Latest / Morning Medical with Dr. Chow / Dr. Robert Lufkin on the obesity lie, GLP 1 risks, and local responses to gun violence

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Dr. Robert Lufkin on the obesity lie, GLP 1 risks, and local responses to gun violence · Morning Medical with Dr. Chow

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Good morning, everyone.
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Welcome to another episode of Morning Medical with Doctor Chow, where we delve into the
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latest medical and health news from around the globe.
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I am your host, Doctor Ching Chow.
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Today, we have a fascinating lineup of topics to discuss starting with the relationship
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between GLP 1 weight loss drugs and bone density and how exercise can mitigate the
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associated risks.
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Today, we are focusing on new research that highlights the potential risks of bone density
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loss for individuals taking GLP 1 receptor agonists for weight loss.
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GLP 1 receptor agonists such as liraglutide, Ozempic, Wiegavi, and Zep bound, have become
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popular tools in the fight against obesity.
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These medications are highly effective at promoting weight loss which can help reduce the
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risk of type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, and other health issues.
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However, a growing concern is that these drugs may also accelerate bone density loss
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increasing the risk of serious fractures, especially in younger individuals.
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Doctor Jennifer Satchek Ward, a professor of prevention and wellness, at George Washington
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University's Milken Institute School of Public Health emphasizes the importance of considering
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bone mineral density.
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Particularly as we reach our peak bone mass by age thirty and then start to lose bone mass.
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If GLP 1 receptor agonists accelerate this loss, we could see more individuals at
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increased risk of fractures at younger ages.
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Fortunately, there is promising news from a recent study published in JAMA Network open.
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The study conducted in Denmark from 2000 seen through 2019 involved 195 individuals aged 18
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to 65 who were living with obesity, but did not have diabetes.
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Participants first followed an 8 week low calorie diet, consuming 800 calories per day.
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Following this, they were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups for a 52 week period, a moderate
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to vigorous intensity exercise program.
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Daily injections of liraglutide, a combination of both exercise and liraglutide, or a placebo
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group.
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Throughout the study, participants underwent DXA scans to measure bone mineral density in
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their hip, lower spine, and forearm.
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These scans were conducted before and after the 52 week treatment period.
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On average, participants lost £29 during the initial 8 week low calorie diet.
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During the 52 week treatment period, those in the placebo group regained weight but still had
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an overall loss of £15.
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Meanwhile, participants in the exercise and liraglutide groups maintained their weight loss
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losing between 25 to £30 overall.
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Notably, the combination group lost the most weight, shedding £37 in total.
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When looking at bone mineral density, the combination of exercise and liraglutide showed
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promising results.
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Participants in this group had similar changes in bone mineral density to those in the placebo
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group, meaning they maintained their bone health.
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In contrast, Those in the liraglutide only group experienced a greater decrease in bone
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mineral density in the hip and lower spine compared to the exercise only group.
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This suggests that exercise plays a crucial role in preventing bone loss associated with
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GLP 1 drugs.
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Additionally, both the exercise and combination groups saw an increase in bone mineral density
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in the forearm, further highlighting the benefits of incorporating exercise into a
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weight loss regimen.
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However, it is important to note that the study excluded individuals over the age of sixty five
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and those with other chronic health conditions so the results may not be applicable to these
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populations.
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Doctor E Spencer Nadolski, an obesity and lipid specialist and medical director of weight
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watchers also weighed in on the findings.
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He acknowledged that loss of bone mineral density is always a concern when intentionally
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losing weight, but stated that he would not be overly concerned about GLP 1 drugs causing more
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than expected losses in bone density.
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He strongly recommends resistance training for those intentionally losing weight to minimize
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bone loss.
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Especially for those using GLP 1 drugs as they are highly effective at aiding weight loss.
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Furthermore, doctors Jennifer Cetchek Ward noted that The study's results align with other
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research showing that exercise, particularly heavy resistance or high impact exercise, can
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help preserve bone health in people who lose weight by cutting calories.
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The key takeaway here is that while GLP 1 drugs are effective for weight loss, incorporating
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exercise can mitigate the associated risks of bone density loss.
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However, doctor Sachek Ward expressed some concerns regarding the general population's
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adherence to physical activity guidelines.
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She pointed out that the majority of Americans do not engage in the recommended amount of
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physical activity, which could impact the overall effectiveness of combining exercise
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with GLP 1 drugs for bone health.
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She emphasized that exercise should be considered a serious component of any weight
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loss strategy, especially given the natural loss of bone mass as we age, and the
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significant risk of bone fractures in older adults.
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In summary, the new study suggests that combining GLP 1 drugs with an exercise regimen
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can offer a balanced approach to weight loss while preserving bone health.
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This finding is particularly important as more people turn to these medications for weight
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management.
