Today in the United States, ~35%
of the adult population is considered obese and this number is expected to
reach 50% by 2030. This is a
sobering statistic. Even more
worrisome is the rising rate of obesity among children and the potential for early
onset of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In the health survey I sent out a
couple of months ago, 100% of the people who responded said they wanted to lose
weight. As much as total
body weight is an important factor that determines overall health, the number
staring back at you on the scale only reveals a small part of the picture.
To understand what’s not found in
this number, let’s consider two people of similar body frame and weight who have
lost a similar number of pounds. Suzie lost most of her weight in the form of
fat and now has a body composition of 22% fat and 78% non-fat mass (muscle,
bones, etc.). Sarah, on the other
hand, lost most of her weight as muscle and has a body composition of 35% body
fat and 65% non-fat mass. Both of
them may look similar in size, but their bodies are functioning very
differently biochemically.
The diet Suzie followed allows for a slow release of sugar into the
blood stream and the pancreas to release insulin in a slow but steady manner. Her cells are highly sensitive to
insulin, which allows them to take up sugar easily. Her cells are also efficiently producing energy and she
maintains healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as hormone balance,
which further supports healthy cell function. She is energetic, well rested, can think clearly, and has
good mood balance.
Sarah’s diet causes her pancreas to rapidly release excess and
unhealthy amounts of insulin.
Her excess body fat is likely in the form of visceral adipose tissue, or
VAT, which accumulates around the organs and acts as an endocrine organ itself,
dumping excess hormones and inflammatory molecules into the blood, leading to hormone
imbalances and inflammation throughout the body. The inflammatory signals weaken the insulin receptors
on her cells, making it difficult for her cells to take up the sugar in her
blood, so energy production is poor.
Excess sugar in her system increases triglyceride levels, and Sarah’s
body composition raises her risk of high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease,
cancer, and type 2-diabetes.
Although Sarah is thin, she is metabolically fat and may also be
suffering from low energy, depression, digestive problems, unexplained aches
and pains, skin problems, hormone-related disorders, and more.
HOW you lose weight is just as important as how much weight you lose. A healthy balanced diet along
with supplementation, exercise and stress reduction versus fasting or crash dieting combined
with unhealthy food choices, stimulants, and a sedentary lifestyle make all the
difference in how you feel, and look, as you lose weight. At the conference I attended last
week, I met a woman who had lost sixty-five pounds on one of the popular
already-prepared-foods diets, but when her body composition was analyzed, she
discovered that she had an unusually high percentage of body fat! The information immediately gave her
the incentive to change her diet and lifestyle to improve her body composition.
Stay tuned, because after the holidays,
I will be launching a three-week program designed to help you make changes to
diet and lifestyle that your body, mind, and spirit will love!
Image courtesy of David
Castillo Dominici
