Journal of Novel Physiotherapies
Open Access

Abstract

There is an established correlation between diet and physical health; however the mechanism of their interaction is still under investigation. In the malnutrition spectrum, under-nutrition at one end and obesity on the other end are todayâ�?�?s major public health issues. Today, two out of three U.S. adults are overweight or obese (69%) and one out of three (36%) is obese. Reports from U.S. (CDC) and rest of the world (OECD & developing countries) express doubled or tripled rate increase in the global obesityglobesity- during the past three decades. Obesity pandemic is not limited to the adult population; its increasing rate in children is a red flag and a serious public health challenge of the 21st century. Annual medical expenditures related to obesity have doubled in less than a decade. Obesity burden is not only direct, but also it is linked to other major health issues like cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. Consequences of modern civilization like using automobiles, watching TV, playing computer games instead of outdoor activities and overall less physical activity, from one side and other contributing factors like environmental and psychological factors, behavioral changes; role of food industries, media, education, over-parenting, and poor regulating policies are inevitable segments of this global pandemic. Changes in eating patterns during the past 50 years like consuming processed foods, snacks, energy drinks, which are high in sugar, â�?�?empty calorieâ�? and fat; and eating lot more frequently, which are encouraged by constant bombardment from media are few examples of such. However many governmental action task forces were implemented, but none of them are promising when considering obesity trends. Considering this failure, the organizational bodies may need to revise their approach to a more individualized weight management strategy, reaching out the familiesâ�?�? door-step to increase their level of knowledge and guide them.

Biography

Mohammad H Hadadzadeh is an Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, WV; USA. He earned his Bachelor, Master and PhD in Physical Therapy with specialization in Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR). He also earned a Professional Diploma in Clinical Research. Prior to teaching at WJU, he served as an advisor in Cardiac Rehabilitation, and organized CR Protocols for few hospitals in Iran & India. He served in WHO-ICF core sets Validation Project under Manipal University. He received 3 best paper awards in international conferences, awarded 4 grants for his projects, and received a patent for a Pain Relieving Instrument. He was invited as key speaker in many international seminars/workshops. He has couple of peer reviewed publications, and presented papers in more than 15 different international conferences. He also serves as an editorial/review board of 15 peer-reviewed journals in the field. His areas of interest are cardiac/pulmonary rehabilitation, exercise physiology, exercise immunology, and exercise prescription in geriatric population, exercise and fitness, and music therapy. He is an active member of many professional associations like American Heart Association, American Association of Cardio Vascular & Pulmonary Rehabilitation, European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation, European Acute Cardiovascular Care Association, and International Society of Exercise Immunology.

Email: mhadad@wju.edu