Obesity Rates Keep Rising, Troubling Health Officials

Americans are continuing to get fatter and fatter, with obesity rates reaching 30 percent or more in nine states last year, as opposed to only three states in 2007, health officials reported on Tuesday.

The increases mean that 2.4 million more people became obese from 2007 to 2009, bringing the total to 72.5 million, or 26.7 percent of the population. The numbers are part of a continuing and ominous trend.

But the rates are probably underestimates because they are based on a phone survey in which 400,000 participants were asked their weight and height instead of having it measured by someone else, and people have a notorious tendency to describe themselves as taller and lighter than they really are.

“Over the past several decades, obesity has increased faster than anyone could have imagined it would,” said Dr. Thomas Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which issued a report on the prevalence of obesity. Obesity rates have doubled in adults and tripled in children in recent decades, Dr. Frieden said.

If the numbers keep going up, he added, “more people will get sick and die from the complications of obesity, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.”

The report estimates the medical costs of obesity to be as high as $147 billion a year, and notes that “past efforts and investments to prevent and control obesity have not been adequate.”

Researchers blame the usual suspects: too little exercise and too much of the wrong kind of food, which means not enough fruits and vegetables and too many high-calorie meals full of sugar and fat, like French fries, soda and other sweet drinks. Children do not get enough exercise during the school day; Dr. Frieden noted that even in gym classes, students are active for only about a third of the time.

A 5-foot-4-inch woman is obese if she weighs 174 pounds, as is a 5-foot-10-inch man who weights 209 or more, according to the disease centers. Both would have a body-mass index, or BMI, of 30; that index is calculated from height and weight, and scores of 30 or over are defined as obese.

The nine states with obesity rates of 30 percent or more are Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia. The highest rate, 34.4 percent, was in Mississippi.

People over 50 had higher rates of obesity than those who were younger. The aging of the population may account for some of the general increase in obesity, but not all of it, said Dr. Heidi Blanck, chief of the disease centers’ obesity branch of the division of nutrition, physical activity and obesity.

Non-Hispanic black women had the highest obesity rate, 41.9 percent. Over all, blacks and Hispanics were more likely than whites to be obese, and the more education people had, the less likely they were to be heavy.

Only Colorado and Washington, D.C., had obesity rates under 20 percent. Researchers are not sure why. Dr. William Dietz, director of the nutrition, physical activity and obesity division, said that Colorado had spent money from a state lottery on biking and walking trails and that many people were using them. The state seems to have “a culture of physical activity,” he said.

Dr. Dietz said the relatively low prevalence of obesity in Washington was harder to explain, particularly because the area has a large black population.

He said one explanation may be that many residents ride the subway; studies have shown that compared with people who drive, those who use public transportation tend to be thinner because it involves more walking. In addition, Dr. Dietz said, there is evidence of above-average fruit and vegetable consumption, and higher rates of breast-feeding, both of which are linked to lower rates of obesity.

Americans are continuing to get fatter and fatter, with obesity rates reaching 30 percent or more in nine states last year, as opposed to only three states in 2007, health officials reported on Tuesday.

The increases mean that 2.4 million more people became obese from 2007 to 2009, bringing the total to 72.5 million, or 26.7 percent of the population. The numbers are part of a continuing and ominous trend.

But the rates are probably underestimates because they are based on a phone survey in which 400,000 participants were asked their weight and height instead of having it measured by someone else, and people have a notorious tendency to describe themselves as taller and lighter than they really are.

“Over the past several decades, obesity has increased faster than anyone could have imagined it would,” said Dr. Thomas Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which issued a report on the prevalence of obesity. Obesity rates have doubled in adults and tripled in children in recent decades, Dr. Frieden said.

If the numbers keep going up, he added, “more people will get sick and die from the complications of obesity, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.”

The report estimates the medical costs of obesity to be as high as $147 billion a year, and notes that “past efforts and investments to prevent and control obesity have not been adequate.”

Researchers blame the usual suspects: too little exercise and too much of the wrong kind of food, which means not enough fruits and vegetables and too many high-calorie meals full of sugar and fat, like French fries, soda and other sweet drinks. Children do not get enough exercise during the school day; Dr. Frieden noted that even in gym classes, students are active for only about a third of the time.

A 5-foot-4-inch woman is obese if she weighs 174 pounds, as is a 5-foot-10-inch man who weights 209 or more, according to the disease centers. Both would have a body-mass index, or BMI, of 30; that index is calculated from height and weight, and scores of 30 or over are defined as obese.

The nine states with obesity rates of 30 percent or more are Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia. The highest rate, 34.4 percent, was in Mississippi.

People over 50 had higher rates of obesity than those who were younger. The aging of the population may account for some of the general increase in obesity, but not all of it, said Dr. Heidi Blanck, chief of the disease centers’ obesity branch of the division of nutrition, physical activity and obesity.

Non-Hispanic black women had the highest obesity rate, 41.9 percent. Over all, blacks and Hispanics were more likely than whites to be obese, and the more education people had, the less likely they were to be heavy.

