obesity epidemic Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Exploring the Obesity Paradox

The AHA! Team — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 05:24:39 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – How do we explain studies that suggest overweight individuals live longer? Martin Luther King Jr. warned that human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable, and the same may be true of the human lifespan. In the 1800s, life expectancy was less than 40 years, but it has been “advancing steadily” over the last two centuries, “increasing at approximately 2 years per decade”—until recently. Longevity gains appear “to be faltering or even being reversed.” Thanks to the obesity epidemic, we may now be raising the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents. A downward trend in longevity “This downward trend in longevity will almost certainly accelerate as the current generation of children—with higher body weights from earlier in life than ever before—reaches adulthood.” Current trends “potentially signal a looming social and economic catastrophe” if the obesity epidemic continues unchecked. In the coming decades, some predict we may lose two to five years or more of life expectancy in the United States. To put that into perspective, a miracle cure for all forms of cancer would only add three and a half years to the average U.S. life expectancy. In other words, reversing the obesity epidemic might save more lives than curing cancer. The evidence that being overweight increases our risk for debilitating diseases like diabetes is considered “indisputable.” However, surprisingly, there is controversy surrounding body weight and overall mortality. In 2013, scientists with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a meta-analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggesting that being overweight was advantageous. Grades 2 and 3 obesity, such as being an average height of 5’6″ and weighing about 216 pounds (98 kg) or more, were associated with living a shorter life, but grade 1 obesity, weighing about 185 to 215 pounds (84 to 97 kg) at that height, was not. Being overweight (about 155 to 185 pounds/70 to 83 kg at 5’6″) appeared to be protective compared to those who were a “normal weight” of 115 to 155 pounds (52 to 69 kg). The overweight individuals, those with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30, appeared to live the longest. Headline writers were giddy. “Being overweight can extend your life rather than shorten it,” read one. “Dreading your diet? Don’t worry—plump people live LONGER than their skinnier counterparts…” read another. “Extra pounds mean a lower chance of death.” Not surprisingly, the study ignited a firestorm of controversy in the public health community. The study was called “ludicrous,” “flawed,” and “misleading.” The chair of nutrition at Harvard lost his cool, calling the study “really a pile of rubbish” and fearing the food industry might exploit the study in the same way the petroleum industry misuses “controversy” over climate change. Public health advocates can’t just dismiss data they find inconvenient, though. Science is science. But how could being overweight increase the risk of life-threatening diseases, yet, at the same time, make you live longer? This became known as “The Obesity Paradox,” the subject of my video Is the Obesity Paradox Real or a Myth?. The solution to the puzzle appears to lie with two major sources of bias, the first being “confounding by smoking.” The nicotine in tobacco can lead to weight loss. So, if you’re skinnier because you smoke, then no wonder you’d live a shorter life, albeit with a slimmer waist. The failure to control for the effect of smoking in studies purporting to show an “obesity paradox” leads to the dangers of obesity being “grossly underestimated.” The second major source of bias is reverse causality. Instead of lower weight leading to life-threatening diseases, isn’t it more likely that life-threatening diseases lead to lower weight? Conditions such as hidden tumors, chronic heart or lung disease, alcoholism, and depression can all cause unintentional weight loss for months or even years before they are even diagnosed. It’s normal to be overweight in the United States, for example. So, people who are “abnormally” thin—in other words, at an ideal weight—may be taking care of themselves, but they may instead be “heavy smokers, frail and elderly, and seriously ill with weight loss due to their disease…” To put the obesity paradox to the test once and for all, The Global BMI Mortality Collaboration was formed, reviewing data from more than 10 million people from hundreds of studies in dozens of countries—the largest evaluation of BMI and mortality in history. To help eliminate bias, the researchers omitted smokers and those with known chronic disease, then excluded the first five years of follow-up to try to remove from the analysis those with undiagnosed conditions who lost weight due to an impending death. And? The results were clear: “This analysis has shown that both overweight and obesity (all grades) were associated with increased all-cause mortality”—a greater risk of dying prematurely. So, “adjusting for these biases leads to eliminating the obesity paradox.” In other words, the so-called obesity paradox appears to be “just a myth.” Indeed, when intentional weight loss is put to the test, people live longer. There are bariatric surgery studies like the SOS trial that show that weight loss reduces long-term mortality, and randomizing study participants to weight loss through lifestyle changes shows the same thing. Losing a dozen pounds through diet and exercise was found to be associated with a 15 percent drop in overall mortality. Now, exercise alone may extend lifespan even without weight loss, but there appears to be a similar longevity benefit of weight loss through dietary means alone. If you missed the previous blog posts in my series on the ABCs of obesity, see: The Best Knee Replacement Alternative for Osteoarthritis Treatment The Effects of Obesity on Back Pain, Blood Pressure, Cancer, and Diabetes The Effects of Obesity on Dementia, Brain Function, and Fertility The Effects of Obesity on Gallstones, Acid Reflux, and Cardiovascular Disease The Effects of Obesity on the Immune System and Kidney and Liver Diseases Check out the final two videos in this series: What’s the Ideal BMI? and What’s the Ideal Waist Size?. I cover all of this and more at length in my book How Not to Diet, and its companion, The How Not to Diet Cookbook, has more than 100 delicious Green-Light recipes that incorporate some of my 21 Tweaks for the acceleration of body fat loss. Why are people obese in the first place? I have a whole series of videos on that topic. Check the videos in the related posts. Key Takeaways Rising obesity rates may lead to shorter life expectancy for future generations, reversing centuries of progress in longevity. Studies suggesting that being overweight might extend life were biased due to confounding factors like smoking and reverse causality (diseases causing weight loss), and later analysis disproved the so-called obesity paradox. A large-scale review showed that both overweight and obesity are linked to a higher risk of premature death, contradicting earlier claims of protective benefits from being overweight. Intentional weight loss, whether through lifestyle changes or bariatric surgery, is associated with lower mortality rates and improved long-term health outcomes. Tackling obesity may have a greater impact on life expectancy than even a hypothetical cure for all cancers, highlighting obesity’s significant health risks. To read the original article click here.

