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What is so sweet about sweets?

High calorie sweets invite diabetes, cancer and weight problems. These are reasons enough for one to avoid excess consumption of sweets especially during Diwali , saysDr. Mufazal Lakdawala, Head of Bariatrics Department, Dr. L.H. Hiranandani, Lilavati & Saifee Hospitals

On the face of it everything about sweets seems so, not until one knows the reality. Sweet caused obesity is fast becoming a global epidemic that needs urgent attention. Weight gain above a certain limit can become a real health risk causing diabetes, heart problems, cancer, hypertension, sleep apnea etc. In India, fat and weight gain is centred on the abdominal area (Central Obesity) that is far more dangerous than the kind of obesity prevalent in developed countries. It is estimated that in all the major metros of the country approximately 8% of the population is obese i.e. body mass index (BMI) greater than 30. Of them a majority is morbidly obese (BMI>40) with associated co-morbidities such as type2 diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension and certain cancers.

With Diwali around the corner, people are bound to add a few more kilos due to intake of festive preparations especially sweets. Eating sweets is one of the many reasons for weight gain especially in children. Irrespective of festivities, children nowadays seem to have sweets on a daily basis, whereas a decade or two ago they were a weekly treat. Coupled with the fact that outdoor games and physical activities have decreased, these unhealthy trends are fast increasing the number of overweight and obese children and adults.

This phenomenon is more prevalent in cities like Mumbai where both parents work leaving their children behind. Parents feel guilty about being out at work all day and compensate by bringing home a bag of sweets, but is it really going to benefit the children? Why not try a comic, some fresh fruit, or just go home and give them your undivided attention? I guess they think it is ‘outdated’ what with multiplex and fast food culture coming in.

Bitter truths about sweets

But do you know what sweet consumption can do to you and your children’s health?

1. Consumption of too many sweet results in weight gain due to their high calorie density, which over a period of time leads to overweight/obesity.
2. An influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body's blood-sugar balance, triggering the release of insulin that also promotes the storage of fat. Hence, when sweets high in sugar are consumed one is making way for rapid weight gain as well as elevated triglyceride levels .
3. Sweets are rich in fat especially saturated fats and cholesterol that increase the risk of heart diseases.
4. More importantly, sweets aggravate diabetes and can further lead to heart problems resulting in death.
5. Normally sweets are associated with joy and celebrations, but it is a proven fact that sweets cause mental problems such as depression, anxiety and irritability (characteristics of overweight/obese people).
6. Insomnia, a sleeping disorder, is linked to type2 diabetes and high blood pressure, which in turn are aggravated by sweets.
7. All the above mentioned conditions pose a great danger when a person is overweight/obese/morbidly obese.
8. Further, in most of the cases, sweets are the main cause for dental cavities (adults & children).
9. As refined dietary sugars lack minerals and vitamins, they must draw upon the body's micro-nutrient stores in order to be metabolized into the system. When these storehouses are depleted, metabolism of cholesterol and fatty acid is impeded, contributing to higher blood serum triglycerides and cholesterol.
10. With the increase in insulin levels due to sugar, the release of growth hormones is inhibited, which in turn depresses the immune system.

These bitter truths are good enough reasons for one to keep away from sweets, However if keeping sweet treats in the house for the children is the reason for your failing to meet your weight loss goals, save sweets for a family weekend treat! It may so happen that despite your best efforts you still cannot keep weight under control or happen to be obese/overweight, then surgery is the only option.

Effective obesity treatment

A decade ago, a cure to this problem was a distant dream, but not anymore. Bariatric surgery, as the weight loss surgery is called, is the only effective long-term solution in sight for morbidly obese people to get rid of their excess weight. Consequently, most of the co-morbidities (health conditions that could lead to death) associated with obesity such as diabetes; hypertension, renal failure, infertility, menstruation problems, heart problems, arthritis etc have reportedly been cured after the surgery.

Broadly classified into two types, g astric banding and gastric bypass, bariatric surgery is a laparoscopic procedure. As the name suggests, gastric banding involves placing of a band of special material around the upper end of the stomach creating a small pouch. This pouch is the new stomach replacing the bigger one allowing only smaller quantities of food thus reaching satiety at earlier levels and maintaining satiety for a longer period of time. Gradually the patient starts losing weight and reaches a near ideal weight in 18-24 months depending on the nature of obesity.

However, the most preferred bariatric procedure is the gastric bypass. Here too a small stomach pouch is created and then a section of the small intestine is attached to the pouch. This arrangement helps food bypass 90% of the stomach and a part of the small intestine thereby reducing the body's ability to absorb nutrients and calories. Like in gastric banding, here too the patient can reach near ideal weight however in much lesser time span. In both the surgeries, chances of regaining weight are remote. Surgery apart, regular exercises and healthy low fat, low calorie diet help lead an active life and manage weight.

Avoiding disaster

As everyone eats sweets, especially a bit more during Diwali, care should be taken not just to avoid burns from firecrackers but also any unpleasant health conditions arising out of weight gain. As explained, sweets could be dangerous to the lives of obese/morbidly obese. Given the opportunities one gets to eat sweets during Diwali, the only effective way to avoid the unpleasant health consequences is to have will power and determination to say NO.