Woman Would Like A Voice Of Her Own 
High-tech Machine Would Do The Talking For 
A Suffering Group-home Resident Who Can't

An Item Published On Page 2a Saturday Misidentified The Country Of Origin Of A 
Diplomat Attending A Panel Discussion At Wilkes University Tonight. James J.

By JIM VAN NOSTRAND; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Monday, December 05, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A 





WILKES-BARRE -- April Black always suspected genetics had something to do
with obesity. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Black, a 39-year-old Selinsgrove woman who stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and
weighs 200 pounds, has fought a lifelong battle against the scale. She's
gained and lost 100 pounds three times, and weighed 296 only two years ago. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Now research on mice suggests a human gene might have an effect on
determining who is obese and who isn't. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But local medical experts agree people like Black who care about their
weight shouldn't even consider abandoning their diet and exercise regimens. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "What do you tell people? Do you tell people that it's fruitless to try to
change your weight because it's genetically determined? I think certainly
not," said Dr. Glen Morgan, a clinical psychologist who teaches behavioral
medicine at Family Practice Residency Program in Kingston. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Both sides of Black's family tended to be overweight, she said, and her two
adopted children have radically different builds. She isn't surprised by the
report in the journal Nature that says mice with a defective gene became three
times heavier than their siblings. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "One is a stick and one is a chub ball," Black said of her kids. "I
definitely think it's there. I've always wondered about that, to tell the
truth." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Even if the new theory turns out to be true, the experts say individuals
still wield ultimate control over their bodies. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Dr. Caroline Apovian, who runs a high-risk obesity clinic at Geisinger
Medical Center in Danville, said there's always a role for diet and behavior
modification. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Apovian's patients are people in danger of developing weight-related
medical problems, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, heart disease,
diabetes, and breast and prostate cancer. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I don't care if someone does have a family history of obesity," Apovian
said. "I can get them to lose weight. They must make a lifestyle change and,
more importantly, maintain it." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Black is one of Apovian's patients. She's frustrated by the stigma of
laziness or indifference often attached to very large people. She doesn't
consider her genetic makeup an excuse but treats it as a mitigating factor
that must be offset through walking and healthy eating. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's something I will have to deal with every day," Black said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 An "obese" person is defined as someone 20 percent over the ideal weight
determined for his or her height and build. About 32 percent of the American
population is overweight, compared with 22 percent a decade ago, said Dr.
Harry Alexandrian of West Pittston. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Most doctors attribute obesity to the interplay of genetic, environmental
and behavioral influences, such as defective appetite regulation, unhealthy
eating habits and sedentary lifestyles. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Northeastern Pennsylvania's cultural heritage and relative lack of
affluence make local residents particularly vulnerable to obesity, Apovian
said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Traditional ethnic foods such as pierogies and scrapple are soaked in fat,
and lower-income families often can't afford the wide variety of food groups
needed for a truly balanced diet, she said. Those high-calorie dishes were
handed down from an era when people worked from dawn to dusk on farms or in
the mines. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "It's a big problem in this area. I have a booming business here," Apovian
said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Mary Ann Folk, a registered dietitian in Laflin, agreed. Studies show many
Americans are gaining weight because of the increasing prevalence of
automation in their everyday lives, she said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Popular culture that equates thinness with beauty doesn't help either. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "All the low-fat and dietary products on the market haven't been able to
have an effect on us yet because most people are suspicious of dietary
products," Folk said. "We still have that thought process -- if it's diet, it
must taste bad." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Helen Scott, registered dietitian and manager of the Personal Diet and
Weight Center in Avoca, said not many of her clients blame their weight on
their genetics. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "There's a small minority that tends to feel that way," Scott said. "A lot
of people are finding it more acceptable to be heavier." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader intern Maria Kochis contributed to this story. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fat Gene Found, But Local Doctors Won't Eat Words 
Mice May Be Off The Hook, But The 
Area's Obese Are Not. Ethnic And Cultural 
Heritage Lends Itself To Weight Problems 
That Can Be Controlled, Experts Say

Fat Gene Found, But Local Doctors Won't Eat Words Mice May Be Off The Hook, But The Area's Obese Are Not. Ethnic And Cultural Heritage Lends Itself To Weight Problems That Can Be Controlled, Experts Say