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Obesity’s Impacts on Our Immune System & Kidney & Liver Diseases

The AHA! Team — Wed, 18 Jun 2025 05:24:00 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – What are the effects of weight loss on natural killer cell function, our first line of immune defense against cancer, kidney function, and fatty liver disease? In the ABCs of the health consequences of obesity, I is for Immunity. The SOS trial followed the fates of thousands of bariatric surgery patients for a decade or two, compared to a control group who maintained their weight. Those who surgically lost about 20 percent of their body weight not only lived longer, thanks in part to less diabetes and less cardiovascular disease, but they also got less cancer. This may be because anti-tumor immunity appears to be affected by weight. Natural killer cells are our immune system’s first line of defense against cancer cells and many viral infections, “and their function is severely impaired in individuals with obesity.” When individuals who were obese were randomized to a weight-loss program, researchers found a significant reactivation of the participants’ natural killer cell function within just three months. The program involved an exercise component, though, so it’s hard to tease out the impact of the weight loss itself since physical activity on its own can boost natural killer cell activity. On the other end of the immune spectrum, obesity is suspected to be a causal risk factor for the development of the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis. This suggests obesity is associated with the worst of both worlds when it comes to immune function: underactivity when it comes to protecting against cancer and infection, and overactivity when it comes to certain inflammatory autoimmune conditions. J is for Jaundice. Thanks to the obesity epidemic, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is now the most common liver disorder in the industrialized world. Fat doesn’t just end up in our belly and thighs but inside some of our internal organs. More than 80 percent of individuals with abdominal obesity may have fatty infiltration into their liver, and in those with severe obesity, the prevalence can exceed 90 percent. This can lead to inflammation, scarring, and, ultimately, cirrhosis and liver cancer, as you can see below and a 2:10 in my video The Effects of Obesity on the Immune System and Kidney and Liver Diseases. Currently, this nonalcoholic fatty hepatitis is the leading cause of liver transplants in American women. K is for Kidneys. Obesity is also “one of the strongest risk factors for new-onset chronic kidney disease.” Our kidneys compensate for the metabolic demands of excess weight by red-lining into what’s called “hyperfiltration” to deal with the extra workload. This resulting increased pressure within our kidneys can damage the sensitive structures and increase the risk of kidney failure over the long term. What about L, M, N, O, P through Z? If you want to continue through the alphabet, L could be for diminished lung function, M could be for metabolic syndrome, and so on. There is even an X—for xiphodynia—pain at the tip of the bottom of the breastbone from being bent forward by an expanding abdomen. Given the myriad health conditions associated with excess weight, “annual medical spending attributable to an obese individual” is nearly $2,000 per year and workers who are obese with multiple conditions can cost companies up to $10,000 more in healthcare coverage compared to “their lean counterpart.” Wage Gap This may account for some of the wage gap that employees who are obese may experience, as companies try to pass along these costs of “their higher health insurance premiums,” beyond just brazen discrimination. Between healthcare costs and diminished productivity in terms of lost workdays, the total lifetime costs of obesity for children and teens have been estimated to exceed $150,000. Estimates Some estimates peg the annual “medical care costs of obesity in the United States” at about $150 billion, with another $50 billion per year added by 2030 as our increasingly heavy Baby Boomers continue to age. Others diametrically disagree, based on the morbid fact that individuals who are obese may not live as long. Just as “the high medical costs of smoking-related diseases are more than offset by lower survival of smokers,” the lifetime healthcare costs of individuals who are obese may turn out to be lower because they are expected to die so much sooner. So, the true cost may be more in lives, rather than dollars. How much does being overweight cut your life short? I’ll explore just that question next. If you missed the previous blog posts in my series on the ABCs of obesity, see related posts below. I continue the topic of obesity and weight with these videos: Is the Obesity Paradox Real or a Myth? and Friday Favorites: What’s the Ideal BMI and Waist Size?. For more on the health conditions discussed in this video, see the immune function, kidney disease, and liver health topic pages. Key Takeaways In the SOS trial, individuals who lost 20 percent of their body weight through surgery lived longer and had lower rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, possibly due to improved immune function. Obesity impairs natural killer cells, weakening the body’s defense against cancer and infections, while also increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. Obesity is a major cause of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which can lead to liver inflammation, cirrhosis, and liver cancer, now the leading cause of liver transplants in U.S. women. Excess weight places metabolic stress on the kidneys, leading to hyperfiltration and increasing the risk of chronic kidney disease and eventual kidney failure. Obesity-related health conditions contribute to higher medical costs, lost productivity, and a lifetime financial burden, with annual obesity-related medical costs in the United States, for instance, estimated at $150 billion. To read the original article click here.

