Prescriptions
Battle obesity with exercise to reduce diabetes risk
By Landis Lum
There is an epidemic in America that will soon kill more people than smoking, and has led to an astounding fivefold increase in diabetes since 1960. Recently, U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher issued a "call to action" to battle this disease called obesity, which kills 300,000 people each year. Sixty-one percent of adults are now overweight, and overweight teens have tripled since 1980!
What about trying Xenadrine, certain Herbalife Thermojetics products, Metabolife's Dietary Supplement 35, Ripped Fuel, various Metabolift products, Diet Max, Therma Lean, Hydroxycut, certain Thermagenics Plus products and other supplements containing ephedra (also known as ma huang) for weight loss or energy?
Well, the FDA has warned that in a period of only two years, ephedra was linked to 10 strokes, seven seizures and 10 deaths. Thirteen people suffered permanent disability (such as paralysis or heart attack), and nine "serious events" occurred even in people who used only 12 to 36 milligrams a day and had no other diseases. What's going on there? Ephedra puts undue strain on the heart and may cause dangerous palpitations.
If you're overweight, your chance of getting diabetes is dramatically worsened. It's important to note that Native Hawaiians have double to triple the risk of diabetes compared to Caucasians.
Many experts feel that Metformin is the best drug for overweight adults and children with diabetes; it reduces excess sugar production by the liver. In a recent study, it was found to reduce the chance of getting diabetes in the first place by 30 percent.
More importantly, however, guess what worked twice as well? Exercise! Overweight people who walked (or engaged in other moderate exercise) 30 minutes a day and lost only 5 to 7 percent of their body weight reduced their chance of diabetes by 60 percent!
Therefore, you should try to walk an extra 10 minutes two to three times a day, or start dancing or swimming to prevent diabetes. This is especially important if you have a relative who has diabetes. And if you already have diabetes, such exercise is like taking an insulin shot, and will reduce your blood sugars even if you don't lose weight!
And here's a great idea: At 6:30 p.m. Jan. 5, take your company or family to the McCoy Pavilion at Ala Moana Park to register for Exercise Honolulu, an event that will include a challenge by Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris and "health czar" Duke Bainum for our residents to lose 50 tons of weight in 50 days! You can sign up to have you or your group challenge another group to lose more weight by the time of a public "weigh-out" on Feb. 23.
At the Jan. 5 event there will also be one- and two-mile walks around the park, and a health fair that will offer nutrition, exercise and medical information.
And if you don't make it for the Jan. 5 event, show up for walks 8-9 a.m. Sundays at nearly 30 parks throughout the island, including Palolo District Park, Kalakaua District Park, Ma'ili Beach Park, Waimanalo District Park, Central O'ahu Regional Park, Kualoa Regional Park, Ho'omaluhia, Kailua District Park, Koko Head District Park and others. These walks officially run from Jan. 13 to Feb. 17, but my hope is that you'll continue these group walks on your own.
Exercise Honolulu is community service project of the Friends of the Honolulu County Medical Society, the city government, the state Department of Health and sponsors including Meadow Gold Dairies. Call 536-6988. Or you might try the exerciseHonolulu.com site for more information when it's finished being constructed.
Setting an example for our keiki, taking them hiking and rollerblading, and eating more fruits and vegetables and less fatty or fast foods, are our best hope for stemming this deadly obesity epidemic.
Dr. Landis Lum is a family practice physician with Kaiser Permanente, and an associate clinical professor of family and community medicine at the University of Hawai'i's John A. Burns School of Medicine. Write: Prescriptions, 'Ohana Section, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802; e-mail ohana@honoluluadvertiser.com; fax 535-8170. This column is not intended to provide medical advice; you should consult your doctor.
