Another obesity theory

I loved Karen Ravn’s piece on obesity [“We’re Fat Because . . . ,” July 14]. There is one additional theory which many non-scientists (and some scientists) believe that would have been worth exploring: Hormones such as growth hormone and other anabolic hormones are given to dairy cows and cattle to improve their meat and milk production.

Our children (and adults) who eat this “excessively hormonal” meat and drink the “excessively hormonal” milk are plumping up just as the dairy cows and beef cattle do. These practices have risen greatly over the last 25 years, and that’s why obesity is so high.

Interestingly, such hormones tend to create an excessive insulin response. It could be the link to why so many children and young adults are developing Type 2 diabetes as well as obesity.

Dr. Ravi Rao

Victorville

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Trace quantities of hormones in food are a lot more suspect as a cause of obesity in the general population than most of the theories in the article.

Articles that discuss the issue: www.sustainabletable.org /issues/hormones/ and www .checnet.org/healthehouse/edu cation/articles-detail.asp? Main_ID=127.

Roger Rusch

Palos Verdes

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Even though, as senior Tufts University researcher Susan Roberts puts it, “there is no definitive answer on ‘what went wrong’ ” with Americans’ weight, lawmakers seem to have already formed a very defined focus in terms of fixing it. In the last year alone, state and local politicians in California pushed countless food-focused, obesity policies: fast food moratoriums, menu labeling laws, soda taxes, etc.

But, as The Times’ obesity feature demonstrates, they may be way off target.

Health officials shouldn’t be so quick to vilify our diets. “Healthy” doesn’t mean giving up a certain food or drastically slashing our calorie intake.

It’s about all of our small, daily choices: turning off the TV, climbing the stairs and taking that extra step.

Trice Whitefield

Senior research analyst, Center for Consumer Freedom

Washington, D.C.