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Paging Dr. Gupta: How Far Would You Go to Get the Perfect Body?

Aired June 27, 2002 - 11:33   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: How far would you go to get the perfect body? And is that what you are doing trying to reach that goal? Is it healthy, or is it even safe? Well, we are paging Dr. Gupta today on, I feel fat. Those three words can lead to some pig problems. Last hour, we heard some truth and consequences on the subject, but now we will hear from you and get some advice from a couple of people who should know what they're talking about.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta is with him. You see him there. He's in New York.

Hey, Sanjay.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon.

HARRIS: And in Chicago with us as well is Kathleen Zelman. She's a registered dietitian with the American Dietetic Association.

Good morning, how are you?

KATHLEEN ZELMAN, AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION: Great thank you.

HARRIS: All right, let's get the two experts up on the screen.

(CROSSTALK)

HARRIS: OK, we have a mike on you, so that's on record. All right, now listen, I want to get right to the e-mails, because, as you see here, we have got plenty of them. We have been asking people to send in their questions for the two of you about these.

Let's get to the first one here. This one is for both of you. It's from Nancy Lacerda from Greensboro, North Carolina. Can depression and low esteem cause obesity? And if so, are these a medical condition, or are these totally mental? How would someone overcome those and get that fat off?"

Let's start with you, Kathleen.

ZELMAN: Sure. I think there is no doubt that depression can cause overweight and obese conditions, because food is used as a reward, and sometimes food is used as punishment. And obviously, if you are overeat, you can cause conditions that lend themselves to gaining weight.

But what you really need do is evaluate, what are the real problems that are causing the depression, and not use food for its unintended purpose. Think about food as gas in your body. You need it for fuel, and good health and wellness, not to solve your emotional problems.

HARRIS: Sanjay?

GUPTA: Yes. You know, it's interesting. There are some medical conditions which can cause obesity, really fascinating conditions, where the brain really doesn't know that the body is full. It doesn't know to tell the body, OK, enough, stop eating. Those are pretty rare conditions, but they answer the questions, are there medical conditions that can lead it obesity? Absolutely. If it gets to the point, certainly you need see somebody about that.

HARRIS: Since you bring it up, doc, here is one for you. This is from Joanne in Cincinnati: "Nice job at the White House addressing the obesity problem. Do you think George Bush will be able to fix obesity with a new council?

GUPTA: I tell you, that's a fair question. That is a very fair question. No question that the messages we are hearing, eat right and exercise, are old messages. The question is, you know, what are the new strategies. Probably a council alone to be perfectly blunt won't address the obesity issue. We asked all sorts of questions when we were there about, is there a need for maybe a fatty tax, or something like a tax on fatty foods to try and diminish the amount of foods that people eat like that, or maybe offset some of the health care costs. Nobody was willing to pledge to that exactly, Leon, but those are some of the things that are sort of out there, and I know Kathleen had some thoughts on that as well.

HARRIS: Kathleen?

ZELMAN: I think that we need to do is take a look at those losers that have not been successful and try to learn from them. And the National Weight Loss Council Registry has some statistics that we have learned from, people who have lost weight and kept it off for five years. Those are the successful losers. They eat breakfast each day. They only visit fast food once a week. They keep diaries to write down the food that they eat. They get 30 minutes a day of exercise.

So we need to learn from those who have been successful and try to encourage more American to do the right thing.

HARRIS: Those things are lifestyle things, not gimmicks. They're lifestyle things. You have got to make your lifestyle like that.

Let's get to the next one, Sandy Beggs, Janesville, Wisconsin. "Regarding weight charts, they are usually broken down by frame/height. I was wondering is their a weight chart broken down by age, along with height and frame. I am still the same height and frame as I was when I was 20, but there is no way I could ever weight what I weighed back then."

That is a great point. How about that, doc?

GUPTA: It as great point, I tell you. All those charts. I'm a little confused by them, quite honestly, myself. But they are just rough guidelines for basically how things are supposed to be. Yes, you're absolutely right, as your body ages, you're going to have more fat on your body, you're going to lose muscle mass. A lot of things are going to change. But those are sort of rough guidelines, Leon.

HARRIS: Yes, OK. They have always driven me crazy. As a guy who stays in shape, I look at that thing, for my height and my weight, it seems to me like I'm off the chart.

All right this one is from Ben Ray. "Frankly, I'm tired of people who are clearly not overweight complaining that they're fat. Do you think the media is to blame for setting the bar too high for how skinny people need to be."

How about that one, Kathleen?

ZELMAN: Well, I definitely think the media has a lot to do with it. And they have set the bar way too high. If you look at magazines, and movies and movie stars, they are all very thin, and it's unrealistic. Sixteen million American women are size 16 or above. And beautiful bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and it would be nice if the media expanded and showed us a little more realistic individuals, and not just that are model thin.

HARRIS: Kathleen, I have another one for you, too. I just heard Sanjay say the same thing. This is from Wendy in Overland Park, Kansas: "What should a mother say to or for her 7-year-old daughter when she says that she is fat? Her body size is perfectly normal.

ZELMAN: This is a real challenge. And as a mom, of a teenage daughter, I empathize with her tremendously, because the one thing we want to do as parents is not pass on our fears or our concerns about weight and our body type, and make our kids understand that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and that you can't let that media idealized body confuse you, that what you want to focus on is being healthy, and that you are well and that you get regular physical activity. And in addition, eat properly, eat a variety of different foods, and shift the focus to food adds fuel in your activity and making you feel good about yourself, and dismissing those concerns with 7-year-olds or 15-year-olds.

HARRIS: See, all that goes out the window when the 7-year-old sees you do it to yourself.

ZELMAN: Absolutely.

HARRIS: I have seen that happen. All right, let's get the next one in. See if we can get time for one more.

Let's give this one to Dr. Sanjay Gupta. This is, "My bulimia is out of control. Binging and purging throughout the day. I have been in treatment twice, and have suffered from this for many years. Today, I am afraid that it is never going to get any better. Help!

Can you help Jen in Atlanta, doc?

GUPTA: I tell you, that is a difficult situation. I think that probably epitomizes a lot of just how bad the situation can get. Yes, I think that for most people, including this particular viewer, there is help out there, and certainly the stakes get -- have to get a little higher each time. For example, someone in her situation might certainly have to be actually hospitalized, and be given food by IV or by a tube for some time while the bulimia is actually treated and diagnosed. The exact treatment plan will probably have to differ for someone who has gone through treatment twice.

That certainly is an extreme situation, Leon. But after talking to a lot of people, for just about everybody, there is good treatments out there. Bulimia, anorexia, can't always be cured, but the life- threatening consequences of it can often be prevented.

HARRIS: Let's wrap it up here. Thanks. We appreciate the advice.

Kathleen, what's for lunch? it's almost that time out there. You show us a good example. What's for lunch today.

ZELMAN: We are going tout eat soon, and I'm sure we will eat big healthy salad with lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains, and try to practice what we preach.

HARRIS: I don't know, Chicago that's the home of big food. Have a good time, Kathleen Zelman. Thanks much for the advice. Appreciate your time today.

And Dr. Sanjay Gupta in New York. Thank you. Always good to see you pal.

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