Changing Behaviors (Lack of Exercise Explains Depression)

November 28, 2008

It seems to me there are a number of causal explanations in relation

to what inhibits or prevents persons from changing behaviors - be it

fitness, obesity, substance abuse, or whatever. Studying peer pressure

and socially normative causes may well address what Reisman termed

" other directed " individuals only up to a point.

Perhaps the most salient factor is the normal waking social trance, a

kind of post-hypnotic state induced by bombardment with propaganda and

advertising aimed at creating and maintaining tastes and normative

lifestyles, maintained by systems of authority legitimizing those

behaviors as popular culture, spanning the period from womb to tomb.

We do not witness governmental agencies engaging in up front

condemnation of fast foods (known as " chew and spew " in Australia),

high simple carbohydrate foods, colas, and myriad other junk

contributing to our poor physical condition. The question here is how

to wake folks up from the dominant social trance?

Most astonishing to me is the wholesale disregard of Tufts University

of now 20 years ago which established that sarcopenia is not a

condition of normal aging but, instead, a major cause of aging. What's

more, the Tufts group also established what we today call metabolic

syndrome was an outcome of sarcopenia (see the 1992 landmark

publication Bio-Markers for more information). Based on that evidence,

Wayne Westcott, PhD, of the South Bay YMCA in Quincy, MA, began

studies aimed at arresting and reversing sarcopenia along with

associated metabolic syndrome dis-eases. His numerous papers and two

books published by Human Kinetics well testify to the efficacy of

stength training in promoting health.

Some months ago I commented to my physician that in my sarcastic

moments I'm inclined to ascribe cause to Big Pharm for knowledge of

Tufts/Westcott's work not trickling down to the practices of

physicians. He replied that I'd mis-identified those moments as

sarcastic when, in point of fact, they represent lucid insight!

A cartel of invested monopolies would bode poorly if reliance on pills

and powders, rescue effort medical interventions became far less

common place due to individuals being trained and educated in habits

leading to autonomous self-care and prevention. Reversing metabolic

syndrome means, in practical terms, loss of billions of dollars of

income for pills and powders, etc. treating symptoms rather than

addressing causes.

I don't wish to propose a conspiracy theory in this matter. I do

subscribe to the notion that we've failed miserably at powerful and

appropriate measures to insure effective health education measure not

by action but by outcomes measured in reduction of disease.

Discussion of motivation seems rather vague, like talking of angels.

How is motivation measured? Is it, like therapeutic resistance, an

abstraction without solid connection to behavior or cognitive

strategies of which " motivation " is an action oriented outcome state?

Often what motivates or moves persons is scaring the crap out of them.

But as Maslow showed, echoing the wisdom of Buddhism, moments of

transcending one's normative operational states can be powerful yet

last no more than 72 hours for the most part; the momentum of

mediocrity is too deeply instilled for most people to achieve a state

of continuity in new insights resulting in new behavioral norms - that

is, they easily fall off the wagon, back into dominant delusions.

After all, dissociative identification states is another way of saying

normative!

I see such lapses constantly. People come to the gym with doctor

recommendations. Most are convinced the dangerous, life threatening

statin drugs will save them - without CoQ10. Or other meds for other

sarcopenia related conditions. Those good intentions last a few weeks.

Most are too complacent, too lazy, and too comfortable with lifestyles

that are killing them. But can you blame them? Hell, no. They're

diseases are powerful outcomes of a system of marketing that works.

New proposals for health care in the United States don't even get to

consideration of the problem. I'd rather see empowerment and

endorsement of gyms throughout the nation serving as centers of

integrative health care addressing the real issues. Let's attach the

problem at the level of causes rather than weakly treating symptoms in

a system enabling co-dependent addictive relationships profitting only

certain vested interests at the expense of the health of a nation.