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Getting More Sleep Reduces Caloric Intake, a Game Changer for Weight Loss Programs

AHA Publisher — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 08:00:12 +0000

University of Chicago Medical Center via Newswise – Understanding the underlying causes of obesity and how to prevent it is the best way to fight the obesity epidemic, according to Esra Tasali, MD, Director of the UChicago Sleep Center at the University of Chicago Medicine. “The current obesity epidemic, according to experts, is mostly explained by an increase in caloric intake, rather than lack of exercise” she said. Now, a new study on how getting sufficient sleep affects caloric intake in a real-world setting could change how we think about weight loss. In a randomized clinical trial with 80 adults, published February 7 in JAMA Internal Medicine, Tasali and her colleagues at UChicago and the University of Wisconsin–Madison found that young, overweight adults who habitually slept fewer than 6.5 hours a night were able to increase their sleep duration by an average of 1.2 hours per night after a personalized sleep hygiene counseling session. The sleep intervention was intended to extend time in bed duration to 8.5 hours — and the increased sleep duration compared to controls also reduced participants’ overall caloric intake by an average of 270 kcal (calories) per day. “Over the years, we and others have shown that sleep restriction has an effect on appetite regulation that leads to increased food intake, and thus puts you at risk for weight gain over time,” said Tasali. “More recently, the question that everyone was asking was, ‘Well, if this is what happens with sleep loss, can we extend sleep and reverse some of these adverse outcomes?” The new study not only examines the effects of sleep extension on caloric intake but, importantly, does so in a real-world setting, with no manipulation or control over participants’ dietary habits. Participants slept in their own beds, tracked their sleep with wearable devices, and otherwise followed their normal lifestyle without any instructions on diet or exercise. “Most other studies on this topic in labs are short-lived, for a couple of days, and food intake is measured by how much participants consume from an offered diet,” said Tasali. “In our study, we only manipulated sleep, and had the participants eat whatever they wanted, with no food logging or anything else to track their nutrition by themselves.” Instead, to objectively track participants’ caloric intake, investigators relied on the “doubly labeled water” method and change in energy stores. This urine-based test involves a person drinking water in which both the hydrogen and oxygen atoms have been replaced with less common, but naturally occurring, stable isotopes that are easy to trace. The use of this technique in humans was pioneered by the study’s senior author Dale A. Schoeller, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Sciences at UW–Madison. “This is considered the gold standard for objectively measuring daily energy expenditure in a non-laboratory, real-world setting and it has changed the way human obesity is studied,” said Schoeller. Overall, individuals who increased their sleep duration were able to reduce their caloric intake by an average of 270 kcal per day – which would translate to roughly 12 kg, or 26 lbs., of weight loss over three years if the effects were maintained over a long term. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the study was the intervention’s simplicity. “We saw that after just a single sleep counseling session, participants could change their bedtime habits enough to lead to an increase in sleep duration,” said Tasali. “We simply coached each individual on good sleep hygiene, and discussed their own personal sleep environments, providing tailored advice on changes they could make to improve their sleep duration. Importantly, to blind participants to sleep intervention, recruitment materials did not mention sleep intervention, allowing us to capture true habitual sleep patterns at baseline.” Even though the study did not systematically assess factors that may have influenced sleep behavior, “limiting the use of electronic devices before bedtime appeared as a key intervention,” said Tasali. Following just a single counseling session, participants increased their average sleep duration by over an hour a night. Despite prescribing no other lifestyle changes, most participants had a large decrease in how much they ate, with some participants eating as many as 500 fewer calories per day. The subjects were only involved in the study for a total of four weeks, with two weeks for gathering baseline information about sleep and caloric intake, followed by two weeks to monitor the effects of the sleep intervention. “This was not a weight-loss study,” said Tasali. “But even within just two weeks, we have quantified evidence showing a decrease in caloric intake and a negative energy balance — caloric intake is less than calories burned. If healthy sleep habits are maintained over longer duration, this would lead to clinically important weight loss over time. Many people are working hard to find ways to decrease their caloric intake to lose weight — well, just by sleeping more, you may be able to reduce it substantially.” Ultimately, Tasali and her team hope to examine the underlying mechanisms that may explain these results, and believe this work should spur new, larger studies on weight control to determine if extending sleep can support weight-loss programs and help prevent or reverse obesity. “In our earlier work, we understood that sleep is important for appetite regulation,” said Tasali. “Now we’ve shown that in real life, without making any other lifestyle changes, you can extend your sleep and eat fewer calories. This could really help people trying to lose weight.” The study, “Effect of Sleep Extension on Objectively Assessed Energy Intake Among Adults with Overweight in Real-Life Settings,” was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Diabetes Research and Training Center at UChicago (R01DK100426, CTSA-UL1 TR0002389, and ULTR002389). Additional authors include Kristen Wroblewski, Eva Kahn, and Jennifer Kilkus of UChicago and Dale A. Schoeller of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. To read the original story click here.

