Studies About Children with Weight Problems

Because there is such a strong need to understand the reason for this situation, the Weight Assessment for Teen and Child Health (WATCH) in San Francisco are making studies on this subject.

This clinic, known as WATCH, is so popular with parents, there is a three-month waiting list for new patients.

The first step in treatment is an evaluation of the biochemical and behavioral factors that could be the problem to weight gain.

Robert H. Lustig, MD, Director of WATCH, feels that weight gain in these young people is not entirely their fault. He feels that we are blaming the kids when the real culprit is what is happening in our own environment.

Dr..Lustig believes that there is so much food in our modern environment that is unhealthy for us. He feels that there is too much fructose in our diet, and that we are not consuming enough fiber.

Lustig feels that that the genetic make up of humans hasn't changed over the last three decades, but the food processing has changed. The high sugar content in foods and drinks and the decrease in fiber create hormonal imbalances. He thinks this is the cause for people to eat more and exercise less.

Lustig gives patients and their families four basic rules. He tells them to cut out all sugared drinks, including fruit juices and sports drinks. He tells them to increase high fiber foods which can be found in vegetables, bran flakes, and cereals.

Lustig also tell his patients to wait 20 minutes after eating before deciding to eat more, and finally, he tells them the importance of exercise in our daily lives.

He also feels that our "toxic environment," as he calls it, won't change until there are stronger regulations on the food industry to cut the high sugar content of the foods and drinks that we consume.