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Creepy Crawley: Obesity in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome

Sidereal

Senior Member
Messages
4,856
Obesity in adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome: an observational study
  1. T Norris
  2. K Hawton
  3. J Hamilton-Shield
  4. E Crawley
  • Received 24 May 2016
  • Revised 1 August 2016
  • Accepted 29 August 2016
  • Published Online First 21 September 2016
Abstract
Objective Identify the prevalence of obesity in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) compared with healthy adolescents, and those identified with CFS in a population cohort.

Design Cross-sectional analysis of multiple imputed data.

Setting Data from UK paediatric CFS/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) services compared with data collected at two time points in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).

Patients 1685 adolescents who attended a CFS/ME specialist service between 2004 and 2014 and 13 978 adolescents aged approximately 13 years and 16 years participating in the ALSPAC study.

Main outcome measures Body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2), sex-specific and age-specific BMI Z-scores (relative to the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs) and prevalence of obesity (%).

Results Adolescents who had attended specialist CFS/ME services had a higher prevalence of obesity (age 13 years: 9.28%; age 16 years: 16.43%) compared with both adolescents classified as CFS/ME in ALSPAC (age 13 years: 3.72%; age 16 years: 5.46%) and those non-CFS in ALSPAC (age 13 years: 4.18%; age 16 years: 4.46%). The increased odds of obesity in those who attended specialist services (relative to non-CFS in ALSPAC) was apparent at both 13 years (OR: 2.31 (1.54 to 3.48)) and 16 years, with a greater likelihood observed at 16 years (OR: 4.07 (2.04 to 8.11)).

Conclusions We observed an increased prevalence of obesity in adolescents who were affected severely enough to be referred to a specialist CFS/ME service. Further longitudinal research is required in order to identify the temporal relationship between the two conditions.

http://adc.bmj.com/content/early/2016/09/21/archdischild-2016-311293.full
 
Messages
87
I would be interested to know the prevalence of a low BMI in this group. My son with CFS/ME was referred to hospital by one of those named above for low BMI of 13 and I was given the impression that appetite and/or lack of appetite was known to be affected in people with CFS/ME. Hardly surprising though is it?
 

eafw

Senior Member
Messages
936
Location
UK
How do they keep getting grants for this sort of low-quality "research" ? Partly rhetorical, I know it's all about gaming the system in order to produce papers for the sake of it, and the system is riddled with pointless studies not just from the BPS/psych crowd.
 

J.G

Senior Member
Messages
162
Lack of sensitivity/specificity of this finding suggests that obesity is not causative or perpetuating factor in almost all cases.

Indeed. Their conclusions are a bit underwhelming and somewhat vacuous. It highlights correlation and nothing else, and thus fits any scenario. Repurposing it:

globalwarmingpirates.gif

"Conclusions: We observed an increased prevalence of piracy in tandem with rising global temperatures. Further longitudinal research is required in order to identify the temporal relationship between the two conditions."
 
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MEMum

Senior Member
Messages
440
Very creepy.
Just what seriously ill teens need - to be labelled as fat as well as lazy and having false illness beliefs!
I would say it's unbelievable, but it seems that it's fine to get this drivel published in mainstream medical papers.
 
Messages
3,263
Oh, my. "These fat lazy kids need to get off their arses"?

In the final line of the abstract she is genuinely suggesting the possibility that the fat might have actually caused the CFS. Really, Dr. Crawley? I can't believe you buy that. But perhaps you think you can sell it to others?

Of course, its worse than that: "... but because they are so stupid/messed up/anxious/depressed, they can't work out how to get off their arses, so need my programmes to actually do it."
 

EtherSpin

Senior Member
Messages
257
Location
Melbourne , Australia
Obesity is an exclusion criteria for the diagnose of CFS/ME. And what about many cfs/ME patiënts who eat well and have anorexia? Stop this kind of pseudoscience and get a life.
I haven't heard of that before, in what context is obesity an exclusion criteria ?
I know very few people with CFS who are what we might call average weight or optimal BMI, I know plenty on either side of reasonable - some struggling to drop weight, others struggling to shake it.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
How do they keep getting grants for this sort of low-quality "research" ?

