To curb child obesity, move to cleaner air

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Child obesity is a recognized epidemic in America. Over the last year, parents, pediatricians, and elementary school teachers have launched an aggressive campaign against sugars and fats. While effective, a recent study shows this attempt to remove fatty food from a child’s diet is futile if the child is predisposed to obesity. While it is true that obesity can be genetic, even children from families without the gene can be exposed to the dangers of obesity while still in the womb. This does not– as one might think– depend entirely on what the mother eats while pregnant. The prenatal factor that has been proven to lead to obesity is in fact what the mother inhales.




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The debate over air pollution has possibly existed longer than the concern for obesity has. Air pollution has been known to cause allergies, lung infections, and respiratory failure. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that exposure to air pollution during pregnancy is associated with an increased chance of having heavier children. The research concluded that air pollution contains endocrine disruptors and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)– endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in cigarette smoke and car exhaust. Like estrogen, PAHs interfere with some developmental and metabolic functions. According to the research findings, children born to mothers with the highest PAH levels during their third trimester had a 79% greater risk of becoming obese.




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While it is difficult to avoid air pollution– particularly for expectant mothers living in cities– it is possible to consciously avoid the worst sources of PAH exposure. This means avoiding second-hand cigarette smoke and similar exhaust. Knowing that air pollutants can cause child obesity– which is known to lead to diabetes– should be motivation enough for pregnant women to stay vigilant.



Child obesity is known to lead to type 2 diabetes– a growing issue for children in America. As the former Senior VP of Global Strategic Marketing and Services of Abbott Diabetes Care, Mary Szela takes this issue close to her heart. Read more about her advocacy on this website.

The historical research model of pharmaceuticals

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Admittedly, some big pharmaceuticals have come under fire for their failure to produce safe drugs. Internationally, damages filed against them have drained the resources of some and put to question their models for producing drugs.


These backlashes have naturally tainted their operations, undermining the strong historical foundations of their operations. Pharmaceuticals were once hailed as indices for the advancement of medical technology.




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This exposé by The New Yorker cleverly runs the reader through the development of pharmaceutical companies to what they are now. With billion-dollar mergers behind them, today’s hyphenated pharmaceutical names are a triumph of forgetting the sophisticated Swiss and German models that launched their relevance. Admittedly, pharmaceuticals that have come under fire for failing to produce relevant drugs have failed to derive success from these models after years of trying to develop them.


The Swiss and German laboratories of yore were at the forefront of assiduous discovery and testing of new compounds that form the basic components of drugs. In theory, they have provided a valiant backbone in the crusade against the multiplication of diseases. These models are expensive to maintain, but fruition could have attenuated the costs. However, The New Yorker also points out that despite such a strong foundation, there is still a want for new, innovative drugs that are not of the “me, too” kind.




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Perhaps what’s left for big pharmaceuticals to do is forgo aggressive expansion in favor of getting down to productive research. The world is in desperate need of new, safe drugs to combat the rising statistics of mortality and morbidity from diseases.



The pharmaceutical industry is the subject of many analyses for its continuing improvement. For more insights, consult this Facebook page offering the outlook of Mary Szela, a well-placed executive of Abbott Laboratories.

Big pharma, small countries

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Pharmaceuticals don’t necessarily carry the image of grassroots doctors and aid workers going around underdeveloped countries and crossing warzones to distribute cheap drugs to the world’s poorest populations. However, a report from The Guardian broke down the contributions of the biggest pharmas to the production of accessible and affordable drugs made available in third world countries.



It seems like a case of developing conscience. Or, it could merely be a recognition of conquering markets by volume. The good in all of this is that medicines for epidemic-level diseases are no longer the preserve of rich countries. Logically, diseases such as tuberculosis, diabetes, and malaria are more common in poorer societies. The global pressure to address them is, of course, a by-product of government policies on health in concert with those of the World Health Organization (WHO).

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Pharmaceuticals like Glaxosmithkline, Sanofi, and Johnson and Johnson have notably adjusted their pricing. They are also pledging ethical practices in research and testing, a far cry from the days some of the biggest ones in the industry were being accused of inhuman procedures.


Population boom could also have ushered economies of scale in drug development and production. Diseases have become more common, necessitating a ready supply of specific medications. The drive for perfecting vaccines for diseases such as malaria has intensified. It might really be just a good time to produce drugs.

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Read more about the pharmaceutical industry from this Mary Szela Facebook page.