Only Colorado and Washington, D.C., had obesity rates under 20 percent. Researchers are not sure why. Dr. William Dietz, director of the nutrition, physical activity and obesity division, said that Colorado had spent money from a state lottery on biking and walking trails and that many people were using them. The state seems to have “a culture of physical activity,” he said.

Dr. Dietz said the relatively low prevalence of obesity in Washington was harder to explain, particularly because the area has a large black population.

He said one explanation may be that many residents ride the subway; studies have shown that compared with people who drive, those who use public transportation tend to be thinner because it involves more walking. In addition, Dr. Dietz said, there is evidence of above-average fruit and vegetable consumption, and higher rates of breast-feeding, both of which are linked to lower rates of obesity.

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Junk food diet puts children at higher risk of allergies

Scientists compared youngsters from a rural African village who had diets rich in fibre with another group living in Florence in Italy and found a dramatic difference.

The African children had less obesity-linked bacteria and a greater abundance of fatty acids which protect against inflammation causing asthma, eczema and other allergic reactions.

The diet of the children living in the small village of Boulon in Burkina Faso was similar to that of people living in the modern Western world thousands of years ago, shortly after the birth of agriculture.

It consisted mainly of cereals, beans, nuts and vegetables.

But the Italian children ate higher quantities of meat, fat and sugar.

Only those who were still breast-feeding harboured bacteria resembling the African children's - indicating diet may dominate other factors such as ethnicity, sanitation, geography or climate, say the researchers.

The trillions of microbes that inhabit the human gut are considered an essential 'organ' that helps to digest food, protect against disease-causing bugs and limit inflammation.

Paediatrician Dr Paolo Lionetti, of Florence University, and colleagues said children in industrialised countries who eat low-fibre, high-sugar 'Western' diets may reduce microbial richness - potentially contributing to a rise in allergic and inflammatory diseases in the last half-century.

They said: "Western developed countries successfully controlled infectious diseases during the second half of the last century, by improving sanitation and using antibiotics and vaccines.

"At the same time, a rise in new diseases such as allergic, autoimmune disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) both in adults and in children has been observed, and it is hypothesized that improvements in hygiene together with decreased microbial exposure in childhood are considered responsible for this increase.

"The gastrointestinal microflora plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of IBD and recent studies demonstrate obesity is associated with imbalance in the normal gut microbiota."

The researchers, whose findings are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, added: "The lessons learned from the Burkina Faso children's microbiota prove the importance of sampling and preserving microbial biodiversity from regions where the effects of globalisation on diet are less profound.

"The worldwide diversity of the microbiome from ancient communities, where gastrointestinal infections can make the difference between life and death, represents a goldmine for studies aimed at elucidating the role of gut microbiota on the subtle balance between health and disease and for the development of novel probiotics."

Scientists compared youngsters from a rural African village who had diets rich in fibre with another group living in Florence in Italy and found a dramatic difference.

The African children had less obesity-linked bacteria and a greater abundance of fatty acids which protect against inflammation causing asthma, eczema and other allergic reactions.

The diet of the children living in the small village of Boulon in Burkina Faso was similar to that of people living in the modern Western world thousands of years ago, shortly after the birth of agriculture.

It consisted mainly of cereals, beans, nuts and vegetables.

But the Italian children ate higher quantities of meat, fat and sugar.

Only those who were still breast-feeding harboured bacteria resembling the African children's - indicating diet may dominate other factors such as ethnicity, sanitation, geography or climate, say the researchers.

The trillions of microbes that inhabit the human gut are considered an essential 'organ' that helps to digest food, protect against disease-causing bugs and limit inflammation.

Paediatrician Dr Paolo Lionetti, of Florence University, and colleagues said children in industrialised countries who eat low-fibre, high-sugar 'Western' diets may reduce microbial richness - potentially contributing to a rise in allergic and inflammatory diseases in the last half-century.

They said: "Western developed countries successfully controlled infectious diseases during the second half of the last century, by improving sanitation and using antibiotics and vaccines.

"At the same time, a rise in new diseases such as allergic, autoimmune disorders, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) both in adults and in children has been observed, and it is hypothesized that improvements in hygiene together with decreased microbial exposure in childhood are considered responsible for this increase.

"The gastrointestinal microflora plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of IBD and recent studies demonstrate obesity is associated with imbalance in the normal gut microbiota."

The researchers, whose findings are published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, added: "The lessons learned from the Burkina Faso children's microbiota prove the importance of sampling and preserving microbial biodiversity from regions where the effects of globalisation on diet are less profound.

"The worldwide diversity of the microbiome from ancient communities, where gastrointestinal infections can make the difference between life and death, represents a goldmine for studies aimed at elucidating the role of gut microbiota on the subtle balance between health and disease and for the development of novel probiotics."

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Arthritis patients 'may benefit from weight training'

A regular weight training regime may help treat rheumatoid arthritis, research suggests.

A study of 28 patients funded by Arthritis Research UK found those who pumped iron saw improvements in basic physical function, such as walking.

Researchers at Bangor and Gwynedd Hospital said such high intensity exercising could play a key role alongside drug treatment.

Experts said the exercise regime would not be appropriate for all patients.

