Patient struggles with obesity and diabetes cycle on TV CHOSUN

A patient suffering from spinal conditions and multiple metabolic diseases appeared on TV CHOSUN's 'Healthy Intervention,' describing how limited mobility has led to a cycle of consuming instant food and high-sugar beverages. The individual's health is further threatened by habits such as mixing rice in soup, which increases food intake by approximately 75g.

A patient appeared on TV CHOSUN's 'Healthy Intervention,' drawing sympathy as they described physical decline so severe that even climbing stairs feels like mountain climbing. The individual, who suffers from spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, and degenerative arthritis in the knees, has also been diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia.

A continuous cycle between appetite and pain

The patient stated that their spinal conditions worsened after a severe fall onto their buttocks 13 years ago, and the combination of resulting pain and obesity is causing significant difficulties in daily life. In particular, due to weight gain, the patient confessed to frequent feelings of depression, wondering, "I feel so depressed sometimes that I wonder if I will die without ever being able to travel or go out properly."

Physical discomfort led to a vicious cycle of eating habits. Because limited mobility makes it difficult to cook, the patient relies on instant food and pre-cooked rice for every meal, which in turn leads to further weight gain. The patient also demonstrated habits such as drinking carbonated beverages because they feel indigestion after meals, or lying down to rest immediately after eating. Despite suffering from diabetes and hyperlipidemia, the patient struggled to control their appetite, seeking out instant coffee and beverages with high sugar content.

Warnings against eating rice in soup and consuming carbonated drinks

Experts identified the habit of "mixing rice in soup" and "consuming carbonated drinks after meals" as key factors threatening the patient's health. Analysis suggests that mixing rice in soup leads to swallowing food quickly without proper chewing, resulting in a meal speed that is on average 2.4 minutes faster and a total food intake that is approximately 75g greater than when not doing so.

Furthermore, carbonated drinks consumed for digestion were identified as a major factor in type 2 diabetes and a primary culprit in accelerating obesity. Warnings were issued that high-sugar beverages can accelerate obesity, leading to cardiovascular disease and cancer. Cytokines, inflammatory substances secreted from visceral fat, circulate through the body and act as causes for various inflammations, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.

The threat of visceral fat: "Clumped flesh" invading organs

The broadcast introduced the concept of "clumped flesh," which refers to a state where visceral fat has accumulated extremely heavily. It was defined that when the subcutaneous fat layer reaches a saturation point, fat invades the areas around and inside organs such as the liver, kidneys, and blood vessels, creating a state where organs are "occupied" by this "clumped flesh."

The danger of visceral fat was also demonstrated through data. According to research, even though subjects engaged in intense exercise by running a total of 137.6km over 8 months, the already formed visceral fat did not decrease at all. In particular, it was found that the negative impact of 1kg of visceral fat on health is equivalent to the impact of 5kg of subcutaneous fat.

Source: TVCHOSUN JOY (YouTube)