Obesity is on the rise in both adults and children, according to a recent study. Texas Tech researchers are trying to find a more effective treatment to help those suffering from the disease.
“You don’t get obesity. Obesity catches you,” said Dr. Nikhil Dhurandhar, nutritional sciences professor and chairman. “The reality is that obesity is a really complex and serious disease. Just like diabetes, you don’t decide whether you get diabetes or not. Diabetes catches you.”
Dhurandhar said he is unsure why there’s an obesity epidemic, mostly because the unifying cause of the disease is unclear. He said he’s personally treated more 15,000 patients who suffer from obesity and says it goes much deeper than just eating too much.
The blanket treatment doctors usually suggest is to stop excessive eating and exercise more, but it’s not that simple for some. The truth is obesity isn’t caused by laziness or over-eating.
“Yes, food and extra food helps express obesity, but only if you have the disease obesity,” said Dhurandhar.
The numbers are on the rise for all age groups, but especially children ages 2 to 5. In an effort to keep your kids healthy, Lubbock-Cooper ISD partners with Southwest Food Excellence.
“When we offer salad bars, that means they can choose fruits and vegetables that they like and enjoy and that they want to eat, rather than just things that are on their tray that they have no interest in,” said Destini Borchardt, nutrition specialist.
As for the cause of obesity? Well, that’s what researchers are trying to find out.
“Not just to fall for this, ‘You’re just eating to much, you’re just lazy and that’s why you have obesity.” There are multiple things going on in your physiology that we need to understand that could be precipitating eventually weight gain,” said Dhurandhar.
He hopes by understanding obesity and finding the cause, they will find adequate treatment for long-term results.
