Links between personality and obesity
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
A recent Wall Street Journal article details a study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology that looks at the links between personality and obesity. The study specifically addresses the links between emotion, food, and weight control, links which form at a young age. An example of some of the links:
those who scored high on neuroticism—the tendency to easily experience negative emotions—and low on conscientiousness, or being organized and disciplined, were the most likely to be overweight and obese. Impulsivity was strongly linked to BMI, too: The subjects in the top 10% of impulsivity weighed, on average, 24 pounds more than those in the lowest 10%.
Emotional eating is a major problem in weight gain, especially in women, and becomes worse when one is overweight. The brain-gut connections in overweight people encourages unhealthy food-consumption even when one is not hungry, heightening impulsivity. This is a vicious cycle that can be hard to get out of. Weening yourself slowly off certain foods is a good place to start. I had to go “cold turkey” and stopped eating junk food and opted for healthy substitutes. It is important to exert some will power!
I will be posting on some of the other personality traits mentioned in upcoming posts. Remember:
“You don’t have to change your whole personality. You just need to change your thinking, which allows you to change your behavior,”
Lifestyle choices are key to longevity and happiness (and #weightloss)
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
From research over decades in Harvard graduates and (initially) young men from inner-city Boston neighborhoods:
“We used to think that if you had relatives who lived to a ripe old age, that was the best predictor” of a long life, said Robert Waldinger, director of theHarvard Study of Adult Development, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “It turns out that the lifestyle choices people make in midlife are a more important predictor of how long you live.”
We recently talked about the benefits of keeping a gratitude list. The researchers note:
In a recent paper, Waldinger, Elizabeth Kensinger, and Marc Schulz utilized neural imaging to find that older adults with positive outlooks process emotional information differently from those with more negative views.
Tip #19: Get more sleep!
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
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We have discussed many times Americans get far less sleep than they used to. We also know that more and more Americans have sleep apnea particularly men who are obese – they may have less good quality sleep as well as fewer hours of sleep. We have also pointed out that the less people get sleep the more they have an appetite for salty and sugary foods. Now we have no research evidence which shows that when people get too little sleep they are less active during the day that follows. Did you say that makes commonsense??? Yes, but now we’ve got documentation that people who have had been sleep deprived on average consumer roughly 1/4 less energy than on days when they’re not sleep deprived.
You can see how sleep deprivation is a deadly combination – a bad influence on appetite, plus decreased activity. I know that modern American life is stressful but my suggestions are to skip the late-night TV shows and try to get at least seven hours sleep per night.
Adequate sleep is an important part of a weight loss program.
Tip #18 – Keep a gratitude list
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
I keep a gratitude list (along with recording weight and exercise routines) on my Google Calendar.
I wasn’t surprised to read that women who wrote about positive aspects of their values lost weight, while others did. Just a simple positive, affirming writing exercise resulted in weight loss, even though the women didn’t know that that was the goal of the study.
Reports Men’s Health:
After four months, the students who wrote about their strongest beliefs lost an average of 3.41 pounds, while those who concentrated on others’ values gained an average of 2.76 pounds.
Tip #17: See your doctor – the reasons will surprise you.
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
Physicians, in general, aren’t great at counseling patient to lose weight. Some medically based programs do focus specifically on obesity, though, and show success. A nutritionist or dietitian may be more helpful; your doctor might refer you to one.
The reason to see your doctor is because of the medical problems that accompany overweight/obesity. These include:
- High blood pressure / hypertension. Most Americans eventually develop high blood pressure. High salt, low potassium diets may contribute to this. It usually has no symptoms, so it needs to be checked. Hypertension can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.
- Diabetes. The obesity epidemic has produced a diabetes epidemic as well. People of Asian and Native American descent are particularly prone to develop diabetes. Diabetes is a devastating disease. It can cause blindness, impotence, stroke, heart attack, amputation, kidney failure leading to dialysis… The list of complications is long.
- Cancer. Yes, cancer. Obese people have increased rates of many cancers, yet may be less likely.
- Osteoarthritis / knee pain. Overweight people are much more likely to undergoe hip and/or knee replacement to repair “wear and tear” arthritis.