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As always, consulting with health care providers to tailor a personalized plan that
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includes both medication and exercise is crucial for achieving the best health outcomes.
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In a significant development, the United States surgeon general has issued a report titled
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Firearm Violence, a public health crisis in America, highlighting that injuries from
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gunfire are now a leading cause of death and declining public health in the United States.
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This report underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive public approach to tackle the
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epidemic of gun violence.
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The report reveals that over 100 people die each day from gun related incidents in the
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United States.
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Paul Helkey, former Fort Wayne Mayor, and president of the Brady Center to prevent gun
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violence, posed a critical question.
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Over a hundred people a day are dying from guns.
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That is a fact.
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Are we happy with that?
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He emphasized the necessity of a public health approach to address this crisis stating we can
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do something about it.
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Let's look to see what works, what does not work, and then let's try to implement the
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things that will reduce the number of people dying from guns each day each year in this
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country.
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The statistics cited in the report are alarming.
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In 2022 alone, 48,204 people in the United States died from firearms related injuries.
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Disturbingly, firearms injuries have become the leading cause of death for children and
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adolescents under the age of nineteen.
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More than half of adults surveyed, reported that they or a family member had experienced a
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firearms injury or threat.
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The report also highlighted a sharp increase in gun suicides among children and young adults.
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From 2012 through 2022, The rate of gun suicides among children aged 10 to 14 increased
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by 68%.
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While the number of gun suicides among individuals aged fifteen to thirty four, rose
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by 43 to 45%.
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Helm could drew a parallel to other dangerous products, suggesting that if any other product
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were causing as many deaths as firearms, there would be an immediate push for regulation and
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public education.
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If we had a product readily available to people that was being used to help 60 people commit
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suicide every day and kill another forty people accidentally, or intentionally every day,
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certainly we would want to regulate that product or do something to educate the
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population that it is a dangerous product he remarked.
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The surgeon general's report calls for a thorough examination of the causes of gun
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violence and the implementation of evidence based solutions.
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Helkah expressed hope that public and private health providers, along with politicians and
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foundations, would use this report as a catalyst to research and develop effective
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programs to combat gun violence.
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I hope our local and state health officials in Indiana and across the country pick up this
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report and pay attention to this report and publicize this report, he said.
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We need to study this more.
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We need to determine what is causing the problem.
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Where the problem is worse, why it is worse in some areas than others.
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What are some options that have been tried to reduce the problem and reduce the gun violence?
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What works, what does not work, and it is saying we need to have money allocated for that
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kind of research.
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In Indianapolis, local officials have already begun to respond to the crisis of youth gun
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violence.
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Marion County Public Health director Doctor Virginia Kane announced in late April that she
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would dedicate $2,000,000 in her 2025 departmental budget to address youth violence.
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Additionally, Mayor Joe Hogsett recently appointed a chief violence prevention officer
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to focus on violence among juveniles.
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The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department reports that gun homicides and non fatal
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shootings are down by more than 10% this year compared to 2023.
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And the number of children killed by gunfire has significantly dropped in the past year.
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John Macy, associate professor, at the Indiana University School of Public Health.
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And in the process of launching the auto Meisenheimer Center for the prevention of gun
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violence, spent the day analyzing the surgeon general's report.
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It is what we do in public health, he said.
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It is time for a public health approach to this problem.
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We look at what the data tell us and identify when there is a problem, and we clearly have
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that.
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After we look at the data, We need to invest some money in research to figure out the right
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solutions to the problem, implement some evidence based solutions that are based on the
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research, and then evaluate to make sure we are on the right track.
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Macy stated.
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The report also found that family members and friends of gun violence victims are
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experiencing more frequent issues of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and post traumatic
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stress as a result of their exposure to firearms injuries and deaths.
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This underscores the far reaching impact of gun violence on mental health and the importance of
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addressing these secondary effects as part of a comprehensive public health strategy.
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A California doctor wants people to know that in his view and experience, The medical
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community does not always tell patients the truth.
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Doctor Robert Lufkin, a physician and father of 2 young children, has been diagnosed with 4
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chronic diseases, the same ones that claimed his father's life.
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Inspired by his own medical struggles, Lufkin decided to write a book, exposing what he calls
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medical lies, that contribute to the risk of chronic disease in the United States.
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Some of which he says he himself once taught as a professor at the University of California,
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Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California.
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While Lufkin is critical of the medical establishment, he pointed out that he is also
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still part of it himself.
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I have written 100 of peer reviewed articles and 10 textbooks and also have the honor and
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privilege of teaching doctors and other health care professionals.
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As well as seeing patients.
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Lufkin told Fox News Digital during an interview.
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His own diagnosis, Lufkin said woke him up to the flaws in the medical system.
