2006年VOA标准英语-Doctors Concerned About Childhood Obesity Rates

By Crystal Park
Washington, D.C.
31 July 2006
 
watch report on Obesity¹

Childhood obesity is growing steadily² in the United States and around the world. New research findings have given doctors new clues to fighting the trend. Jim Bertel narrates³.

  
  
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the percentage of obese⁴ American children and adults has grown during the last 15 years. Estimates indicate nearly one in five American children is overweight. Large portion sizes and lack of physical activity are usually cited as the major reasons for obesity. 

 
Dr. Joseph Afram 
  
But they are not the only factors.  Dr. Joseph Afram is head of the Bariatric Surgery Center at George Washington University.  “There are quite a few factors creating or propagating obesity. The major one is genetics. Of course, environmental or cultural issues get into it. And behavior. So people are bombarded with [the] food industry anywhere in a culture how we live here."

A recent study from the University of Illinois reports people eat far more when they are given larger containers for their food. Experiment participants were randomly⁵ given either small or large bowls for ice cream. The participants with larger bowls gave themselves 50 percent more ice cream than those with smaller bowls.

The nature and quantity of what we eat are large contributors to problems of being overweight  
  
Doctors recommend children control food intake⁶ and get more exercise.  Most current guidelines recommend an hour a day of physical activity. But a new study of more than 1700 pre-teens and adolescents in Europe suggests kids may need at least 90 minutes of exercise per day. It doesn't even have to be aerobic⁷.  Dancing, light play, cleaning and walking all count.

One mom recounts the struggles her child had to go through due to his obesity.

"We've just had to make modifications⁸ all the way. You couldn't just go to a restaurant if it was just booths,” says Brenda Jones. “You had to make sure you had tables. It's been quite a rough time."

Drugs provide an alternative for children who can't lose weight by conventional methods. One clinical study reports teens who took a new weight loss drug called Meridia shed 18 pounds more in one year than teens who took a placebo⁹. The teens also showed improvement in cholesterol¹⁰ and blood sugar levels.  Meridia is thought to act directly on brain chemistry to decrease appetite. A drug called Xenical blocks fat from entering the intestines¹¹ during digestion¹². Both medicines can cause stomach discomfort¹³.

 
Most current guidelines recommend an hour a day of physical activity by children
  
But Dr. Afram says curbing¹⁴ the obesity trend will require more than a medical fix. It will require an entire life and behavioral makeover. "To reverse that, it will take a lot of time, it will take a lot of effort. It will take a change in our national behavior to change that track."

A study by the New England Journal of Medicine projects the life expectancy¹⁵ of the average American will decrease by two to five years if the rate of obesity continues its steady growth over the next several decades.

1 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

2 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

3 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

4 obese   

adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的

参考例句：

• The old man is really obese,it can't be healthy.那位老人确实过于肥胖了，不能算是健康。
• Being obese and lazy is dangerous to health.又胖又懒危害健康。

5 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句

6 intake   

n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口

参考例句：

• Reduce your salt intake.减少盐的摄入量。
• There was a horrified intake of breath from every child.所有的孩子都害怕地倒抽了一口凉气。

7 aerobic   

adj.需氧的，增氧健身法的，有氧的

参考例句：

• Aerobic exercise helps to build up stamina.有氧健身操有助于增强耐力。
• Aerobic dance is conductive to the health.有氧舞蹈有助于健康。

8 modifications   

n.缓和( modification的名词复数 )；限制；更改；改变

参考例句：

• The engine was pulled apart for modifications and then reassembled. 发动机被拆开改型，然后再组装起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The original plan had undergone fairly extensive modifications. 原计划已经作了相当大的修改。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 placebo   

n.安慰剂；宽慰话

参考例句：

• The placebo has been found to work with a lot of different cases.人们已发现安慰剂能在很多不同的病例中发挥作用。
• The placebo effect refers to all the observable behaviors caused by placebo.安慰剂效应是指由安慰剂所引起的可观察的行为。

10 cholesterol   

n.（U）胆固醇

参考例句：

• There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
• They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。

11 intestines   

n.肠( intestine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perhaps the most serious problems occur in the stomach and intestines. 最严重的问题或许出现在胃和肠里。 来自辞典例句
• The traps of carnivorous plants function a little like the stomachs and small intestines of animals. 食肉植物的捕蝇器起着动物的胃和小肠的作用。 来自辞典例句

12 digestion   

n.消化，吸收

参考例句：

• This kind of tea acts as an aid to digestion.这种茶可助消化。
• This food is easy of digestion.这食物容易消化。

13 discomfort   

n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便

参考例句：

• One has to bear a little discomfort while travelling.旅行中总要忍受一点不便。
• She turned red with discomfort when the teacher spoke.老师讲话时她不好意思地红着脸。

14 curbing   

n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Progress has been made in curbing inflation. 在控制通货膨胀方面已取得了进展。
• A range of policies have been introduced aimed at curbing inflation. 为了抑制通货膨胀实施了一系列的政策。

15 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。