Healthy Weight Week 2022: A Time to Shape Up

By Jonathan Springston, Editor, Relias Media

Observed during the third week of January every year since 1994, Healthy Weight Week is a time for Americans to focus on creating proper nutritional habits that can produce long-term benefits.

Despite this annual observance, U.S. obesity rates have climbed steadily over two decades, with more than 40% of the U.S. population considered obese. This condition leads to billions of dollars in excess healthcare spending and preventable, premature deaths.

The Department of Agriculture has produced Dietary Guidelines for Americans every five years since 1980. In the latest edition (2020-2025), the agency put an emphasis on developing healthy dietary patterns at each stage of life, from infancy to adulthood. Rather than focusing on fad diets or consuming only particular foods, the guidelines suggest a more holistic approach.

Similarly, in the second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, published in 2018, the Department of Health and Human Services breaks down recommendations by life stage rather than blanket suggestions applied to everyone.

The American Heart Association recently weighed in with its own dietary guidelines, which blend recommendations from the two aforementioned federal reports.

“There are a few noteworthy aspects that make these guidelines unique or at least cognizant of the reality we face. This includes focusing on the value of an overall heart-healthy diet throughout one’s lifetime, rather than thinking in terms of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ foods, as well as the critical role of initiating heart-healthy dietary habits early in life,” author Seema Gupta, MD, MSPH, wrote in the January 30 issue of Internal Medicine Alert. “Most importantly, these guidelines aim to meet people where they are. Whether someone predominantly eats at restaurants or is a truck driver who lives on a tight budget, everyone can benefit from a heart-healthy dietary pattern. The guidelines emphasize that a one-size-fits-all approach may no longer be needed. A heart-healthy dietary pattern can be for everyone and be consistent with personal preferences, lifestyles, and religious and cultural customs.”

Other researchers believe solving the obesity epidemic is not as simple as eating less and exercising more. Author Joseph E. Scherger, MD, MPH, expounded on this concept in an article on energy expenditure and in another on the carbohydrate-insulin model.

Consider these additional recent articles from Integrative Medicine Alert to help your patients maintain healthy dietary habits:

• Focusing on emotional regulation, sleep improvement, and physical activity may help break the cycle of emotional eating that leads to obesity.
• Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation could improve gut health and alleviate inflammation in the brain.
• High dietary intake of flavonoids was associated with better gut microbial biodiversity, lower Parabacteroides, increased unclassified Ruminococcaceae, up to 4 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure, and lower pulse pressure.