Matt Metzgar

Is ADD/ADHD for Real?

This recent USA Today article discusses how the number of adults who are being prescribed drugs for ADHD has doubled in the past four years.  What's behind this sudden upturn?  Is this an expanding problem for society or the condition simply being overdiagnosed?

One huge tip-off to the problem is that boys are more than twice as likely than girls to take ADHD medicine.  If you've read much about evolution or evolutionary psychology, the bells should be going off.  Here is a brief summary of the evolutionary argument for ADHD, by critic Zdenek Matejcek:

"Their idea is roughly as follows: ADHD is characterized by transient concentration, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. In the extreme conditions of prehistory, man's survival required hypervigilance, rapid-scanning, quickness to move, hyperactivity and response-readiness. This would have been an advantage "under the harsh conditions of the frozen steppe or humid jungle". In different environments however, with societies becoming more industrialized and organized, "problem-solving and analytic strategies, restraint of impulsivity, and the controlled deployment of energies" would more and more become the order of the day. Still the population continues to retain the genetic variation of these original traits, which is reflected in the development of this kind of behavior. Crawford and Salmon's conclusion is that what is adaptive in one type of environment may no longer be adaptive in another."

In a nutshell, what may have been an adaptive variation for some in ancient times now causes problems in an orderly society.  To think of it another way, hunter-gatherers lived through all kinds of drama: warfare between tribes, perilous hunts, in-fighting and jealousy - all through their lives.  Males especially were involved in plenty of life-or-death struggles.  These are our origins - so Is it any wonder people get bored sitting in front of a computer all day? 

Personally, I think ADD/ADHD is far overprescribed, if the condition even exists at all.  I remember reading one story about a young boy who was "diagnosed" with hyperactivity because he couldn't sit still at school.  Instead of drugs, the family had the boy run the few miles to and from school each day instead of taking the bus.  Sounds crazy?  Guess what - there were no more complaints at school.

All of us, especially young people, were designed for action.  Sedating someone with drugs because their intrinsic desire for activity conflicts with modern society won't solve any problems.   

There's No Free Lunch

Many people try to "speed up" weight loss from an exercise program by also restricting calories.  Actually, in studies that compare exercise versus diet and exercise, the combination of the two usually shows more weight loss.  However, this is just for the short-term.  As discussed earlier, almost all weight lost through dieting eventually comes back, it just takes a long time (a year or two) for this to happen. 

Over the long haul, the only weight you can lose is that which you burn off through exercise.  In fact, in the study mentioned in the previous post, it is shown that you would need much more walking if you were trying to keep off weight previously lost from a diet.  In any case, it is better to just focus on eating sensibly and losing weight through exercise, rather than adding the yo-yo component that comes with dieting.  Weight loss through exercise, such as walking, isn't quick, but it is the true path to long-term success.

Walking Threshold for Weight Loss

Often overlooked as a tool for weight control, walking is one of the most effective methods of exercise available.  What often causes confusion is the amount of walking needed for weight loss.

This brilliant review discusses exactly how much walking is needed for weight management.  The usual prescription of 30 minutes of walking a day is shown to have little to no effect on body composition.  However, 45 minutes of walking a day is a sufficient stimulus for a person to lose weight.  At 45 minutes a day, the rate of weight loss wil be slow, roughly 1/2 pound a week or less.  From my earlier post, we know that walking 1 hour each day will lead to a weight loss of about 1 pound a week.

The paper also properly mentions the role of vigorous activity as a component of long-term weight management.  In fact, it states, "a high duration of walking activity and vigorous activity is optimal for weight management."  Walking 45 minutes to an hour each day, along with a couple sessions of high-intensity work each week (sprinting, weightlifting) appears to be a very efficient, logical choice for sensible weight loss.

Losing Your Hair?

A sensitive subject for any man is losing his hair as he ages.  A full head of hair is often connected with youth, and as one loses his hair, he can start to feel his age.  Most men regard this situation as bad genes or bad luck, yet there is a dietary component to balding. 

