foods could lead to a decline in the excessive amount of added sugar consumption in the US (Steele, 2016). The bottom line is that sugar comes in many different sizes, shapes, and forms, and it ultimately leads to an increase in BMI leading to an increased risk for obesity. Decreasing sugar intake is an effective solution to help prevent obesity from occurring in adults and children.

Increase in Dietary Fiber Consumption

While it is sometimes necessary to decrease certain items in our diet to prevent obesity, it is also sometimes necessary to increase certain items. Dietary fiber is a nutrient that should be increased in our daily diet. Researchers wrote a review article describing the effects that dietary fiber can have on obesity by modulating microbiota in our gastrointestinal tract. Much research has been done on this particular subject. It is said to be believed that expression of genes encoding inflammatory proteins in adipocytes correlates with adiposity (Davis, 2018). This means that inflammation can cause individuals to be overweight. This is where fiber and microbiota come in. The microbial level in lean individuals differs largely from the microbial level in obese individuals. A common cause for this difference is dietary fiber intake. This researcher found, by researching many of the previous research studies that have been done regarding the topic, that maintaining dietary fiber intake for the long term ultimately plays a major role in the amount and types of microbes in the gut. These amounts and types are similar among lean phenotypes, meaning that the long-term consumption of dietary fiber helps to prevent obesity by adjusting the gut microbiome to that of a lean individual. Researchers Brauchla, Juan, Story, and Kranz (2012) did a study regarding the association of fiber intake with the risk of childhood obesity. Data was used from a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey done in 2003-2004 to establish background information on the participants. Kids divided into two subgroups between the ages of 2-11 and 12-18 made up the participant group. Data was collected which included dietary recall, and from the recall, more data was collected. This data included person-level intake data, plausibility of reported diets, and food-level intake data. The statistical findings by the researchers helped conclude that increasing dietary fiber intake helped decrease the risk of childhood obesity. These findings have also been carried over into the adult population where a review of the literature has shown that increasing dietary fiber intake helps decrease body weight in adults (Brauchla, 2012). It is important to mention that glucose intolerance is also mentioned in this study. Dietary fiber also affects glucose sensitivity and glucose levels. The findings from this study support the idea that glucose metabolism is improved when dietary fiber is increased (Brauchla, 2012). Whether it be childhood or adulthood, dietary fiber intake has been proven by research to make a large impact on obesity. Increasing the amount of fiber in the diets of individuals is an effective way to help prevent obesity from occurring in adults and children as well.

Conclusion

Obesity brings harsh side effects along with it and can sometimes lead to death. While there are many ways to treat obesity, nutrition plays a large and leading role in helping prevent this epidemic from occurring. Intuitive eating has been proven to be an effective and healthy diet to help lead individuals to weight loss or prevent them from weight gain. Many fad diets in our culture today can be dangerous and misleading. Intuitive eating is a healthy way to lose weight because it demands you listen to your body and the signs that it shows you. Intuitive eating is about stopping our food intake before we get to the point of feeling like throwing up. Overeating is a leading problem in obesity, and intuitive eating is a way to help gain control over that. Decreasing sugar consumption in our day-to-day diet also helps prevent or control obesity. Many studies have been done linking sugar intake with high BMI. Controlling the amount of sugar that we take in is important when gaining control over overweighting weight. Ultra-processed foods, or convenient foods, provide a large number of excess sugar in our diet. It is important to understand that controlling ultra-processed foods can help control excess sugar which can ultimately help control and prevent obesity. Dietary fiber intake plays a large role, as well, in preventing obesity. The link between inflammation and fiber is important to understand because thats where obesity begins. Many studies have linked a decrease in body weight to an increase in dietary fiber. A decrease in body weight leads to a decrease in obesity, which is the goal. Nutrition plays a key role in the prevention of obesity, and many actions can be taken to change nutritional habits and ultimately prevent obesity from occurring.

References

Brauchla, M., Juan, W., Story, J., & Kranz, S. (2012). Sources of Dietary Fiber and the Association of Fiber Intake with Childhood Obesity Risk (in 2-18-Year-Olds) and Diabetes Risk of Adolescents 12-18-Year-Olds: NHANES 2003-2006. Journal of nutrition and metabolism, 2012, 736258. doi:10.1155/2012/736258
Burgermaster, M., Bhana, H., Fullwood, M., Bazaldua, D., & Tipton, E. (2017). Exploring the role of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in obesity among New Yorkers using propensity score matching. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 117(5), 753-762.
Davis, H. (2018). Can the gastrointestinal microbiota be modulated by dietary fiber to treat obesity? Irish Journal of Medical Science, 187(2), 393-402.
Ello-Martin, J., Roe, L., Ledikwe, J., Beach, A., & Rolls, B. (2007). Dietary energy density in the treatment of obesity: A year-long trial comparing 2 weight-loss diets. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85(6), 14651477. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/85.6.1465
Herbert, B., Blechert, J., Hautzinger, M., Matthias, E., & Herbert, C. (2013). Intuitive eating is associated with interoceptive sensitivity. Effects on body mass index. Elsevier, 70(1), 22-30.
Leahy, K., Berlin, K., Banks, G., & Bachman, J. (2017). The relationship between intuitive eating and postpartum weight loss. Maternal and Child Health Journal. 21(8). 1591-1597
Lytle, Leslie. (2012). Dealing with the childhood obesity epidemic: A public health approach. Abdominal Radiology, 37(5), 719-724.
Nogué, M., Nogué, E., Molinari, N., Macioce, V., Avignon, A., & Sultan, A. (2019). Intuitive eating is associated with weight loss after bariatric surgery in women. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 110(1), 10-15.
Ogden, C. (2017). Overweight and obesity statistics. Retrieved from https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity
Steele, E., Baraldi, L., Louzada, M., Moubarac, J., Mozaffarian, D., & Monteiro, C. (2016). Ultra-processed foods and added sugars in the US diet: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study. BMJ Journals, 6(3), 1-8.

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