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High Fructose Corn Syrup Damages the Brain Like Cocaine

AHA Publisher — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 08:00:25 +0000

Jonathan Landsman via NaturalHealth365 – The latest research shows that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is not only addictive but can cause behavioral reactions similar to those produced by drugs such as cocaine. The results of these studies were presented by addiction expert Francesco Leri, Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Applied Cognitive Science at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. These results clearly suggest that the current (global) obesity epidemic, violent crimes, and disease largely stem from poor quality food laced with HFCS, MSG, plus many other additive ingredients. Yet, the lame-stream media continues to focus on promoting greater governmental control over our lives to “save us.” How Does HFCS Alter (Damage) Brain Function? Did you know that drug addicts and high fructose corn syrup users – use the same (overused) brain circuits? There is significant activity in all areas of the brain, especially in the hippocampus, when consuming potent sweeteners. When addicted to powerful substances – you can literally burn out the brain from over-simulation. So, when you consider that a healthy brain is essential for learning, memory, and emotional wellbeing – it’s no wonder we have so many health problems from these unnatural sweeteners. Dr. Leri stated, “We have evidence in laboratory animals of a shared vulnerability to develop preferences for sweet foods and cocaine.” Dr. Leri investigated the behavioral, chemical, and neurobiological changes induced by the consumption of “addictive foods” in the body and brains of lab animals. Though we don’t always equate human studies with animal ones, there is one thing we surely have in common – humans (and animals) are being used experimentally. HFCS, aspartame, and GMOs do not have adequate safety testing – yet soulless politicians have approved them, and the health consequences are devastating. We Are What We Eat – Literally Our diet can modulate numerous pathways that can cause all types of inflammatory diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. And, let’s not forget, food significantly influences our moods and behavior. If you’re feeling a little depressed – clean up your diet! Food can switch critical genes off and on, modulate cell-signaling molecules and target different organs. When we consume unnatural (toxic) substances – we make it easy for the “wrong” message to get into our cells. What do you think – could all of this toxic food be causing the rise in autoimmune disorders? In a small human study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), scientists used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to track blood flow in the brain of young normal-weight individuals. The scans showed that drinking plain glucose “turns off the areas of the brain that are critical for reward and desire for food,” according to Dr. Robert Sherwin, Chief of Endocrinology at Yale University School of Medicine. According to Dr. Sherwin, it also showed that with fructose, “we don’t see those changes” and “as a result the desire to eat continues – it isn’t turned off.” The researchers saw these changes in the hypothalamus, insula, and striatum, which are regions in the brain that regulate appetite, motivation, and reward processing, in addition to increasing connections in certain brain pathways linked to satiety. Clearly, multinational food producers are profiting from metabolic “dis-ease.” More and more people (literally) don’t know how to stop eating. Millions of people (aimlessly) purchase billions of dollars in processed foods, and it’s slowly killing off humanity. Is HFCS Worse Than Sugar? Researchers found that fructose was more potent than glucose in bringing about changes within the central nervous system. We all know that excessive sugar intake can produce opiate-like effects similar to psycho-stimulants. Well, HFCS is no different – causing all kinds of food cravings, binging, and withdrawal issues. High fructose corn syrup may take longer to produce a cocaine-like reaction – but it’s real and quite harmful. In addition, HFCS will cause you to experience less focus and mental clarity, more drowsiness, and a higher level of anxiety. If you’re having difficulty concentrating or being productive – remove processed sugar (and artificial sweeteners) from your diet. We all want the same thing for ourselves and future generations – freedom, great health, and happiness. If we really want to improve our society by eliminating senseless violence and avoiding disease, we must improve humanity’s diet. Our future depends on it. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov ScienceDaily.com NIH.gov To read the original article click here.