RA is mainly a disease affecting the joints, but a less well known symptom is that it also severely reduces muscle mass and strength and this occurs even among patients whose disease is well managed.

Those with the condition are often given mild home exercises to do to stop their joints stiffening and becoming painful.

Weight training

To test how effective the weight training was the researchers split the 28 participants into two groups, the Arthritis Care and Research journal reported.

One did regular weight training for 24 weeks, while the others did the less strenuous standard home exercise regimes.

They found physical function improved by between 20% to 30% in the group doing weight training. Strength also increased by nearly 120%.

The high intensity training was found to increase the levels of an insulin-like growth factor (1GF-1) and insulin-like growth binding protein 3 - both of which promote the growth of muscles, bone and cartilage.

Study leader Dr Andrew Lemmey said muscle loss was a major contribution to the disability associated with the condition.

"Lifting, carrying, walking, climbing stairs are impaired.

"It is logical that if you can restore muscle, that strength and consequently functional capacity will also be restored. And this is what we have found."

He said the patients, who were mainly women in their 50s and had the disease for up to a decade, had responded well.

"In fact, the improvements in function were so significant that following training these patients with established RA were performing as well as or better than healthy individuals of the same age and sex."

He said he would like to see this sort of high intensity treatment funded along with drug therapies, but said that a multi-centre trial would be needed before this could be agreed and that they had received no funding for this.

Benefits were thought to be lost four to eight months after training ended.

A spokesman for Arthritis Research UK said: "Weight-training, especially at this level, is not for everyone with rheumatoid arthritis, but for those who are very well-motivated and physically able, we have proved that it can dramatically improve muscle strength and tone."

A spokesman for the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society agreed, but urged caution.

"Of course RA can affect different people in very different ways so pumping iron may not be appropriate for everyone. People should discuss [this] with their physio."

A regular weight training regime may help treat rheumatoid arthritis, research suggests.

A study of 28 patients funded by Arthritis Research UK found those who pumped iron saw improvements in basic physical function, such as walking.

Researchers at Bangor and Gwynedd Hospital said such high intensity exercising could play a key role alongside drug treatment.

Experts said the exercise regime would not be appropriate for all patients.

RA is mainly a disease affecting the joints, but a less well known symptom is that it also severely reduces muscle mass and strength and this occurs even among patients whose disease is well managed.

Those with the condition are often given mild home exercises to do to stop their joints stiffening and becoming painful.

Weight training

To test how effective the weight training was the researchers split the 28 participants into two groups, the Arthritis Care and Research journal reported.

One did regular weight training for 24 weeks, while the others did the less strenuous standard home exercise regimes.

They found physical function improved by between 20% to 30% in the group doing weight training. Strength also increased by nearly 120%.

The high intensity training was found to increase the levels of an insulin-like growth factor (1GF-1) and insulin-like growth binding protein 3 - both of which promote the growth of muscles, bone and cartilage.

Study leader Dr Andrew Lemmey said muscle loss was a major contribution to the disability associated with the condition.

"Lifting, carrying, walking, climbing stairs are impaired.

"It is logical that if you can restore muscle, that strength and consequently functional capacity will also be restored. And this is what we have found."

He said the patients, who were mainly women in their 50s and had the disease for up to a decade, had responded well.

"In fact, the improvements in function were so significant that following training these patients with established RA were performing as well as or better than healthy individuals of the same age and sex."

He said he would like to see this sort of high intensity treatment funded along with drug therapies, but said that a multi-centre trial would be needed before this could be agreed and that they had received no funding for this.

Benefits were thought to be lost four to eight months after training ended.

A spokesman for Arthritis Research UK said: "Weight-training, especially at this level, is not for everyone with rheumatoid arthritis, but for those who are very well-motivated and physically able, we have proved that it can dramatically improve muscle strength and tone."

A spokesman for the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society agreed, but urged caution.

"Of course RA can affect different people in very different ways so pumping iron may not be appropriate for everyone. People should discuss [this] with their physio."

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Radiography for Abdominal Disorders in Cats

Adams WM, Sisterman LA, Klauer JM et al: Association of intestinal disorders in cats with findings of abdominal radiography, J Am Vet Med Assoc 236:880, 2010.

This retrospective study compared the radiographic appearance of small and large intestines of cats with various medical conditions while creating a quantitative index for interpretation of intestinal diameters on abdominal radiographic views. The abdominal radiographs of 74 cats were evaluated as part of the study.  The cats were assigned to 1 of 4 categories: no gastrointestinal tract disease, nonobstructive gastrointestinal disease, linear foreign body (LFB), and small intestinal mechanical obstruction not caused by an LFB. Different measurements in millimeters were compared such as the maximum and minimum external small intestine diameter (SID) and colon diameter (CD).  The dorsoventral height measurements from lateral radiographic views of the cranial end plate of L2 (VEL2) and L5 (VEL5) vertebrae were also compared. When the maxSID:VEL2 ratio was >2.0, gastrointestinal disease was present. At the maxSID:VEL2 ratio of >2.5, the most likely abnormality was intestinal obstruction and a ratio >3.0 had a > 70% likelihood of intestinal obstruction. Plication of the small intestines was significantly related to LFB and all 10 cats with plication had conditions that required abdominal surgery.  There was no correlation between presence of gas in the small intestine and disease, though all 5 cats that had a combination pattern of linear and comma shaped gas had surgical disease. It was noted that a comma-shaped gas pattern is nearly always an abnormal radiographic finding, but it is not pathognomonic for a LFB. [VT]