When researchers have studied native populations, they have seen less hair loss than modern populations.  This article discusses hair loss in populations with traditional diets, and types of "home remedies" that still may be effective.

Loren Cordain also hypothesizes that the modern, high-glycemic (simple carbohydrate) diet is a factor in male pattern baldness.  The article is available here.  Another recent study shows that as the men of Thailand adopt a more westernized diet, they are experiencing more baldness.

Surely there is a genetic component to hair loss with some being less favored than others.  But anyone can reduce their chances of balding by eating correctly and avoiding high-glycemic foods.  So if you want to hold onto your hair, eat like our Stone Age ancestors.

A Different Path

Danny Wuerffel, former Heisman Trophy winner, has shown there are different versions of success, as this article describes.  Wuerffel starred with the University of Florida in the early 90s, winning the national championship his senior year.  Next, Wuerffel relocated to New Orleans, where he recently had his home wiped out by the recent hurricane.

Before the storm, Wuerffel worked with needy children from New Orleans' inner city.  Spurning glitzy careers as an announcer or speaker, Wuerffel prefers to work directly in the trenches and help the less fortunate.

It is refreshing to see someone so motivated to make a difference.  Wuerffel will continue on with his work in New Orleans in spite of the current mess.  While athletes and their millions come and go, Wuerffel has a chance to make a real impact that will last beyond his lifetime.   

James Dean Days

This month will mark the 50th anniversary of the death of James Dean.  Each year, his hometown of Fairmount, Indiana, hosts an annual celebration marking the date of his death: September 30, 1955.

I traveled to Fairmount a few years back.  It is a postage stamp-size town, with literally one stoplight.  It is probably similar to many small Indiana towns, and doesn't look like it's changed much since James Dean's time.

James Dean is still popular today, even though he made only three films, "East of Eden", "Rebel Without A Cause", and "Giant".  Extremely gifted, his life and his vast potential died on a California highway now fifty years ago.

It is hard to speculate what James Dean might have been had he lived.  It is all to easy to exaggerate what he could have accomplished.  One avenue for comparison is the life of one of Dean's contemporaries, Marlon Brando.  Brando was nominated for an Academy Award for four years in a row, 1951-1954 (winning in 1954), before James Dean burst onto the scene.  Through the years Brando had his ups and downs with bursts of great performances, like "The Godfather", but never maintained his consistency compared to the early 1950s.

Would James Dean been able to continue producing work at a high level?  I certainly hope so, as it is a more pleasurable story to tell.  His early death, while very tragic, should serve as reminder to us all to make the most we can from life.  As they say, stars either burn out or fade away.  James Dean unfortunately burnt out, while Brando faded away over the past couple decades.  Would Dean have faded if he lived?  We'll never know, and maybe it's better that way.   

A Modern Trojan Horse

Within hours of my post last night, I read this article in USA Today about incoporating fitness games into physical education classes.  Yet this particular program is not what I or maybe anybody else had in mind: it is sponsored by McDonald's.

McDonald's "Passport to Play" will apparently be introduced in over 31,000 schools this year.  For each game that students complete, they will get a stamp to go on their McDonald's passport.

As expected, many are extremely disappointed in this uncomfortable partnership.  "It is a travesty to have a PE program branded by McDonald's," says psychologist Kelly Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University.  I would concur.

This appears to be pure PR on the part of McDonald's - an effort to keep them from being labeled the bad guys.  When the criticisms of their awful food crest again, they can point to actions like these in their defense.  Yet if they were truly serious about this idea, why not just donate some money behind the scenes?  Instead, they emblazon their name on the program and try to gain increased market share with children.

It's a sign of how desperate schools have become that they are willing to accept such a devil's bargain.  Fast food and good health don't mix, and neither should McDonald's and our schools. 

Why Exercise?

Regular exercise can stave off almost every disease or health condition out there, as this nice article describes.  Most people know this already, and evidence continues to pour in about the benefits of exercise.  Yet as this articles mentions, if all this is true, why are most people not exercising?

