As obesity is increasingly plaguing the nation, the Duke Diet and Fitness Center continues to combat this problem by employing health psychology methods, addressing nutritional issues and incorporating exercise routines to help generate weight loss.
Established in 1969, the center, part of the Center for Living, addresses the cognitive and behavioral factors that lead to high-risk behaviors and inaugurated this summer the Young Adult Lifestyle Program, targeted at obese teenagers.
Martin Binks, director of health psychology for the center located off East Campus, said it focuses on coping mechanisms for specific causes of overeating, alternatives to poor eating habits and management skills of healthy lifestyles. Depression, anxiety and overall lifestyle patterns also affect overeating, and the center provides psychotherapy to combat these aspects.
"Many overweight people suffer from all-or-none thinking. They are perfectionists and if they can't follow a diet perfectly, they abandon all efforts," Binks said. "There are so many influences--socio-cultural, psychological and personal. People are just bombarded by the media with consumption hype, portion standards have become larger, and people have troublesome family histories."
Becky Simmons, a success story from the center, turned to eating as solace for the abuse she had suffered. As Simmons continued to eat, she realized that she was jeopardizing her health. Obesity can lead to many chronic diseases including Type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers, musculoskeletal disorders and gallbladder disease.
"It just came to me in a dream. I don't know how I knew about Duke but I knew I should be there," said Simmons, a native of Baton Rouge, La.
Simmons, who has now lost 100 pounds since her stay in January and is 12 clothing sizes smaller, said coming to the center was the most fun she had ever had.
Medical Director Dr. Howard Eisenson is proud of the center's work and philosophy. "We teach strategies for life. It's not about the extreme, but a sustainable lifestyle," he said.
"I was able to admit that I ate when I was lonely, bored, tired, fearful of hurt from the past. I didn't want to face up to the pain of being abused and its luggage. The fat was an insulation from the world. Now that I lost the weight, my emotions are exposed and I can't hide behind the fat," Simmons said.
The Center also emphasizes eating healthy, balanced meals and learning to enjoy one's food without being hungry after the meal. Menus are specifically tailored to meet each individual's dietary needs and concerns. Exercise classes range from step, cardio circuit, yoga, tai chi and water aerobics to a traditional gym workout.
"If you slip, you are not chastised. They know how difficult it is to keep the weight off and they are always encouraging," Simmons said. Statistics confirm that staying trim is both challenging and costly. Americans have spent approximately $92.6 billion on health care for the overweight and obese, said Eric Finkelstein, an economist at RTI International in Research Triangle Park. At least two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, and over the past decade, the prevalence of these factors has increased by 12 percent and 70 percent, respectively.
In recent years, obesity among children has also skyrocketed. In 1960, only 4 to 5 percent of children were obese. Today, at least 15 percent of America's youth suffer from this disease.
To combat this growing trend, the Diet and Fitness Center recently instituted the Young Adult Lifestyle Program, targeted at obese teenagers nationwide. The program bases its treatment in exercise such as swimming and hiking.
Director Gerald Endress said it is important to demonstrate skills for a healthy life to those children who show early signs of weight problems.
"The kids really enjoyed it. It wasn't class structured--just a lot of physical activity, cooking demonstrations and trips to the mall food court to learn portion control and healthy choices," Endress said. Lisa Sutherland, an assistant professor in the department of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, shared her support for Endress' work.
Sutherland attributed pediatric obesity, which is most prevalent in the Southeast, to a decline in the quality of diet and an increase in video games, computers and car rides to school.
Finkelstein said the federal government should intervene and attempt first to lower obesity in American youth.
"They are young and impressionable and will get public support for the cause. Any combination of providing information, legislation and taxation will have its benefits," he said.
However, Sutherland emphasized that parents play a significant role in determining their children's weight. If you tell your kids to go and play outside, you cannot sit on the couch and eat a bag of potato chips and watch television, she said.
"It's great that parents come with their children to learn as well. Parents should be the role models for children and encourage a healthy lifestyle," Sutherland said.
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