Watch for my book on the topic, one intended to do it's part to

promote a health care revolution.

best regards,

Ken O'Neill

Austin, Texas

>

> > :

> >

> > Our Curves research that involves circuit resistance training in

> > sedentary and overweight women has consistently seen improvements in

> > measures of quality of life, self-esteem, body image, etc (see

> > abstracts below from the 2007 FASEB conference). I believe the

> > difference between this approach and traditional training settings

> > is that the Curves facilities are for women only so they form

> > friendships and a caring support network where they motivate one

> > another to achieve results. You can learn more about this research

> > at http://curves.tamu.edu.We also have a great chapter entitle " The

> > Will to Change " in our new book Exercise & Sport Nutrition:

> > Principles, Promises, Science & Recommendations (available at

www.exerciseandsportnutrition.com

> > or www.amazon.com).

> >

> > Good luck,

> >

> > Rick Kreider

> > Professor & Head

> > Director, Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab

> > A. and Joan Read Endowed Chair for Disadvantaged Youth

> > Department of Health & Kinesiology

> > Texas A & M University

> > http://esnl.tamu.edu

> >

> > T Harvey, E Nassar, R Bowden, M , L Long, J Opusunju, B

> > Lanning, J Beckham-Dove, J Wismann, M Galbreath, B , C

> > Kerksick, P La Bounty, M Ferreira, C Wilborn, J Crixell, M Iosia, M

> > Cooke, C Rasmussen, R Kreider. Effects of the Curves® fitness &

> > weight loss program VI: quality of life. FASEB J. 2007 21:lb 231

> >

> > 287 sedentary women (48±10 yrs, 164±7 cm; 91±16 kg; 45±4% body fat)

> > were assigned to an exercise & no diet group (E); an exercise & high

> > calorie diet (HCD) group (2,600 kcals/d for 1 wk at 55% C, 15% P,

> > 30% F; 9 wks at 40% C, 30% P, 30% F; 4 wks at 55% C, 15% P, 30% F);

> > or, a low calorie high carbohydrate (HCHO), high protein (HP), or

> > very high protein (VHP) diet. Diets consisted of 1,200 kcal/d for 1-

> > wk and 1,600 kcal/d for 9 wks and contained 30% fat, 40-55% CHO on

> > the HCD and HCHO diets and 50-63% P on the HP and VHP diets.

> > Subjects then ingested 2,600 kcal/d and dieted for 2-d (1,200 kcal/

> > d) only if they gained 3 lbs during a 4-wk maintenance phase.

> > Subjects participated in a supervised Curves fitness circuit

> > training program 3 d/wk. The SF-36 Quality of Life (QOL) inventory

> > was administered at 0, 10, and 14 wks. Data were analyzed by

> > repeated measures ANOVA and are presented as means ± SD changes from

> > baseline after 10 and 14 wks, respectively. Results revealed that

> > physical functioning (29.6±141, 24.4±122 %, p=0.002), social

> > functioning (11.1±56, 11.1±69 %, p=0.005), vitality (25.5±88,

> > 23.0±91 %, p=0.001), and mental health (8.5±27, 7.3±28 %, p=0.001)

> > scores significantly increased over time in all groups. Bodily pain

> > (32.2±296, 28.6±297 %, p=0.23), general health (3.0±163, -21.7±271

> > %, p=0.58), role physical (-4.1±56, -0.2±58 %, p=0.12), and role

> > emotional scores (0.9±59, 3.0±60 %, p=0.79) were not significantly

> > changed over time. No significant interactions were observed among

> > groups with the exception that role physical scores decreased to a

> > greater degree in the HP group. These findings indicate that the

> > Curves fitness and weight loss program improves select markers of QOL.

> > Supported in part by Curves International

> >

> > M , B Lanning, E Nassar, L Long, J Opusunju, R Bowden, J

> > Beckham-Dove, J Wismann, M Galbreath, B , T Harvey, C

> > Kerksick, P La Bounty, M Ferreira, C Wilborn, J Crixell, M Iosia, M

> > Cooke, C Rasmussen, R Kreider. Effects of the Curves® fitness &

> > weight loss program VII: body image & self esteem. FASEB J. 2007

> > 21:lb 233