Obesity dangers rival smoking, CU researchers say

A recent study shows that obesity is more detrimental than smoking to Americans' quality of life.

In the study, published in the “American Journal of Preventative Medicine” in January, Dr. Haomiao Jia, a biostatistics researcher of the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and Dr. Erica Lubetkin of City College showed that obesity is overtaking smoking as a national health problem.

Results show that the average number of quality-adjusted life-years lost on average per adult due to obesity has increased by 127 percent from 1993 to 2008, and had surpassed that of smoking in 2008.

“Smoking will kill you faster in terms of a mortality perspective, but obesity is associated with all kinds of problems like diabetes, osteoarthritis, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, and greater susceptibility to stroke, heart attack, disability, depression and cancer,” Lubetkin said.

She added that these problems all play a role in greatly lowering the quality of life of the individual. Data from the study also show that the quality-adjusted life-years lost due to poor health during living years was 152 percent greater for obesity than it was for smoking in 2008.

Using population health-related quality-of-life data from the 1993-2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and years lost by premature deaths estimated from the National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality Files, the researchers created a mathematical model that could represent both the quality of life and number of years lived in a single number, called the quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs).

Jia said that the study is unique in its utilization of a single, comprehensive measurement of negative impact. He noted that the comprehensive nature of the quality-adjusted life-years measurement is especially valuable because looking solely at quality of life or number of years lived will yield contradictory conclusions in whether smoking or obesity is more detrimental to health.

Dr. Peter Muennig, a researcher in health and policy management at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health said, “The methods they used are very innovative. It’s been very difficult to get the QALY from the national data set in the past. That having been said, the methods they’re using are pretty rough.”

The fall 2009 survey from the American College Health Association, which contained data on 22,000 students from 40 colleges and universities nationwide, reported that 56 percent of college students are not meeting the national recommendations for regular physical activity. The survey also reported that 94 percent of students are not getting the recommended five fruits and vegetables a day, and that 89 percent did not get enough sleep to feel rested on at least six days a week.

“The Columbia academic environment does not foster motivation to work out or be healthy,” Ryan Beppel, CC’10, said. “At the height of midterms, it could be 1 a.m. and you’re studying. You don’t care what you’re putting in your body. It’s just all about the classes.”

“People are so focused on their academics here that they really put their health in second place,” Ting Ting Guo, CC ’10, added. “People don’t really exercise as much because they think ‘Oh in that time I could be studying.’”

Adrienne Wald, a doctoral candidate at Teachers College in the Department of Health and Behavior, argues that ignoring health is not in the interest of those who wish to excel in academics. “Independent of weight, physical activity has important physical and cognitive health benefits. Brain volume actually increases as a result of physical activity,” Wald said.

“Students are spending 100,000 dollars to get an education but they may not to live long enough to use it,” Wald added.

Despite the detrimental effects of obesity and unhealthy behaviors illuminated by recent studies, Lubetkin thinks it may take some time for people to adjust their habits. “Behavior is the hardest thing to change,” Lubetkin said, “Family lifestyle and particularly peer susceptibility play a role—you eat what your friends eat.”

Guo echoed Lubetkin’s thoughts on peer susceptibility when eating in groups: “Ideally you know what you want and you know you want to be healthy, but it’s hard if everyone decides they want to get pizza ... what do you do?”

But John DeChellis, CC ’10, said he thought it was possible to change bad habits.

“When you’re surrounded by people who are examples of the positive impact of physical activity, results become very much more real and tangible for you,” he said.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the year of Ting Ting Guo. Spectator regrets the error.