Related articles:
Baez J, Hendrick M, Walker L et al: Radiographic, ultrasonographic, and endoscopic findings in cats with inflammatory bowel disease of the stomach and small intestine: 33 cases (1990-1997), J Amer Vet Med Assoc 215:349, 1999.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
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Adams WM, Sisterman LA, Klauer JM et al: Association of intestinal disorders in cats with findings of abdominal radiography, J Am Vet Med Assoc 236:880, 2010.

This retrospective study compared the radiographic appearance of small and large intestines of cats with various medical conditions while creating a quantitative index for interpretation of intestinal diameters on abdominal radiographic views. The abdominal radiographs of 74 cats were evaluated as part of the study.  The cats were assigned to 1 of 4 categories: no gastrointestinal tract disease, nonobstructive gastrointestinal disease, linear foreign body (LFB), and small intestinal mechanical obstruction not caused by an LFB. Different measurements in millimeters were compared such as the maximum and minimum external small intestine diameter (SID) and colon diameter (CD).  The dorsoventral height measurements from lateral radiographic views of the cranial end plate of L2 (VEL2) and L5 (VEL5) vertebrae were also compared. When the maxSID:VEL2 ratio was >2.0, gastrointestinal disease was present. At the maxSID:VEL2 ratio of >2.5, the most likely abnormality was intestinal obstruction and a ratio >3.0 had a > 70% likelihood of intestinal obstruction. Plication of the small intestines was significantly related to LFB and all 10 cats with plication had conditions that required abdominal surgery.  There was no correlation between presence of gas in the small intestine and disease, though all 5 cats that had a combination pattern of linear and comma shaped gas had surgical disease. It was noted that a comma-shaped gas pattern is nearly always an abnormal radiographic finding, but it is not pathognomonic for a LFB. [VT]


Related articles:
Baez J, Hendrick M, Walker L et al: Radiographic, ultrasonographic, and endoscopic findings in cats with inflammatory bowel disease of the stomach and small intestine: 33 cases (1990-1997), J Amer Vet Med Assoc 215:349, 1999.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

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Fibrosarcoma From a Retained Surgical Sponge in a Cat

Haddad JL, Goldschmidt MH, Patel RT: Fibrosarcoma arising at the site of a retained surgical sponge in a cat, Vet Clin Pathol 39:241, 2010.

This report describes a case involving an 8-year-old domestic short-haired cat that had a palpable mass in the abdomen as an incidental finding on physical examination. Fine needle aspiration of the mass identified it as a sarcoma. The mass was surgically removed, and when cut for microscopic examination, a surgical sponge remaining from a previous surgery was found. Microscopic examination revealed the mass to be a fibrosarcoma arising at the site of the surgical sponge. The sponge is believed to have stimulated inflammation, leading to formation of a granuloma. While transformation of a granuloma into a cancerous growth at the site of a retained surgical sponge has been documented in dogs, this is the first report of this type of granuloma developing into a fibrosarcoma in a cat. [MK]

Related articles:
Mai W, Ledieu D, Venturini L et al: Ultrasonographic appearance of intra-abdominal granuloma secondary to retained surgical sponge, Vet Radiol Ultrasound 42:157, 2001.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

Haddad JL, Goldschmidt MH, Patel RT: Fibrosarcoma arising at the site of a retained surgical sponge in a cat, Vet Clin Pathol 39:241, 2010.

This report describes a case involving an 8-year-old domestic short-haired cat that had a palpable mass in the abdomen as an incidental finding on physical examination. Fine needle aspiration of the mass identified it as a sarcoma. The mass was surgically removed, and when cut for microscopic examination, a surgical sponge remaining from a previous surgery was found. Microscopic examination revealed the mass to be a fibrosarcoma arising at the site of the surgical sponge. The sponge is believed to have stimulated inflammation, leading to formation of a granuloma. While transformation of a granuloma into a cancerous growth at the site of a retained surgical sponge has been documented in dogs, this is the first report of this type of granuloma developing into a fibrosarcoma in a cat. [MK]

Related articles:
Mai W, Ledieu D, Venturini L et al: Ultrasonographic appearance of intra-abdominal granuloma secondary to retained surgical sponge, Vet Radiol Ultrasound 42:157, 2001.

More on cat health: Winn Feline Foundation Library
Join us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

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A load too heavy

Various stake-holders and health experts give their take on the age-old problem of heavy school bags.

THE sun was barely up, and neither was little Andy, who was seen nodding off to sleep as his mother pulled up alongside the school gate.

Still groggy, Andy was reluctant to leave the comfort of his car, but a few words from his mother, who had to open his door, achieved the effect no alarm clock could.

“Wake up, mommy has to rush for an important meeting,” she said, as her seven-year-old son sluggishly got out. “Carry your own bag today. I’m in a hurry.”