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Fascinating NEW Research Reveals Improving Gut Bacteria May Help You Lose Weight

AHA Publisher — Mon, 03 Jan 2022 08:00:23 +0000

Stephanie Woods via NaturalHealth365 – Have you ever seen “those people,” the type who seem to lose weight with virtually no real effort on their part? They cut back a few calories, and the weight just seems to melt away. They make it look so easy, right? Well, while some have that annoyingly almost magic metabolism, for the rest of us, there are other things at play that can work for just about anyone – and it focuses on the type of bacteria residing in the gut. Research published by the American Society for Microbiology shows that the type of gut microbiome a person has in their body significantly impacts their ability to lose weight. Certain compositions of microbiome can help weight loss, or it can cause resistance to losing weight. This opens up new possibilities for achieving more effective weight loss by altering the gut microbiome. Differences in Microbiome Composition May Explain Why Some Lose Weight Faster Than Others, Study Finds The study spanned a year and followed individuals who participated in a wellness program that incorporated both advice from a nurse or dietitian and lifestyle coaching. The participants provided the results from various medical testing such as blood collection, stool collection, data from dietary food frequency questionnaires, and anthropometric data. This was done through self-reporting by online assessment, anonymous data collected from authorized sources, or the Fitbit Aria scale. Researchers then analyzed the collected information with a focus on the 15 participants who experienced the most significant reduction in weight and the 10 participants who lost the least amount of weight. The finding showed that the participants who lost the most weight experienced an increase in certain gut microbiomegenes that are integral in aiding the growth of bacteria and its ability to multiply and assemble cell walls. The team specifically focused on the higher growth rates of Bacteroidetes and how they affect weight. Participants who lost the most weight had higher Bacteroidetes growth rates and more of the genes, while the participants who did not lose as much weight had lower Bacteroidetes growth rates and fewer of those specific genes. New Research Shines a Light on Gut Bacteria-Weight Loss Connection The researchers theorize that gut bacteria growing slower may give the body more time to absorb sugar from foods consumed. By contrast, gut bacteria that grows faster may limit the time the body is exposed to or has access to the sugar from foods consumed, so it has less time to absorb it. Doctors and researchers have long been aware that obese people have a different composition of gut bacteria than people who are not obese. Still, this study provides insight into the specific set of genes encoded in the gut bacteria that responds to interventions designed to bring about weight loss. The gut microbiome is a significant factor in the modulation of the success of weight-loss interventions. This study is just the beginning of ongoing research that fosters a deeper understanding of weight loss, obesity, and gut health. With this new research shedding light on how gut bacteria might influence a person’s attempts to lose weight, there’s more to come. The next steps are to explore further how lifestyle interacts with the gut microbiota to help people lose weight. This could include developing probiotics that help prevent weight gain while promoting gut health. One thing is for sure, scientists are paving the way for a better understanding of managing the obesity epidemic as well as improving overall health and wellness. Sources for this article include: LifeExtension.com Journals.ASM.org To read the original article click here.

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‘Women are Not Men with Breasts’: Why They Need a Hormone-Balancing Diet

AHA Publisher — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 07:00:36 +0000

