Endocrinologist and nutritionist, Dr. Jean-Michel Borys is Co-Director of the Prevention Program for Childhood Obesity EPODE (Ensemble Prevenons l’Obésite Des Enfants) since 2004 and of the EPODE European Network since 2007.
Bibliography
- Les Kilos des ados, Éditions du Nil, 1998.
- Le Diabète sans gène, Éditions Jacob Duvernet, 2002.
- Le Cholesterol en questions, Éditions Jacob Duvernet, 2003.
- Je préviens l’obésité de mon enfant, Éditions Balland, 2004.
- Bien manger aujourd’hui, Éditions Jacob Duvernet, 2005.
- L’Obésité de l’enfant, Masson, Abrégés, 2005.
- Surveiller son tour de taille pour protéger son cœur, Éditions Jacob Duvernet, 2006.
- L’obésité, Le cavalier bleu, 2007
The last epidemiological studies reveal that the United States are no longer the worldwide champion of obesity: a large part of North Africa and Gulf oil-producing countries have high levels of obesity and overweight. How do you explain such a phenomenon?
Indeed, the United States are no longer the champion of obesity. However, the prevalence has tripled since the 1980′s, particularly among children, representing 2-8 percent of health spending. For WHO, “both companies and authorities must fight against this new plague. National policies have to enhance and facilitate physical activities and improve the ability and accessibility of safe and sane food. They have also to raise public, private and citizen involvement and investments.“
But obesity in the emerging countries you are talking about is a widely and growingly epidemic.
Why? Because emerging markets are high-risk populations. We can explain that by the thrifty gene hypothesis: we are selected to store up energy, moreover when there is no starvation. That is why there are high levels of obesity in India or China or some countries in Africa.
Then, there is also a cultural background, like in Mauritania i.e., where young girls are force-fed to be fat, a symbol of fertility. Arab world traditionally likes fat-women because they symbolize fecundity.
Obesity is a new Black Plague. Prevention campaigns are becoming more numerous, albeit taboos and broad-minded commonplace remain strong about this major health public policy.
You are talking about the “thrifty gene hypothesis”. Could you say more about it?
The geneticist James V. Neel proposed in 1962 the thrifty gene hypothesis concerning diabetes and a good many studies confirm his observations: they identified in the population who survive starvations a thrifty gene. In other words, back when there were hunter-gatherer populations, facing difficulties to eat, the selection keeps the specific individual who has this very thrifty gene to store up nutrients during famine.
This would explain a raise of obesity due to the sedentarization of individuals?
Of course. Sedentarization, bad eating habits and lack of physical activities are the main causes of obesity. MENA populations, especially in the Gulf countries, have radically change their eating habits. There is a fertile genetic ground and MENA populations are particularly risky toward diabetes, linked to obesity.
Due to this new and spreading epidemic, the deregulated black market of diet and slim pills is booming. What are the risks for health?
Actually, there is a blooming market: miracle pills. As if a tablet could cure obesity. These tablets are either fake scams (and there is no risk) or diuretic hormone cocktails, extremely dangerous with a risk of cardiac death. In any case, there is no safe diet pill.
Either this is scam and there is no risk. Either they are diuretic hormone cocktails, very dangerous with the risk of cardiac death. In any case, today there is no safe diet pill.
When you walk in the street or in the mall in Amman or Dubai, for instance, we are struck by the number of overweight children. Obesity affects more and more children. How could we explain this phenomenon? How could we fight against?
In addition to the elements we just discussed, there is a globalization of the food market with very aggressive marketing targeting children. And the children of the emerging countries in MENA are not spared…
Awareness is needed to prevent this epidemic. Authorities, media, etc. have a crucial role to play. That is what we do in EPODE.