Andy was suddenly wide awake, and his muted protests concerning the heavy load were to no avail as his mother helped him put on his backpack before speeding off.

Muttering, Andy trudged away, slouching and struggling with his heavy backpack. Andy’s morning may have been spoilt, but in truth, he was one of the lucky ones as most children carry their own bags on a daily basis.
The issue of heavy school bags is a perennial problem, and many parents are less than impressed. A number have expressed their discontent by writing to StarEducation, and those quizzed outside the school gates were equally vocal.


“There are too many periods in a day,” said Leon Loke. “My daughter in Year Three carries more than 5kg everyday and she only weighs 19kg.

“This should not be the way, as carrying such a heavy load is bad for her health.”

In support of Loke’s outburst, experts and health boards say that a backpack should weigh between 10 and 15% of a child’s body weight.

So, hypothetically, a child who weighs 40kg should carry between 4 and 6kg of books in his or her backpack.

However, such is not the case in Malaysia, and parents became even more concerned when Backpack Syndrome – complications like poor posture and muscle aches as the result of carrying heavy backpacks – was explained to them.

Some even used themselves – or their spouses – as living examples.

Pointing at her husband Syahril Abdul Jalil, Aniza Anis Sallihudin said that he did not have the right posture and slouched as the result of carrying too much weight in his younger years.

“I don’t want my seven-year-old daughter Sofea to run the same risk,” she said.

“She may not be required to stand 30-40 minutes on a bus, but I’d rather be on the safe side.”

When truth and myth collide 


A few even expressed their belief that carrying heavy backpacks could lead to their children developing scoliosis – a disorder that causes an abnormal curve of the spine.

Literally meaning “crooked condition” in Greek, scoliosis results in a spine that looks like an ‘S’ curve, rather than a straight line, from an X-ray rear view.

However, a Bernama report in June quoted Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin saying that there was no association between the occurrence of scoliosis and heavy school bags.

It was also mentioned that 13,340 Year Six pupils in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Kuala Terengganu were screened for the medical condition in 2008 and 2009, but only six developed the disorder.
Further checks with International Medical University (IMU) chiropractic centre head Dr George Le Beau and sports medicine specialist Dr William Chan Liang Wah confirmed this.

“Scoliosis is pathological in nature as we are talking about an actual deformity of the spinal vertebrae,” said Dr Le Beau, who has over 38 years experience in the chiropractic field.

“Anomalies at birth, such as having one leg shorter than the other or a crooked vertebrae, lead to scoliosis, and not heavy school bags.”

Dr Chan, who has run the Sports Backcare clinic in Subang Jaya for over a decade, agreed and added that scoliosis could develop as a secondary symptom of other conditions – such as cerebral palsy – that cannot be linked to school bags.

Although scoliosis is out of the question, parents still have their fair share of worries as carrying heavy backpacks could result in health complications.

Dr Chan said that heavy loads, and incorrect lifting and carrying techniques, could result in muscular skeletal injuries to a student’s neck, shoulders and back.

“These injuries come in the form of muscle strains, tendonitis, tendon sprain, disc injuries, the rounding of the shoulders, and a distortion of the natural curve of one’s spine,” he said.

“Carrying heavy loads may also transfer stress to the knees and hip joints, and although findings have not been substantial, this could lead to adverse effects on growing bone growth plates.”

He added that parents should be on the lookout for warning signs like neck, shoulder and back aches, as well as headaches, stiffness and fatigue.

And parents have to ensure that their children adhere to the proper technique of lifting and carrying their bags.
However, this may not be enough as Dr Le Beau feels that many – especially male students – would still veer away from guidelines.

“Children will be children, and peer pressure dictates that they should look cool,” he said with a chuckle.
“Carrying a backpack with one shoulder is one way of doing so.

“Many don’t think about future consequences, and lifting a heavy load with one shoulder could lead to one side of the body becoming overdeveloped.

“Now, this will only become apparent over time, and it is hardly cool as it does not look good.”

Dr Le Beau added that not every health risk could be detected in the short run, and more serious cases could result in bones going out of alignment, long term sprains or even disc ruptures later in life.

Several IMU students have already sought his help to alleviate their severe back pains, and many of them have a long history of carrying heavy backpacks – sometimes in the incorrect fashion.

Enter the trolley

And if Dr Le Beau had his way, backpacks would be replaced by trolley bags.

Sharing a little bit of history, he said that the idea of trolley bags first came about when airline industry staff sustained numerous injuries as the result of lifting heavy loads.

“Trolley bags revolutionised the travel industry, and they could do so to the school scene,” he said, before adding that it would be tricky for young students to lift a trolley bag up a stairway.

Other parents seem to have gotten wind of this, and more students now pull such bags.

“My youngest child is in Year One, and I got him a trolley bag for health and comfort reasons,” said Sukhbit Kaur, a mother of three.

“His classes are on the ground floor, so using a trolley bag is ideal. He will switch to a backpack when he’s older, as older students have their classes on the second and third floor.”

Interestingly, not every parent shares the same sentiment, and some speak out in the name of fashion – and discipline.

