Perhaps I can use this excuse?!

According to this report, having many ear infections as a child can lead to obesity.

Summary: Chronic ear infections may alter children's sense of taste and lead them to prefer fatty, sweet foods and eventually gain weight, according to several recent studies on the subject. In one study, preschoolers who had a history of severe ear infections ate fewer vegetables and more sweets, and tended to weigh more. In another study, adults who had moderate to severe ear infections in the past were 62 percent more likely to be obese than those without ear infections.

So, can I blame my current midsection and derriere on the fact that I had terrible ear infections as a child?? While I do believe the study conclusion that middle ear damage can cause a shift in taste, "A tonsillectomy may damage one of the nerves that carry taste information. In addition, ear infections can also alter taste. Altering taste does have an effect on the preferences for food," I am still skeptical. Really, this sounds like an interesting manipulation of the data. 1. Almost everyone I know would prefer to eat chocolate to broccoli...(Trevor is my exception in this). 2. Parents control what children eat, or should. Just because a child prefers fatty, sweet foods does NOT mean that a parent should indulge them in excess.

Another study conclusion: "Surprisingly, we found that the single best predictor of body weight was not how much saturated fat they took in and not how often they ate high-fat foods, but was how much they liked high-fat and sweet foods" To this I say, um? Are they wishing themselves fat? Do the children like the food so much they become, like in Willy Wonka, a personification of those desires?!

Tricia's Discussion: Having not seen the data, I can't say what statistics were played with. However. 1. Tricia had many nasty ear infections as a child. 2. Tricia did not suffer from childhood obesity. Tricia's parents also forced her to eat homemade meals most of the time, and did not pack sweets in her lunches very often. 3. Tricia does prefer fatty, sweet foods, but knows many others who did not suffer ear infections who also do. 4. Tricia is, by the BMI definition, overweight and bordering on obese. 5. Tricia lives a busy lifestyle, where she sits all day at work, has many after work activities, and has fallen into the habit of poor eating.

Conclusions: An interesting study, and interesting results. Anyone saying they are obese because of ear infections, however, is finding a convenient excuse. For example, I don't have to eat the truffles at my desk, but I'm going to. I just try to only have one a day, and only on days when i haven't had other excessive amounts of sweets or fatty foods. I had salad for lunch today, err-go I get a truffle as a treat! Everything in moderation, that's what I say.