Lorie Johnson via CBN News – Statistics show Americans are losing the battle with weight, with obesity becoming the second leading cause of preventable death. For many women, diets don’t seem to work. If you’re a woman who’s had trouble losing weight, you may have been following the wrong plan. Not Your Husband’s Diet Men and women have different hormonal panels. That could be a reason why women might have a harder time shedding extra pounds compared to their male counterparts. Gynecologist and best-selling women’s health author Dr. Sara Gottfried learned this lesson first hand. “I was trying the ketogenic diet with my husband,” she told CBN News, “He lost 20 pounds. I gained weight. And I hear that from so many of my patients and my followers and I think it’s important to realize the missing piece is hormones.” Dr. Gottfried says the root of the problem lies in the fact that most diets are designed by men, for men. In fact, only twenty percent of the studies on metabolism use female participants. “We know that most research is done on men. It’s assumed to apply to women,” she said, “And yet women are not men with breasts. We’ve got very different hormonal exposures, we’ve got very different hormonal balance, and so the way we eat really needs to be different.” Dr. Gottfried’s research on women and weight loss led her to develop a hormone balancing diet that she tried on herself. She finally ended up dropping the stubborn twenty pounds that she had wanted to shed for years. “This was what was missing for me when I was trying to lose that twenty pounds,” she explained, “No amount of exercise or dieting is going to work if your hormones are out of balance.” What Can I Eat? After Dr. Gottfried’s patients began losing weight on the hormone-balancing diet, she decided to share it with a broader audience of women, in her book, Women, Food and Hormones: A Four-Week Plan to Achieve Hormonal Balance, Lose Weight, and Feel Like Yourself Again. The book contains 50 recipes such as Fettuccine Alfredo and taco salad that are slightly modified from the traditional recipes but still qualify as comfort foods. “I’m a big fan of swaps, making sure you get the foods you love the most,” she said. She says her turmeric braised chicken is especially popular with the whole family. “That’s one of my favorites, for the kids and adults, especially husbands,” she said. “That’s almost like fried chicken.” She says the purpose of the diet is to balance a woman’s hormones which makes her feel great and leads to overall good health. She says the goal of any diet should be to feel your best. She says this diet achieves that, but as a wonderful side-effect, leads to weight loss. Phase One: Detox The hormone-balancing diet is called The Gottfried Protocol. It’s broken down into three main parts. The first section is detoxification, which Dr. Gottfried says is missing from most diets, particularly the ketogenic diet. “Detoxification includes eating cruciferous vegetables, the cabbage, the broccoli, the radishes the cauliflower,” she explained. Among other things, the detox phase primes the liver to work efficiently to process fats and other foods and beverages. Keto, with a Female Touch After the detox phase, The Gottfried Protocol involves eating mostly healthy fats. The wide variety of recipes help people who can get stumped trying to figure out what that means. “For breakfast, I’ve got an egg avocado bake,” she said. “So that’s an example of really healthy fat.” While the plan is similar to the keto diet, The Gottfried Protocol includes more carbohydrates because a diet that is too low in carbs can cause hormonal disturbances in women that can make them feel terrible and stay overweight. “It can trigger a stress response which raises cortisol which can block belly fat from being lost,” she said, “Number two, it can cause problems with serotonin, [which] makes it harder to sleep. And number three, it can raise your reverse T3, which can block thyroid function.” The diet calls for a moderate amount of protein, such as poultry and fish. While the diet allows only a small amount of sugar, there are certain recipes on that plan that are similar to our guilty pleasures. “So one of my favorites is this dark chocolate pudding. I absolutely love it,” she said, “I also have a dark chocolate coffee cake that I think is delicious. And there are certain breads as long as they’re baked a certain way that really allow you to get that pleasure without ruining your metabolic health.” Fasting is Key Unfortunately, eating carbohydrates can raise the hormone insulin, which can cause weight retention. So to keep insulin and other weight-related hormones such as leptin and ghrelin balanced, The Gottfried Protocol calls for a 14-hour overnight fast every night. “You’re doing most of it while you’re sleeping,” she explained, “I advise that you don’t eat for three hours before you go to bed. So for instance you might finish eating at 8:00 PM and then eat again the next day at 10:00 AM.” She said among other things, fasting like this re-sets a woman’s insulin levels and guards against insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes and even some memory and thinking problems. While some women worry that fasting will cause them to feel too hungry, Dr. Gottfried explains that when a woman’s hormones are balanced, she typically loses the desire to eat all the time. To read the original article click here.

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Excessive Body Fat Can Increase the Risk of Dementia

AHA Publisher — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 07:00:04 +0000

University of South Australia via News-Medical – It’s the global epidemic that affects two in every five adults, but as obesity continues to expand waistlines worldwide, researchers at the University of South Australia are warning that harmful body fat can also increase the risk of dementia and stroke. Examining grey brain matter of about 28,000 people, the world first research showed that increased body fat incrementally leads to increased atrophy of grey matter in the brain and consequently higher risk of declining brain health. Grey matter is an essential part of the brain responsible for execution control, muscular and sensory activity as well as learning, attention, and memory. Obesity is a major issue worldwide, with numbers nearly tripling since 1975. Data from the World Health Organization shows that more than 1.9 billion adults are overweight, with 650 million being obese. More than 340 million children (aged 5-19) are overweight or obese, with 39 million children under the age of five also falling into this category. Lead researcher, UniSA’s Dr Anwar Mulugeta, says the findings add to the growing issues associated with being overweight or obese. “Obesity is a genetically complex condition characterized by the excessive body fat.” Dr Anwar Mulugeta, Lead Researcher, UniSA “Generally, the three obesity subtypes have a characteristic of higher body mass index, yet, each type varies in terms of body fat and visceral fat distribution, with a different risk of cardiometabolic diseases. “We found that people with higher levels of obesity especially those with metabolically unfavorable and neutral adiposity subtypes had much lower levels of grey brain matter, indicating that these people may have compromised brain function which needed further investigation. “However, we did not find conclusive evidence to link a specific obesity subtype with dementia or stroke. Instead, our study suggests the possible role of inflammation and metabolic abnormalities and how they can contribute to obesity and grey matter volume reduction.” The study used Mendelian randomization to examine the genetic data of up to 336,000 individual records in the UK Biobank, with self-reported information and linked hospital and death register records to connect dementia and stoke. It found that middle to elderly age groups (37-73) grey brain matter decreased by 0.3 per cent for every extra 1 kg/m2, which is equivalent of an extra 3 kg of weight for person of average height individuals, (173 cm) Senior investigator, Professor Elina Hyppönen, Director of UniSA’s Australian Centre for Precision Health based at SAHMRI, says maintaining a healthy weight is important for general public health. “It is increasingly appreciated that obesity is a complex condition, and that especially excess fat which is located around the internal organs have particularly harmful effects on health,” Professor Hyppönen says. “Here, we used the individuals’ genetic and metabolic profiles to confirm different types of obesity. In practice, our findings very much support the need to look at the type of obesity when assessing the type of likely health impact. “Even in a relatively normal weight individual, excess weight around the abdominal area may be a cause of concern.” “Commonly linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and chronic inflammation (a marker of dementia), obesity currently costs Australia’s economy about $8.6 billion dollars each year. “While the disease burden of obesity has increased over the past five decades, the complex nature of the disease means that not all obese individuals are metabolically unhealthy, which makes it difficult to pinpoint who is at risk of associated diseases, and who is not. “Certainly, being overweight generally increases your risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and low-grade inflammation, but understanding the level of risk is important to better direct supports. “In this study, we investigated the causal relationships of individuals within three metabolically different obesity types – unfavorable, neutral and favorable – to establish whether specific weight groups were more at risk than others.