“Trolley bags are just not cool and I prefer my children to wear backpacks,” said Karen Puah, a mother of two. “You will only see my daughter, Chloe, with fashionable surfer backpacks.

“Yes, bags may be heavy, but the children should not whinge and just get used to it. I try not to carry her bag for her.”

And the children have plenty to say about this too.

Hassan, a Year Two student at SK Taman Desa, said that he ditched his trolley bag after his friends ridiculed him for a semester. Still, it took quite a bit of persuasion before his parents relented.

“I asked for a backpack, but my parents said a trolley bag was better for my health,” he said. “So I secretly spoilt the wheels of my trolley bag until my parents bought me a backpack.”

Although opinions are divided, trolley bags look set to become a more permanent feature in schools. But if you think that this circumvents the problem, think again.

A visit to a Chinese primary school in USJ, Selangor, showed that trolley bags were not exactly the solution, but part of a greater problem.

And this is because students carry not one, but two bags. Shouldering their backpacks and wheeling their rollers, many a student was encumbered by their heavy loads.

Their tough juggling act was made harder by their small frames and naturally, the lower primary pupils had the worst of it.

When quizzed for other alternatives, many parents said that the implementation of a locker system might be the great leap forward.

The rationale was that students would only bring the necessary books home, leaving the rest in their lockers for easy access when required.

However, they acknowledged that issues like space and financial constraints had to be overcome before the system could be implemented nationwide.

Others, however, were less enthusiastic and a few spoke from experience.

National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng said that the locker system was actually implemented as a pilot test many years ago, but failed to achieve its desired effect.

“The locker system was implemented at various primary schools in Malaysia, but the results showed that it did little or no help,” she said.

“Parents complained that their children did not bring their books back to revise, leaving them in the lockers instead. This was common amongst the younger students, who, perhaps, were not mature enough to prioritise.”

Lok added that the trouble of maintaining the lockers led to the initiative’s end.

Interestingly, Dr Le Beau points out that the locker system is going out of fashion in the United States – the country that made it the staple feature for schools.

“Vandalism can get pretty bad, and more pressing issues like locker theft, as well as the storage of weapons and drugs in lockers have not gone down well,” he said.

Despite this, some parents still feel that lockers should be given another trial run, and Syahril believes that the abuse of lockers will not be a prevalent problem in Malaysia.

“We have Asian values embedded in us, and what happens in the West need not necessarily happen here,” he said.

“I believe it would work if we teach young children how to use the locker system properly.”
He added that there were problems everywhere and if policy makers kept getting put off by them, nothing would get done.

What next?

Opting to keep every option open, housewife Lin Hussain advocates practical and adaptable measures.
And she has planned ahead for her Year Two daughter Mia, who will soon make a transition from trolley bag to backpack, as her classes will be relocated to the first floor.

“If I feel Mia’s backpack is too heavy, I will get her book binders so she can carry some of the books,” she said.

“She may have to carry more things, but at least her back will be straight. I guess the problem of heavy school bags will continue as long as children are required to carry books.”

But could this change in the age of digitalisation? Syahril and SK Bukit Damansara parent-teacher association (PTA) president Areeff Khalid certainly think so.

However, they feel it may take a while to get there.

“Everyone is talking about digitalisation, but instead of going paperless – conserving the environment in the process – students are still using books and paper,” said Syahril.

“I believe Malaysia has the means to revamp our education system. We don’t always have to wait for the Westerners or the Japanese to take the lead.”

Equally enthusiastic, Areeff said that digitalisation was probably the only way the age-old problem of heavy school bags could be put to rest.

However, he added that parents had to play a big part in any nationwide effort to go digital in schools.
“PTAs could help schools raise funds through efforts like car boot sales,” he said. “With proper mobilisation, PTAs could even sponsor computers to the schools.

“I believe that good things require a lot of effort, and parents should be prepared to assist any such endeavour.

“Let’s hope no one complains of heavy laptops or e-readers in the future.”

Various stake-holders and health experts give their take on the age-old problem of heavy school bags.

THE sun was barely up, and neither was little Andy, who was seen nodding off to sleep as his mother pulled up alongside the school gate.

Still groggy, Andy was reluctant to leave the comfort of his car, but a few words from his mother, who had to open his door, achieved the effect no alarm clock could.

“Wake up, mommy has to rush for an important meeting,” she said, as her seven-year-old son sluggishly got out. “Carry your own bag today. I’m in a hurry.”

Andy was suddenly wide awake, and his muted protests concerning the heavy load were to no avail as his mother helped him put on his backpack before speeding off.

Muttering, Andy trudged away, slouching and struggling with his heavy backpack. Andy’s morning may have been spoilt, but in truth, he was one of the lucky ones as most children carry their own bags on a daily basis.
The issue of heavy school bags is a perennial problem, and many parents are less than impressed. A number have expressed their discontent by writing to StarEducation, and those quizzed outside the school gates were equally vocal.


“There are too many periods in a day,” said Leon Loke. “My daughter in Year Three carries more than 5kg everyday and she only weighs 19kg.

“This should not be the way, as carrying such a heavy load is bad for her health.”

