Adolescent Obesity

Regarding your editorial on couch potatoes (Nov. 9), let us consider what follows if we implement the reasoning process of your editors.

Medical studies have shown that there is an increased mortality rate among short Swedes as compared to tall Swedes. Your editors would, I presume, caution Swedish parents against having small children and recommend that when short ones appear they should wear elevator shoes.

Medical studies have shown that there is a correlation between high fat in the diet and death from heart disease. But in Mexico the heart attack rate is half that in Israel, even though Mexicans eat eight times more fat than Israelis. Your editors should caution Israelis who wish to eat more fat to move to Mexico.

Your editorial makes a common, unwarranted leap in logic. It ignores the distinction between association and causation. To wit, obese adolescent males have a higher mortality rate than lean adolescent males. This does not hold true, however, for females; the obese live as long as the lean ones. Nevertheless, you advise parents to “watch what goes into his or her mouth. Twinkies, potato chips or ice cream?”

Distinguishing markers from hazards requires diligence on the part of journalists as well as doctors. The remedy for increased highway deaths on winding mountain roads is not to remove the caution signs alongside the road. It is not the sign causing the deaths. Nor is it shown by the study you cite (or anywhere else) that adolescent obesity among males (but not females) causes early mortality.

ROBERT McCAULEY MD

Chair, Communications Committee

Orange County Medical Assn.