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Researchers Develop World-First Weight Loss Device

AHA Publisher — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 07:00:39 +0000

University of Otago via Newswise – University of Otago, New Zealand, and UK researchers have developed a world-first weight-loss device to help fight the global obesity epidemic. DentalSlim Diet Control is an intra-oral device fitted by a dental professional to the upper and lower back teeth. It uses magnetic devices with unique custom-manufactured locking bolts. It allows the wearer to open their mouths only about 2mm, restricting them to a liquid diet, but it allows free speech and doesn’t restrict breathing. Participants in a Dunedin-based trial lost an average of 6.36kg in two weeks and were motivated to continue with their weight loss journey. Lead researcher, University of Otago Health Sciences Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Brunton says the device will be an effective, safe, and affordable tool for people battling obesity. It is fitted by a dentist, can be released by the user in the case of an emergency and can be repeatedly fitted and removed. “The main barrier for people for successful weight loss is compliance and this helps them establish new habits, allowing them to comply with a low-calorie diet for a period of time. It really kick-starts the process,” Professor Brunton says. “It is a non-invasive, reversible, economical and attractive alternative to surgical procedures. “The fact is, there are no adverse consequences with this device.” Recent studies revealed 1.9 billion adults worldwide are overweight and 650 million are obese and being overweight or obese results in about 2.8 million deaths a year. It is estimated about 57 per cent of the world’s adult population will be overweight or obese by 2030. “In addition, psychological symptoms may be present, including embarrassment, depression and loss of self-esteem and obese people may suffer eating disorders together with stigmatisation and discrimination,” Professor Brunton says. The tool could be particularly helpful for those having to lose weight before they can undergo surgery, and for diabetes patients for whom weight loss could initiate remission. While bariatric surgery plays a major role in the management of morbid obesity, it cannot be relied upon to manage this “global epidemic”. It costs about $24,000NZ and patients “live with the consequences of that for life, which can be quite unpleasant”. The practice of surgically wiring people’s jaws shut became popular in the 1980s, but it came with risks; vomiting brought with it the risk of choking and after 9 to 12 months the patients developed gum disease. In some cases, there were continuing issues with restriction of jaw movement and some developed acute psychiatric conditions. “Alternative strategies are required which may obviate surgery, or which reduce weight prior to surgery and so make it easier and safer. “The beauty of it is that once patients are fitted with the device, after two or three weeks they can have the magnets disengaged. They could then have a period with a less restricted diet and then go back into treatment,” he says. “This would allow for a phased approach to weight loss supported by advice from a dietician allowing long term weight loss goals to be realised.” Patients are given a tool to open the device in an emergency, but none of the study participants needed to use it. While they all described the device as tolerable, the design has since been improved, making it smaller to improve functional comfort and aesthetics. “Overall, people felt better about themselves, they had more confidence and they were committed to their weight loss journey,” Professor Brunton says. “It’s hard yards. Patients who really want to do this have to be committed. But for those people who are really struggling – and let’s face it, that’s millions of people across the world – this is a way of getting them back into normal lifestyle diet habits by really pump priming the process. “This could actually help a lot of people.” To read the original article click here.

