Dr. Snow's Chiropractic and Jiu Jitsu: How to Stay Rollin’ - Obesity Epidemic

Chiropractic and Jiu Jitsu:  How to Stay Rollin’ - Obesity Epidemic

There are some things that are absolute:  Death and Taxes.  Well, we can’t do anything about taxes, or dying for that matter, but we can live a healthy life while we are here.  Thank you William Vandry for supplying an avenue for a 40 year old man to live a healthier, more abundant life.

“Don’t get fat, eat right and exercise, and don’t get sick… “  Pretty simple formula.

There is evidence that children in this country are coming down with diseases that were, as recently as a decade ago, reserved for our adult population.  We are talking about Diabetes, hypertension, hypercholeserolemia, obesity, etc.  These are man-made diseases. Rarely have I seen an obese child that doesn’t have obese parents because it is a result of lifestyle, plain and simple.  I have treated several of these children, because guess what?  They have back pain now also.  It pains me to think about what they will go through as adults, with pain and disability starting in youth. 

I see in my office, on a daily basis, patients that have chronic lower back pain, solely because of weight.  I can usually help them with their back pain, but these people rarely take control of the situation and lose the weight on their own.  These patients are chronically ill, and some go so far as to apply for disability.  This creates an enormous strain on employers and our health care system as a whole. 

It never ceases to amaze me that “research” is still being done regarding obesity and the link to chronic disease, pain, and disability.  Nevertheless, I have supplied another article for our readers proving just that.  It also appears that employers are becoming proactive in their approach to saving dollars, pre-employment screening and wellness education/activities at work.

Obesity and sickness absence: results from the CHAP study

S. B. Harvey1,2, N. Glozier1,2,3, O. Carlton4, A. Mykletun5, M. Henderson1, M. Hotopf4 and K. Holland-Elliott2,6
1 King's College London, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Weston Education Centre, 10 Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RJ, UK
2 Department of Occupational Health and Safety, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, UK
3 Disciplines of Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Building F, Brain and Mind Research Institute, 94 Mallett St, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia
4 London Underground, Transport for London, 55 Broadway, London SW1H 0BD, UK
5 Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Mental Health, N-0403 Oslo, Norway and University of Bergen, Faculty of Psychology, N-5020 Bergen, Norway
6 Brunel Business School, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH, UK

Background Obesity is an increasing public health problem. A small number of studies have examined the relationship between obesity and sickness absence, with mixed results, particularly regarding short-term sickness absence.

Aims To determine if obesity is associated with short- and long-term sickness absence and to investigate the mechanisms that may underlie any association.

Methods Cross-sectional (n = 1489) and prospective (n = 625) analyses were conducted on staff from London Underground Ltd. All participants underwent regular clinical examinations that involved their height and weight being measured, obesity-related medical problems being diagnosed and psychiatric disorders being identified. The number of days taken for short- (<10 days in an episode) and long-term sickness absence were recorded by managers on an electronic database.

Results There was a positive linear association between employees’ body mass index (BMI) and the number of days’ work missed due to sickness absence on both cross-sectional and prospective analyses (P < 0.001). Obesity was a risk factor for both short- and long-term sickness absence. Obese individuals typically took an extra 4 days sick leave every year. The majority of the increased risk for long-term sickness absence appeared to be mediated via co-morbid chronic medical conditions. The excess short-term sickness absence was not explained by obesity-related medical problems, psychiatric disorders or workplace factors.

Conclusions Obese employees take significantly more short- and long-term sickness absence than workers of a healthy weight. There is growing evidence to support employers becoming more involved in tackling obesity.

Dr. Jeff Snow, D.C.
(512) 459-4014
The BJJ Chiropractor - Austin, TX
"Make sure you thank the BJJ Doctor Jeff, Richard and Marshall. They took good care of me, but I will still make them do the push ups if they mess up on the drills!" - Rigan Machado

Vandry BJJ Academy: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), Muay Thai Boxing & Judo, Austin, Texas.