In support of Loke’s outburst, experts and health boards say that a backpack should weigh between 10 and 15% of a child’s body weight.

So, hypothetically, a child who weighs 40kg should carry between 4 and 6kg of books in his or her backpack.

However, such is not the case in Malaysia, and parents became even more concerned when Backpack Syndrome – complications like poor posture and muscle aches as the result of carrying heavy backpacks – was explained to them.

Some even used themselves – or their spouses – as living examples.

Pointing at her husband Syahril Abdul Jalil, Aniza Anis Sallihudin said that he did not have the right posture and slouched as the result of carrying too much weight in his younger years.

“I don’t want my seven-year-old daughter Sofea to run the same risk,” she said.

“She may not be required to stand 30-40 minutes on a bus, but I’d rather be on the safe side.”

When truth and myth collide 


A few even expressed their belief that carrying heavy backpacks could lead to their children developing scoliosis – a disorder that causes an abnormal curve of the spine.

Literally meaning “crooked condition” in Greek, scoliosis results in a spine that looks like an ‘S’ curve, rather than a straight line, from an X-ray rear view.

However, a Bernama report in June quoted Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin saying that there was no association between the occurrence of scoliosis and heavy school bags.

It was also mentioned that 13,340 Year Six pupils in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Kuala Terengganu were screened for the medical condition in 2008 and 2009, but only six developed the disorder.
Further checks with International Medical University (IMU) chiropractic centre head Dr George Le Beau and sports medicine specialist Dr William Chan Liang Wah confirmed this.

“Scoliosis is pathological in nature as we are talking about an actual deformity of the spinal vertebrae,” said Dr Le Beau, who has over 38 years experience in the chiropractic field.

“Anomalies at birth, such as having one leg shorter than the other or a crooked vertebrae, lead to scoliosis, and not heavy school bags.”

Dr Chan, who has run the Sports Backcare clinic in Subang Jaya for over a decade, agreed and added that scoliosis could develop as a secondary symptom of other conditions – such as cerebral palsy – that cannot be linked to school bags.

Although scoliosis is out of the question, parents still have their fair share of worries as carrying heavy backpacks could result in health complications.

Dr Chan said that heavy loads, and incorrect lifting and carrying techniques, could result in muscular skeletal injuries to a student’s neck, shoulders and back.

“These injuries come in the form of muscle strains, tendonitis, tendon sprain, disc injuries, the rounding of the shoulders, and a distortion of the natural curve of one’s spine,” he said.

“Carrying heavy loads may also transfer stress to the knees and hip joints, and although findings have not been substantial, this could lead to adverse effects on growing bone growth plates.”

He added that parents should be on the lookout for warning signs like neck, shoulder and back aches, as well as headaches, stiffness and fatigue.

And parents have to ensure that their children adhere to the proper technique of lifting and carrying their bags.
However, this may not be enough as Dr Le Beau feels that many – especially male students – would still veer away from guidelines.

“Children will be children, and peer pressure dictates that they should look cool,” he said with a chuckle.
“Carrying a backpack with one shoulder is one way of doing so.

“Many don’t think about future consequences, and lifting a heavy load with one shoulder could lead to one side of the body becoming overdeveloped.

“Now, this will only become apparent over time, and it is hardly cool as it does not look good.”

Dr Le Beau added that not every health risk could be detected in the short run, and more serious cases could result in bones going out of alignment, long term sprains or even disc ruptures later in life.

Several IMU students have already sought his help to alleviate their severe back pains, and many of them have a long history of carrying heavy backpacks – sometimes in the incorrect fashion.

Enter the trolley

And if Dr Le Beau had his way, backpacks would be replaced by trolley bags.

Sharing a little bit of history, he said that the idea of trolley bags first came about when airline industry staff sustained numerous injuries as the result of lifting heavy loads.

“Trolley bags revolutionised the travel industry, and they could do so to the school scene,” he said, before adding that it would be tricky for young students to lift a trolley bag up a stairway.

Other parents seem to have gotten wind of this, and more students now pull such bags.

“My youngest child is in Year One, and I got him a trolley bag for health and comfort reasons,” said Sukhbit Kaur, a mother of three.

“His classes are on the ground floor, so using a trolley bag is ideal. He will switch to a backpack when he’s older, as older students have their classes on the second and third floor.”

Interestingly, not every parent shares the same sentiment, and some speak out in the name of fashion – and discipline.

“Trolley bags are just not cool and I prefer my children to wear backpacks,” said Karen Puah, a mother of two. “You will only see my daughter, Chloe, with fashionable surfer backpacks.

“Yes, bags may be heavy, but the children should not whinge and just get used to it. I try not to carry her bag for her.”

And the children have plenty to say about this too.

Hassan, a Year Two student at SK Taman Desa, said that he ditched his trolley bag after his friends ridiculed him for a semester. Still, it took quite a bit of persuasion before his parents relented.

“I asked for a backpack, but my parents said a trolley bag was better for my health,” he said. “So I secretly spoilt the wheels of my trolley bag until my parents bought me a backpack.”