- Sleep apnea. Low oxygen during sleep, because the soft tissues in neck collapse, can contribute to heart attacks, stroke, and impotence - notice a pattern? Older men are most susceptible, but if you feel sleepy during the day, snore, and have a big belly and/or thick neck, you have a good chance of having it. A sleep study can tell for sure.
Tip #16: Eat before grocery shopping; shop with a list; shop the store periphery
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
Now, my shopping and eating are very regularized. But for many months, I planned meals, and made a shopping list based on those plans. I made sure to eat healthy foods just before going to the store, so as not to be so suspectible to the inevtiable temptations placed before us in the store. If you live in an urban area, services such as Peapod and Fresh Direct (NYC area) let you order online, hopefully lessening temptation.
Once in the grocery, I am suspicious of anything called “diet” food, or that carrier health claims. I’m always suspicious of added fiber – such foods often also have added sugar. For that matter, I’m suspicious of any food that has a bar code. The periphery contains produce, dairy, meat/poultry/fish… Things that often need to be refrigerated.As Michael Pollan says, healthy food is food that goes bad. Therefore, the stuff in the middle of the store that lasts for year on the shelf is probably not good for you.
Frozen veggies are a good, economical choice. Frozen better than canned – canned often has salt, plus can linings may have BPA, which some think contributes to weight gain.
Tip #15: Explain your goals to people; don’t be ashamed.
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
When I decline food, I explain to people that my health and welfare require me to eat a certain way. Before going to a dinner party, I ask people if they can put aside salad for me without dressing, or even ask if they mind me bringing my own food. Other times, I’ll eat most of my own food before going, and then maybe eat salad and some fruit (and sip my green tea; red wine 1-2 glasses recommended for those who drink).
If I have to excuse myself early, to get adequate sleep, or to make time to exercise, I’m not ashamed about doing that, either. Friendship, family, and fellowship are keys to health and enjoying life. But pleasurable times with loved ones does not have to involve gluttony.
Tip #14: Find non-food stress relief/release. Music works for me.
By Dr John Ellis MD // 1 Comment
A walk in nature… Even sitting in the park… We should identify and nurture ways to reduce stress. Many times after a stressful day in the OR, if it was still light out, I’d drive to the lakefront in Chicago and just “chill.”
Music propels my workouts, but it also helps me relax. I happen to like jazz piano, but whatever soothes you is best for you – a study of surgeons found that they had less stress and performed better mentally when listening to music of their own choosing.
Tip #13: Cook in advance; travel with food
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
Today I had a 4 hour flight. While I was cooking breakfast and checking morning email, I cooked a double meal (steamed frozen wild Salmon; frozen collard greens nuked in a covered bowl with a TEAspoon olive oil, dried basil, nonsalt seasoning, and basalmiv vinegar (not vinagreETTE); brown rice). I ate 1/2 for lunch before I left, and the rest for dinner shortly before the plane landed. The folk on the plane were jealous – and I wasn’t tempted by chips and cookies on the plane.
Travel food from an earlier flight. Sardines, brussels sprouts, sriracha hot sauce, green tea
Oh, and I had my bags of green tea as well.
BTW, be sure to stay hydrated and get up and move around on long flights. Overweight and obese people are more likely to have blood clots on long flights – that appears to be what killed rapper Heavy D.
Tip #12: Drink water, not soda. Eat fruit but don’t drink juice.
By Dr John Ellis MD // Leave a comment
Often we may confuse thirst for hunger. I eat on a very regular schedule as much as possible. If I feel hungry, I’ll first drink water (or green tea); often the hunger will subside. Drinking water might even help reduce diabetes, which is increased in folks who are overweight or obese. (PS: I don’t drink diet soda, either).
I eat fruit. I stopped drinking juice. Before I lost weight, I drank up to 1/2 gallon a day of grapefruit juice – healthy, right? Wrong!!! Much too much sugar. That represents about 10 grapefruits; 1 grapefruit is approx. 80 cal. I could never EAT that much grapefruit. Juice allows you to consume far more sugar/calories, plus you fon’t get all the fiber.
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