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First, he developed a type of arthritis called gout.
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Next, I developed hypertension.
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Which practically half of adults have, he said.
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Unless we address the metabolic cause, the diseases will only continue to get worse and
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worse.
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Then came prediabetes followed by dyslipidemia, which is sort of abnormal blood lipids.
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The doctor noted that he is actually a big fan of Western Medicine in general.
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I think it has transformed our lives and made the world a better place.
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He said, but that in the 21st century, a new class of diseases has posed a challenge.
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The diseases were present before, but now they are exploding, he said.
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These include obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's
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disease, and even mental illness, Lufkin said, Up to 80% of our resources are now spent on
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these chronic diseases.
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The problem according to the doctor is that the tools that were so effective in the 20th
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century, the pills and surgeries might save lives in the moment.
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But they only address the symptoms of these chronic diseases, not their root causes.
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In his book, lies I taught in medical school, Lufkin claims that medical professionals tend
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to propagate 10 major misconceptions.
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He listed these situations and includes separate chapters on them in his book, labeled
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this way.
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1, the metabolic lie, Metabolism is just the body's way of digesting food.
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2, the obesity lie.
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To lose weight, just exercise more and eat less.
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3, the diabetes lie, sugar is harmless other than causing weight gain and tooth decay.
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4, the fatty liver lie, there is no treatment for non alcoholic fatty liver disease.
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5, the hypertension lie high blood pressure is best treated with drugs.
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6, the cardiovascular disease lie, statins are a good choice to prevent heart disease.
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7, the cancer lie.
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Most cancer is caused by accumulated DNA damage.
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8.
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The Alzheimer's lie.
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Alzheimer's disease is a progressive untreatable disease caused by beta amyloid
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accumulation.
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9, the mental health lie.
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Metabolism has little effect on mental health.
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10, the longevity lie, aging is the inevitable result of accumulated wear and tear, In each
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chapter, said Lufkin, we go through each of those chronic diseases that determine our
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lifespan.
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And we talk about what the lies are and what the truth is.
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The doctor then presents a plan for making healthier lifestyle choices.
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We talk about the nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress, and how we can craft our own lifestyles
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to reverse those diseases, he said.
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In an excerpt from his book, Lufkin explains the first two of these lies.
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The obesity lie.
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A calorie is just a calorie.
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Doctor Robert Lufkin, We are now experiencing the worst global epidemic of obesity in
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history.
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Statistics show that 42.5 percent of adults age twenty and over are obese, and 73.6% are at
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least overweight.
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Almost half of Americans are now obese, and most are overweight.
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Obesity is unhealthy and a marker for metabolic dysfunction, which manifests as hypertension,
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diabetes, heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer's cancer, and other chronic diseases.
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Our understanding of the causes of this epidemic and the approaches to treating it is
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based on a simple lie that a calorie is a calorie implying that obesity is caused by
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eating too many calories.
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As a physician, I know from personal experience that I can make anyone gain weight or fat just
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by giving them extra insulin.
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This is seen in both type 1 and type 2 diabetics as soon as they begin taking extra
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insulin as a medication.
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To put it another way, calories are necessary, but not sufficient to drive obesity.
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Insulin is required.
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Obesity is not just a calorie problem.
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It is an insulin problem.
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If all foods stimulated insulin equally, a calorie would just be a calorie.
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That is not a lie.
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But all foods do not trigger insulin the same way.
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The truth here is that in order to lose or gain weight, the most important thing is not the
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number of calories consumed, but rather the types of calories that affect insulin levels
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and direct our bodies to store energy as fat.
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As every rancher knows, To fatten livestock, simply feed them large amounts of refined
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carbohydrates that will turn on insulin and drive energy storage into fat.
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Feeding livestock, fatty foods will not have the same effect.
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The diabetes lie Sugar is harmless other than causing weight.
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Gain and tooth decay.
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We are currently at the beginning the worst diabetes epidemic the world has ever known.
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10% of American adults have type 2 diabetes, and about 38% have prediabetes.
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This means that for the first time in history, 48% or nearly half the population, have the
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same metabolic disease.
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The diabetes lie declares that the best way to treat type 2 diabetes is with insulin.
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Giving insulin will help control the immediate effects of too much glucose in the blood by
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telling ourselves to remove that blood glucose and store it as fat.
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However, it will also raise the body's overall insulin levels, worsening insulin resistance,
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the underlying cause of type 2 diabetes.
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Additionally, elevated insulin levels drive other chronic diseases.
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Our health care system is sadly much more optimized to deliver prescriptions for insulin
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and other drugs for managing type 2 diabetes than giving instructions on how to reverse it
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by changing our nutrition to avoid the causes.
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To be fair, many people would rather take a pill or a shot instead of changing their
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lifestyles.