Although opinions are divided, trolley bags look set to become a more permanent feature in schools. But if you think that this circumvents the problem, think again.

A visit to a Chinese primary school in USJ, Selangor, showed that trolley bags were not exactly the solution, but part of a greater problem.

And this is because students carry not one, but two bags. Shouldering their backpacks and wheeling their rollers, many a student was encumbered by their heavy loads.

Their tough juggling act was made harder by their small frames and naturally, the lower primary pupils had the worst of it.

When quizzed for other alternatives, many parents said that the implementation of a locker system might be the great leap forward.

The rationale was that students would only bring the necessary books home, leaving the rest in their lockers for easy access when required.

However, they acknowledged that issues like space and financial constraints had to be overcome before the system could be implemented nationwide.

Others, however, were less enthusiastic and a few spoke from experience.

National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general Lok Yim Pheng said that the locker system was actually implemented as a pilot test many years ago, but failed to achieve its desired effect.

“The locker system was implemented at various primary schools in Malaysia, but the results showed that it did little or no help,” she said.

“Parents complained that their children did not bring their books back to revise, leaving them in the lockers instead. This was common amongst the younger students, who, perhaps, were not mature enough to prioritise.”

Lok added that the trouble of maintaining the lockers led to the initiative’s end.

Interestingly, Dr Le Beau points out that the locker system is going out of fashion in the United States – the country that made it the staple feature for schools.

“Vandalism can get pretty bad, and more pressing issues like locker theft, as well as the storage of weapons and drugs in lockers have not gone down well,” he said.

Despite this, some parents still feel that lockers should be given another trial run, and Syahril believes that the abuse of lockers will not be a prevalent problem in Malaysia.

“We have Asian values embedded in us, and what happens in the West need not necessarily happen here,” he said.

“I believe it would work if we teach young children how to use the locker system properly.”
He added that there were problems everywhere and if policy makers kept getting put off by them, nothing would get done.

What next?

Opting to keep every option open, housewife Lin Hussain advocates practical and adaptable measures.
And she has planned ahead for her Year Two daughter Mia, who will soon make a transition from trolley bag to backpack, as her classes will be relocated to the first floor.

“If I feel Mia’s backpack is too heavy, I will get her book binders so she can carry some of the books,” she said.

“She may have to carry more things, but at least her back will be straight. I guess the problem of heavy school bags will continue as long as children are required to carry books.”

But could this change in the age of digitalisation? Syahril and SK Bukit Damansara parent-teacher association (PTA) president Areeff Khalid certainly think so.

However, they feel it may take a while to get there.

“Everyone is talking about digitalisation, but instead of going paperless – conserving the environment in the process – students are still using books and paper,” said Syahril.

“I believe Malaysia has the means to revamp our education system. We don’t always have to wait for the Westerners or the Japanese to take the lead.”

Equally enthusiastic, Areeff said that digitalisation was probably the only way the age-old problem of heavy school bags could be put to rest.

However, he added that parents had to play a big part in any nationwide effort to go digital in schools.
“PTAs could help schools raise funds through efforts like car boot sales,” he said. “With proper mobilisation, PTAs could even sponsor computers to the schools.

“I believe that good things require a lot of effort, and parents should be prepared to assist any such endeavour.

“Let’s hope no one complains of heavy laptops or e-readers in the future.”

Read More

Scoliosis Patients May Have Worse Perceived Health Status

WEDNESDAY, July 28 (HealthDay News) -- People with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) may have perceived mental and physical health that is moderately, albeit significantly, worse than those without the condition, according to twin-based research published in the August issue of Spine.

Mikkel Ø. Andersen, M.D., of Sygehus Lillebaelt in Denmark, and colleagues studied questionnaires completed by 34,944 twins representing 23,204 pairs born between 1931 and 1982 to examine the effect that AIS had on health-related quality of life in this population.


The researchers identified 220 subjects younger than 50 when surveyed as having AIS, for a prevalence of 1.05 percent; in that group, Short Form-12 (SF-12) was calculated in 187 twins. Perceived physical and mental health status calculated from the SF-12 in AIS patients was moderately and significantly worse than in controls, the researchers found.

"We have no information on the severity of scoliosis, neither types of treatment nor the outcome of that treatment, and this is a weakness of this study," the authors write.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

WEDNESDAY, July 28 (HealthDay News) -- People with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) may have perceived mental and physical health that is moderately, albeit significantly, worse than those without the condition, according to twin-based research published in the August issue of Spine.

Mikkel Ø. Andersen, M.D., of Sygehus Lillebaelt in Denmark, and colleagues studied questionnaires completed by 34,944 twins representing 23,204 pairs born between 1931 and 1982 to examine the effect that AIS had on health-related quality of life in this population.


The researchers identified 220 subjects younger than 50 when surveyed as having AIS, for a prevalence of 1.05 percent; in that group, Short Form-12 (SF-12) was calculated in 187 twins. Perceived physical and mental health status calculated from the SF-12 in AIS patients was moderately and significantly worse than in controls, the researchers found.

"We have no information on the severity of scoliosis, neither types of treatment nor the outcome of that treatment, and this is a weakness of this study," the authors write.
Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Read More