Obesity and MS

[Eyesnlegs]

Opinions on this one would be interesting, I am overweight now and have struggled with my weight all my life but was not overweight as a teenager. I have been told many times over the years that my sx might be because I needed to lose weight and now this?

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2009/11/10/2009-11-10_teenage_obesity_in_women_may_lead_to_multiple_sclerosis_later_in_life_study.html

If the link does not work here is the article:


Teenage obesity in women may lead to multiple sclerosis later in life: study

BY Issie Lapowsky
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Tuesday, November 10th 2009, 10:38 AM
Obesity during teen years was shown to be an indicator of multiple sclerosis in middle age, a study found. Obesity during teen years was shown to be an indicator of multiple sclerosis in middle age, a study found.

Researchers have found that teenage obesity may make women more likely to develop multiple sclerosis later in life.

The study comes from the Harvard School of Public Health and tracks 40 years in the lives of 238,000 women. It found that the women who were obese at 18 years old were twice as likely to develop MS. The findings were published in the medical journal Neurology.

Out of the women studied, 593 developed the condition, which breaks down nerve fibers, causing neurological deterioration.

Oddly enough, neither obesity in childhood nor obesity in adulthood showed any correlation with the condition, according to the report.

“Our results suggest that weight during adolescence, rather than childhood or adulthood, is critical in determining the risk of MS,” study author Kassandra Munger, ScD, told BBC News. “There’s a lot of research supporting the idea that adolescence may be an important time for development of disease, so what we have found is consistent with that.”

According to BBC News, researchers believe that the connection between teen obesity and MS may have something to do with vitamin D levels. Some research has indicated that high levels of vitamin D can reduce the risk of developing MS. Fatty tissue, however, often reduces a person’s vitamin D levels.

“Teaching and practicing obesity prevention from the start - but especially during teenage years - may be an important step in reducing the risk of MS later in life for women,” Munger told the BBC.

Susan Kohlhaas, research communications officer for the MS Society, however, told the BBC that the results are not wholly conclusive.

“This study does not account for several other factors that may play a role in causing MS. Based on that, more work is needed,” she told the BBC. “As such, it is difficult to determine whether teenage obesity could be a possible factor in causing MS in women.”

[jean_619]

That should say a neurologist that specialize in MS in the second paragraph -- obviously I was mildly worked up while writing that.

[jean_619]

This is the most horrible summary of research I've read -- but what can be expected from the Everyday Health website (which is even worse than  Prevention Magazine which should never be looked to for any accurate representation of research).

There is also a similar summary of this on WebMD, but again, if you look at the doctor that reviewed and approved the article, she is not a neurologist, much less a neurologist that specializes in MD.  

This research shows correlation NOT causation, and the article implies causation. It is these kinds of articles that spread misinformation and alarm and mislead people.

This Everyday Health article has a quote by Ryan Coates, MD, who is an assistant professor of pediatric neurology and a pediatric neurologist who treats patients with MS.  The doctor says "I tell my patients that a healthy diet with a lot of grain foods and micronutrients can help lower the risk of MS.” This is totally counter to the types of diets that have so far been discussed and considered successful in MS. "A lot of grain" is not part of any of the diets considered for MS. There is not a lot of hard evidence for diets good for MS patients because their hasn't been funding, but the ones under limited research do not include grains.

[essdipity]

I agree this is very simplistic reasoning. There is no way weight, in an of itself, could lead to MS, unless the medical community is totally clueless on this issue, which I believe is not so.

Anecdotal info is just that, and does not make for scientific data. However, if there are enough anecdotes to comprise a reasonable portion of the overall population, then surely it's worth another look. In my case, I've never been skinny. Sort of pudgy as a child, and as a teenager never weighed more than 120, which for someone 5 ft. 5 1/2 isn't a lot. All my life till the past 5 or 6 years I was an effortless size 6. (How I miss that!)

I'm betting that for every obese teenager who later developed MS, there is another person who's never been overweight who also has MS. Just for our own satisfaction, and not as a scientific study, we could turn this into a poll.

ess

[ShadowsSister]

Well I guess since I have lost so much weight this year, my MS should go away.. How silly is this.. Some researchers are just Crazy and dumb... I hope  no one buys this nonsense..
{{{{{{{~!~}}}}}}} DJ

PS I was very skinny untill 1996 when I became more or less inactive... HELLO !!!! ;-)

[Quixotic1]

I, too, was skinny as a rail until my 40's.  By the time MS appeared I was obese.  So, I don't fit that either!

I agree, Bio's comment make much more sense!

Quix

[jed9999]

GRRRRRR   Sounds to me, Pat, like a sexist notion from our fair sisters acrosss the sea (not you.) Don't we all just NEED another male doctor telling us *everything* would be better if we'd lose weight? In my opinion some male doctors can't even speak straight to an overweight female. Seems like it's an area they can seize on and somehow elevate themselves. Fortunately, my current neuro mentioned the MS/no exercise factor. He understands all my energy goes to just plain living with MS.

That said, I do think Bio's comments about lifestyle and Vitamin D make sense.

The last time I was NOT overweight was when I was a teen, just for the record. LOL Jane