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But most people do not know how powerful and effective lifestyle choices can be.
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Plus, there is some evidence to show that merely improving glucose control with drugs
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such as insulin or pills might not prevent some of the long term complications these patients
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all face.
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There are also financial incentives.
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In 2013, sales of insulin and other diabetes drugs reached $23,000,000,000 according to data
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from IMS Health, a drug market research firm.
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That was more than the combined revenue of the National Football League major league baseball,
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and the National Basketball Association.
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In our final segment today, we will discuss why water is the best drink during a heat wave.
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As millions of Americans endure record breaking heat, the importance of staying hydrated cannot
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be overstated.
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But is water still the best option for hydration during extreme heat, or should we be
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turning to sports drinks instead?
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What about other beverages like soda, coffee, and beer?
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To help us navigate these questions, we turn to insights from doctor Liana Wen, an emergency
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physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University, who previously
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served as Baltimore's health commissioner.
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Doctor Wen explains that a commonly cited rule of thumb is the 8x8 rule, which suggests
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drinking 88 ounce glasses of water, or 64 ounces per day for adults.
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This amounts to half a gallon of water daily.
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However, this guideline is not set in stone as individual hydration needs can vary based on
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factors such as diet, body size, physical activity, air temperature, and humidity.
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During hot weather, especially when engaging in physical activity, the US centers for disease
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control and prevention recommends drinking an 8 ounce cup of water every 15 to 20 minutes,
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totaling about 24 to 32 ounces per hour.
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It is also crucial to stay hydrated before and after outdoor activities in the heat.
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While it is essential to stay hydrated, Doctor Wen cautions against drinking too much water
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too quickly.
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Consuming more than 48 ounces, or about 1.5 quarts of water or other fluids in an hour can
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dilute the concentration of salts in the blood, which can be unsafe.
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This condition known as hyponatremia can lead to serious health issues.
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When it comes to choosing the best fluid for hydration during extreme heat, Doctor Ewen
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asserts that water remains the top choice for most people.
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Sports drinks, which contain added electrolytes like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium,
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are designed to replenish these electrolytes lost through sweating.
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However, for most adults engaging in mild to moderate physical activity, and for children
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playing recreational sports, water is usually sufficient.
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The foods we eat generally provide the necessary electrolytes.
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Sports drinks may be beneficial for athletes who are engaging in vigorous exercise for at
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least an hour outdoors and hot weather.
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Whether these athletes need additional electrolyte replacement depends on factors such
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as the amount of sweat produced, the environmental conditions, and the intensity of
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the exercise.
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Doctor Wen personally prefers electrolyte powders or tablets that dissolve in water as
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they are usually cheaper and allow for better control over added sugars and chemicals.
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Energy drinks, on the other hand, are not suitable replacements for water.
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Doctor Owen emphasizes that these drinks, which often contain high amounts of caffeine and
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other stimulants can actually lead to dehydration.
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Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it causes the body to lose water.
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Excessive caffeine can also result in jitteriness, anxiety, and irregular heartbeats.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against energy drinks for children and
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adolescents, and doctor Wen urges parents to distinguish between sports drinks and energy
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drinks.
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Regarding other caffeinated beverages like coffee, doctor Wen notes that while they may
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not necessarily hydrate you, They do not need to be completely avoided during hot weather.
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It is important to be mindful of their diuretic effects and to compensate by drinking extra
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water.
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Similarly, sodas and punches, which are classified as ultra processed foods, should be
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consumed minimally due to their long term health risks.
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Alcohol is best avoided in extreme heat as it can impair the body's ability to regulate
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temperature and can also be dehydrating.
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For children attending all day sports camps, hydration strategies depend on the structure of
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the camp.
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If the camp includes indoor activities or regular breaks, water and nutrient dense snacks
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like watermelon, coconut, and avocado may suffice.
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Sports drinks are generally unnecessary and energy drinks should be avoided.
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Doctor Wen also emphasizes the importance of recognizing the symptoms of heat exhaustion and
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heat stroke.
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Especially in vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and individuals with
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chronic medical conditions.
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She advises taking extra precautions during extreme heat, such as exercising indoors or
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during cooler parts of the day and ensuring adequate hydration with water.
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In conclusion, while there are many beverage options available, water remains the best
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choice for staying hydrated during a heat wave.
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It is essential to be mindful of the effects of other drinks, especially those containing
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caffeine or alcohol.
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And to prioritize water intake to maintain optimal health in extreme temperatures.
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That wraps up today's episode of morning medical with doctor Chow.
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Thank you for joining us as we explored the critical topic of hydration during extreme
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heat.
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Stay safe, Stay hydrated, and we will see you next time with more updates on the latest in
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medical and health news.
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Have a great day.