The Future of America...unless things change

Another bleak report was published by the Centers for Disease Control recently indicating that the state of health in the U.S. in 2050 will be very, very sad.  They emphasize that unless things change, there will be an increasing number of diabetics.   We are reminded in this report that the health care costs associated with diabetes is $174 billion per year!

Experts predict that up to 1 in 3 American adults could have diabetes.   I've used the following example before but it's worth repeating; if I told you that 1 in 3 Americans would catch a virus that would significantly reduce their quality of life, consume massive amounts of health care dollars, cause kidney failure, blindness, nerve issues, sexual dysfunction, increase risk of many cancers, promote infertility and heart attacks.... we would be up in arms!  There would be a massive public outcry to develop a vaccine against this virus that could assault and destroy the lives of so many Americans.  

The real threat here is much more insidious.  I admit- eating lots of vegetables and exercising regularly is not quite as sexy as the idea of a brilliant team of scientists developing a new vaccine (cue the suspenseful music) against a ticking clock... to conquer this threat.  You probably won't see Hollywood make movies on how a healthy lifestyle can destroy this epidemic. 

Folks- you can change this.  I know it sounds a bit idealistic, but one bite at a time, one person- one family- one community at a time, we can prove these CDC scientists wrong.

The Role of Fathers

I've dedicated a reasonable portion of this blog to talking about the importance of Mom's health when she is pregnant.  Mom has the ability to make life-long impressions on the child's health depending on her health during pregnancy.   Mom's health can directly influence her child's susceptibility to diabetes, obesity & heart disease even as an adult.    But recent developments suggest that even dads have the potential for life-long influence over his child's health.

A paper published in Nature is titled, "Chronic high fat diet in fathers programs beta cell dysfunction in female rat offspring."  Researchers fed a group of male rats a high fat diet and made them obese.  These male rats impregnated normal weight, healthy female rats.  The female offspring had early signs of diabetes by the time they reached puberty.  And their beta cells (insulin secreting cells of the pancreas) actually had a distinctive gene expression compared to their healthy counterparts.

The researchers believe that the sperm of male rats changes with obesity. They believe there are epigenetic markings around the DNA of the sperm that influence the development of that child.  It should come as no great surprise when you understand the general principles of cell biology and epigenetics.  This will be welcome news to women trying to get healthy for the sake of their future children.  Now- dads have every reason to be on board with a healthy lifestyle!

Pregnancy- Essential Fats

Many people have heard of omega 3 fatty acids.  We see these advertised on infant formula, supermarket eggs and more.  Food manufacturers have begun fortifying many foods with this essential fat as it plays crucial roles in heart health, brain health, and in reducing inflammation.  You can easily find a bottle of fish oil (or an actual fish) in any supermarket.  Omega 3's are among the best researched nutritional supplement available and in our generally fish-deprived culture, a good supplement for most of us to take.

Omega 3s are especially important for the pregnant woman.  Supplementing with omega 3 fatty acids is a great idea, but women of child-bearing years should pay attention long before they get pregnant.  Experts believe that women consuming a traditional Western diet do not consume sufficient amounts of omega 3s to nourish the developing child. 

In late pregnancy, many women consuming contemporary Western diets may not be able to meet the fetal demand for n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) from the diet alone.  Annu Rev Nutr 2010 Aug 21; 30: 237-55

In fact, much of the omega 3 available to the growing baby comes from Mom's fat tissue.  As Mom consumes omega 3 fatty acids, some are immediately utilized and other are stored in her fat tissue.   This becomes available to the growing baby throughout pregnancy and especially in the latter months.  The baby then utilizes some and stores some in his fat.  He will use these fats during the first few months of life. 

Omega 3 supplements should be a part of every woman's prenatal care.  Just as you would take a good prenatal vitamin with sufficient folate, omega 3s should also be included.

Metabolic Syndrome- Fetal Origins

There's no doubt that many of our lifestyle habits and dietary patterns powerfully influence our health; often, adversely.  Metabolic syndrome is a combination of many "famous" risk factors.  This includes hypertension, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, promthrombotic state, abdominal obesity and a few others.  The American Heart Association has a great web page explaining metabolic syndrome.

Most health professionals acknowledge that metabolic syndrome is a consequence of poor lifestyle decisions and can be prevented by following common sense health principles.  But like many diseases, scientists are studying the origins and pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome.  As it turns out, the 'seeds' of metabolic syndrome may actually be sown during embryonic development. 

This paper states that "nutritional, hormonal, and metabolic environment afforded by the mother may permanently program differentiating target tissues of the offspring toward the development of metabolic syndrome/PCOS phenotype in adult life."

Stated differently, this simply means that a pregnant woman's health habits, including her diet, have the potential to radically affect her baby's health even as an adult!  This is something I've written about before.  It shows that the 9 months of intrauterine development may be the most important months of a human being's life.  If you didn't get a chance to read it yet, check out this piece from TIME magazine a few weeks ago.  It does a great job in discussing the most important months of your life.

Over 50 million Americans are affected by metabolic syndrome.  Wouldn't it be great if we could cut that number in half in a single generation?  Pregnant women, please take care of yourself.