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More Belly Weight Increases Danger of Heart Disease Even if BMI Does Not Indicate Obesity

AHA Publisher — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 07:00:35 +0000

American Heart Association (AHA) via Newswise – DALLAS, April 22, 2021 — People with abdominal obesity and excess fat around the body’s mid-section and organs have an increased risk of heart disease even if their body mass index (BMI) measurement is within a healthy weight range, according to a new Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association published today in the Association’s flagship journal, Circulation. “This scientific statement provides the most recent research and information on the relationship between obesity and obesity treatment in coronary heart disease, heart failure and arrhythmias,” said Tiffany M. Powell-Wiley, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA, chair of the writing committee and a Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator and chief of the Social Determinants of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk Laboratory in the Division of Intramural Research at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. “The timing of this information is important because the obesity epidemic contributes significantly to the global burden of cardiovascular disease and numerous chronic health conditions that also impact heart disease.” A greater understanding of obesity and its impact on cardiovascular health highlights abdominal obesity, sometimes referred to as visceral adipose tissue, or VAT, as a cardiovascular disease risk marker. VAT is commonly determined by waist circumference, the ratio of waist circumference to height (taking body size into account) or waist-to-hip ratio, which has been shown to predict cardiovascular death independent of BMI. Experts recommend both abdominal measurement and BMI be assessed during regular health care visits because a high waist circumference or low waist-to-hip ratio, even in healthy weight individuals, could mean an increased risk of heart disease. Abdominal obesity is also linked to fat accumulation around the liver that often leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which adds to cardiovascular disease risk. “Studies that have examined the relationship between abdominal fat and cardiovascular outcomes confirm that visceral fat is a clear health hazard,” said Powell-Wiley. The risk-inducing power of abdominal obesity is so strong that in people who are overweight or have obesity based on BMI, low levels of fat tissue around their midsection and organs could still indicate lower cardiovascular disease risks. This concept, referred to as “metabolically healthy obesity,” seems to differ depending on race/ethnicity and sex. Worldwide, around 3 billion people are overweight (BMI = 25 to 29.9 kg/m2) or have obesity obese(BMI ?30 kg/m2). Obesity is a complex disease related to many factors, including biologic, psychological, environmental and societal aspects, all of which may contribute to a person’s risk for obesity. Obesity is associated with greater risk of coronary artery disease and death due to cardiovascular disease and contributes to many cardiovascular risk factors and other health conditions, including dyslipidemia (high cholesterol), type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep disorders. For this statement, experts evaluated research on managing and treating obesity, particularly abdominal obesity. The writing group reports that reducing calories can reduce abdominal fat, and the most beneficial physical activity to reduce abdominal obesity is aerobic exercise. Their analysis found that meeting the current recommendations of 150 min/week of physical activity may be sufficient to reduce abdominal fat, with no additional loss from longer activity times. Exercise or a combination of dietary change and physical activity has been shown in some instances to reduce abdominal obesity even without weight loss. Lifestyle changes and subsequent weight loss improve blood sugar, blood pressure, triglyceride and cholesterol levels – a cluster of factors referred to as metabolic syndrome – and reduce inflammation, improve blood vessel function and treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. However, studies of lifestyle change programs have not shown a reduction in coronary artery disease events (such as heart attack or chest pain). In contrast, bariatric surgery for weight loss treatment is associated with a reduction in coronary artery disease risk compared to non-surgical weight loss. This difference may be attributed to the larger amount of weight loss and the resultant changes in metabolism that are typical after bariatric surgery. “Additional work is needed to identify effective interventions for patients with obesity that improve cardiovascular disease outcomes and reduce cardiovascular disease mortality, as is seen with bariatric surgery,” said Powell-Wiley. The statement also addresses the “obesity paradox,” which is sometimes observed in research, particularly in populations that have overweight or have Class I obesity (BMI = 30 to 34.9 kg/m2). The paradox suggests that even though overweight and obesity are strong risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease, they are not always a risk factor for negative cardiovascular outcomes. The writing group notes that people with overweight or obesity are often screened earlier for cardiovascular disease than people with healthy weight, thus resulting in earlier diagnoses and treatment. “The underlying mechanisms for the obesity paradox remain unclear,” said Powell-Wiley. “Despite the existence of the paradox for short-term cardiovascular disease outcomes, the data show that patients with overweight or obesity suffer from cardiovascular disease events at an earlier age, live with cardiovascular disease for more of their lives and have a shorter average lifespan than patients with normal weight.” In reviewing the effects of obesity on a common heart rhythm disorder, the writing group reports there is now “convincing data” that obesity may cause atrial fibrillation, a quivering or irregular heartbeat. Estimates suggest obesity may account for one-fifth of all atrial fibrillation cases and 60% of recently documented increases in people with atrial fibrillation. Research has demonstrated people with atrial fibrillation who had intense weight loss experienced a significant reduction in cumulative time spent in atrial fibrillation. “The research provides strong evidence that weight management be included as an essential aspect of managing atrial fibrillation, in addition to the standard treatments to control heart rate, rhythm and clotting risk,” said Powell-Wiley. The statement identifies areas of future research, including a call for further study of lifestyle interventions that may be most effective in decreasing visceral adiposity and improving cardiovascular outcomes. Powell-Wiley said, “It’s important to understand how nutrition can be personalized based on genetics or other markers for cardiovascular disease risk. She added, “as overweight and obesity prevalence increases among adolescents worldwide, it is critical to address how best to develop upstream primary prevention interventions and better treatment strategies, particularly for young patients with severe obesity.” To read the original article click here.

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