The paper is not some amazing tour de force of the biochemistry of ME/CFS and of obesity, but I can't see why you are calling low quality.

I think it is a worthwhile. I am particularly interested in possible infectious causes of obesity, especially since the virus that triggered my ME/CFS (like an enterovirus) caused me to get central obesity (not the same as regular obesity), and caused a few others who caught the same virus to also suddenly develop central obesity.

Obesity is associated with adenovirus 36, which is found in 30% of obese people, but only in 11% of non-obese people. Ref: 1 2



Oh, my. "These fat lazy kids need to get off their arses"?

Nowhere in the study does it even hint that. Let's be fair.



In the final line of the abstract she is genuinely suggesting the possibility that the fat might have actually caused the CFS. Really, Dr. Crawley?

You mean this line of the abstract:
Further longitudinal research is required in order to identify the temporal relationship between the two conditions.

I think determining the temporal relationship could throw light on whether ME/CFS might cause or be a risk factor for obesity, or whether obesity might cause or be a risk factor for ME/CFS. There is no reason why their could not be a causal relationship either way.

Metabolic syndrome has been found to linked to ME/CFS. Metabolic syndrome involves: central obesity, high blood pressure, high fasting plasma glucose, high serum triglycerides, and low HDL (the good cholesterol).

There is also a type of obesity called hypothalamic obesity, which results from hypothalamic damage. Since the HPA axis is dysfunctional in ME/CFS, perhaps that might predispose to obesity.
 

CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
I think it is a worthwhile. I am particularly interested in possible infectious causes of obesity, especially since the virus that triggered my ME/CFS (like an enterovirus) caused me to get central obesity (not the same as regular obesity), and caused a few others who caught the same virus to also suddenly develop central obesity.
Obesity is associated with adenovirus 36, which is found in 30% of obese people, but only in 11% of non-obese people. Ref: 1 2
You might see this connection, but I wonder if Crawley would ever go to such lengths to actually draw upon science you've discovered to explain it. I can only see her pumping out more BPS b**shit. Next she'll be berating sick kids and their parents for not keeping their food diaries up-to-date and posting YouTube videos on how to confront kids and and their parents for their poor eating habits (with a few role-plays of berating thrown in).
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
You might see this connection, but I wonder if Crawley would ever go to such lengths to actually draw upon science you've discovered to explain it.

I have not explained the biological reason behind the obesity–ME/CFS association that Esther Crawley discovered, I just pointed to a few areas that someone competent in biology (which I am not) might want to look at in order to investigate possible reasons.

There is nothing wrong with a division of labour in science: Prof Crawley has published this empirical data on the obesity–ME/CFS association; someone else may then come along an figure out a biological theory that explains this association.



I can only see her pumping out more BPS b**shit. Next she'll be berating sick kids and their parents for not keeping their food diaries up-to-date and posting YouTube videos on how to confront kids and and their parents for their poor eating habits (with a few role-plays of berating thrown in).

So this is pre-emptive criticism, just in case she might in future do this?
 
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CFS_for_19_years

Hoarder of biscuits
Messages
2,396
Location
USA
There is nothing wrong with a division of labour in science: Prof Crawley has published this empirical data on the obesity–ME/CFS association; someone else may then come along an figure out a biological theory that explains this association.
That could be one beneficial outcome of looking at the association.
So this is pre-emptive criticism, just in case might in future do this?
Yup.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824

I think if ME/CFS patients start criticizing just for the sake of it, without good reason, it will cheapen and devalue the legitimate criticism we make about studies that deserve criticism, like PACE.

When any of the researchers associated with the BPS school publish something sensible and worthwhile, I think the study should be judged on its own merits. I cannot see anything majorly wrong in this study; it's not of Earth shattering significance, but most studies aren't.



To illustrate just how vacuous their conclusion is, I've replaced a few nouns to repurpose it for a different scenario:

Can you explain why you think their conclusion is vacuous? Given the results they found, what sort of non-vacuous conclusion would you propose?