In studying this issue, the first thing to understand is that "exercise" did not exist for our Stone Age ancestors.  Most activity was motivated by the procurement of food and other resources.  It is only in the modern world, where physical activity is largely unnecessary for making a living, that people must pursue exercise for its own sake. 

What motivates people to exercise?  When looking at my own personal motivations, I think it is mostly out of habit - I have always exercised, and so I just continue along as usual.  Probably a high percentage of those who have been exercising consistently will be exercising five years from now.  This is not to say that some people don't start exercising and stay with it, it is just to point out that it's easier to maintain a habit than to start a new one. 

It is always a curious phenomenon if you go to a commercial gym in the winter months.  In November and December, the place is virtually empty.  But once January and the New Year's resolutions hit, you can barely get in the parking lot.  Six weeks later, in about mid-February, things return to normal.

Certainly, many of these people have good intentions - it is a shame this happens every year.  I think most of it is due to people biting off more than they can chew.  It would be better for someone to start exercising just 1 or 2 days a week than to suddenly go to 4 or 5 days; the potential for overtraining and burnout should always be considered in a new program.

If this idea about habits is true, then making physical education mandatory for all students K-12 is a relatively simple one.  What good is a great mind if it's housed in an ill body?  It may seem a stretch to some, but I would also like to see colleges and universities make physical education mandatory as well. 

The trickier part is getting someone to exercise who never has, or has sporadically.  What could get someone to start exercising?  I have read many pieces about redesigning neighborhoods and cities to make them walker-friendly, as to encourage daily activity.  I do not know if any of this works; however, redesigning all the cities and neighborhoods would have mammoth costs with uncertain benefits. 

I think another main avenue for enticing people to exercise is play.  As this terrific website discusses, play is a part of our evolutionary heritage.  Though play is traditionally the realm of children, the lack of play in modern adults is mostly due to societal influences, not our natural inclinations.  I wonder if commercial gyms would have a higher retention rate if they used fitness games instead of their normal assortment of machines and treadmills.

Thse two methods, mandatory PE and more play, seem like a good start to me.  If anyone out there has other ideas, please feel free to comment.

And If You're Really Desperate...

Given all the bogus weight loss schemes out there, this one will actually work if anyone is this dedicated.  In a study back in the 1970s, a group of researchers tried to determine if exercising in the cold would increase weight loss in the obese.  When you're exercising in cold weather, you body has to produce both the energy needed for the activity and the energy needed to keep warm.

The researchers took six obese men and had them exercise 3 and 1/2 hours a day, for 10 consecutive days in a "cold chamber" (minus 29 degress Fahrenheit).  After the ten days of fun, the subjects had lost 8.8 lbs, and sustained this weight loss in the following months.  So if you're really impatient, there is always a way!

How Much Exercise Do You Need to Lose Weight?

Based on various research studies, here is how much weight loss you can expect from a given level of exercise:

Walking - 1 hour, 3 times per week (or a half-hour per day): roughly 1/4 pound per week

Walking - 1 hour per day, 7 days a week: roughly 1 pound per week      

Walking - 1 hour, 3 times a week, plus Weightlifting, 1 hour, 3 times a week:  roughly 1.2 pounds per week

Running, 3 times per week for 30 minutes:  roughly 1/2 pound per week

Weightlifting, 3 times per week for 30 minutes: roughly 1/5 pound per week

I could post many other figures, but you get the idea.  Keep in mind that these numbers are averages, and that everyone responds differently.  Also, if a person chooses to do aerobic exercise only, they are in danger of losing some muscle mass as well as fat.  A small bit of weightlifting can counteract this trend.

Overall, these numbers show what is needed to lose weight in a safe and healthy manner.  In comparison to diets, where one loses the weight and it eventually comes back, with exercise there is no rebound effect.  Exercise volume can be reduced back to a maintenance level (walking a half-hour a day) after the goal weight has been achieved.