"Popular Diets - How To Digest It All" - Joshua Novak, MD
New York State is ranked in the top ten for having the lowest adult obesity rate across the country. However, in New York City, more than half of adult New Yorkers are either overweight or obese, despite those new biking lanes and fruit and vegetable stands on every corner. This is likely due to the availability of food 24/7 in our great city. Joshua Novak, MD, assistant professor in the department of medicine and the division of gastroenterology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai writes “We know that being overweight increases the risk for diabetes, heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, arthritis and some types of cancer, but it is also causing another problem: malnourishment. People with obesity may consume an excessive proportion of unhealthy foods low in nutritional values.” These include carbohydrates derived from refined sugar, white rice, fat, and oil. In addition, intake of fruit and vegetables may be limited. Studies of obese patients prior to bariatric surgery were found to have deficiencies in such micronutrients as vitamin D, iron and vitamin C.
- Joshua Novak, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, The Dr. Henry D. Janowitz Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai