Weight Loss Tips

A Closer Look at Weight and the Metabolic Syndrome and Cancer

Many people have never even heard of the metabolic syndrome, cancer also known as Syndrome X. Until recently, most physicians had never heard of the

metabolic syndrome either. Yet this condition – a combination  of blood lipid abnormalities, high blood pressure, and elevated blood sugar—affects almost one-quarter of the adult population in the United States. The major underlying cause of the metabolic syndrome is obesity, in particular, increased abdominal fat.

Five different conditions make up the metabolic syndrome:

1. High blood triglycerides

2. Low HDL cholesterol

3. High blood pressure

4. Elevated blood sugar

5. Increased waist circumference (as mentioned earlier in this chapter, greater than 40 inches in men and greater than 35 inches in women)

The metabolic syndrome is rapidly becoming a significant medical problem because it increases so many risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. Weight loss is the only effective treatment for this condition.

Do those extra few pounds really matter?

As weight goes out of the healthy range, risk increases for

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Diabetes
• Several forms of cancer
• Metabolic syndrome (Syndrome X)
• Gallbladder disease
• Gout

A Closer Look at Weight and Cancer

Recent studies from the National Cancer Institute and other research institutions suggest that over 20% of all cancer is related to overweight or obesity. For years, researchers have commented that certain forms of cancer with a link to hormones (for example, breast and endometrial cancer in women, prostate cancer in men) are associated with weight gain, overweight, and obesity. As summarized in a government report on overweight and obesity, obesity increases the risk of breast cancer after menopause because body fat produces the hormone estrogen. Even weight gain not to the point of obesity can be a problem: gaining more than 20 pounds between age 18 and midlife doubles a woman’s breast cancer risk. The risk of colon cancer and other gastrointestinal tract cancers that do not appear to have a connection to hormones also goes up as one’s weight increases.

A Closer Look at Over Weight and Diabetes

Perhaps the strongest association between weight gain, metabolic abnormalities, and disease risk is found with type 2 diabetes. (Type 1 diabetes typically affects younger people and is caused by the pancreas not producing insulin.) A majority of people who have type 2 diabetes are also overweight, and the incidence of type 2 diabetes is increasing as the population becomes more overweight.

About 90% of people with diabetes have type II diabetes, which develops when the insulin-producing pancreas cannot keep up with the body’s need for insulin, a hormone that helps blood sugar enter cells. With weight gain, cells in the body do not respond properly to insulin, causing an unhealthy rise in blood sugar levels. This is known as insulin resistance. The pancreas produces insulin, but the insulin no longer works effectively.

Weight gain dramatically increases diabetes risk. The risk goes up with weight increases after age 18. The risk also increases about 25% for every unit increase in BMI over 22. One study estimated that more than one-quarter of new cases of type 2 diabetes could be attributed to a weight gain of 11 pounds or more. If we eliminate adult weight gain and obesity, we could eliminate over 80% of all type 2 diabetes. It is not surprising that one of the first treatment recommendations for type 2 diabetes is to lose weight.

The link between weight loss and diabetes prevention is particularly compelling. In the Diabetes Prevention Program, a lifestyle program that was conducted at several research institutions and included weight loss and physical activity components, participants dramatically reduced their risk of developing diabetes with a weight loss of just 7%. The results of this lifestyle program were similar to those observed in people on medication.

Sustainable Weight Loss – Action Steps

The path to sustainable weight loss needs a beginning. As you put your new knowledge to work and embark on a comprehensive weight-loss method, there are several things you can do. The goal is to maximize your knowledge so that you are prepared to make informed decisions for your best approach.

• Consult with your doctor before starting any weight management program. It is a good idea to get a complete physical before beginning a diet and/or exercise program to rule out medical limitations.
• Ask your doctor or pharmacist if any of the medications that you’re taking might affect your weight-loss success by increasing your appetite or slowing your metabolism. The good news is that in almost all cases other drugs are available that treat the same condition but do not affect weight. It is worth finding out whether a simple change in your medication can remove this potential obstacle.
• Think about weight-loss methods that you have used in the past.
• How many of the factors that predict successful weight loss and sustained weight loss were part of these methods? Are there things that you could have done differently to include more factors?
• What do you see as your “happy” weight and when do you see yourself achieving it? If your answer is a weight that is less than 90% of your current body weight and your time frame for reaching that weight is in less than six months, rethink your expectations. A reasonable goal is a loss of 10% of your current weight over six months. Start with that goal you may very well surprise yourself by exceeding it!
• Identify at least three people you know who have successfully lost weight and are keeping it off. Find out about their experience what method they used, what strategies and approaches they took to make it work for them, and what they are doing to sustain the weight loss. Compare what they tell you about the factors of successful weight loss, the factors for sustained weight loss, and the basic components of a weight-loss program.
• Remind yourself often and with confidence that sustained weight loss is possible. Your body will not undermine your achievements by slowing metabolism so that you gain the weight back.

Do those extra few pounds really matter?

A large number of us gains weights each year. In fact, adding pounds as we add years is so commonplace that we’ve come to accept it as a natural part of the aging process. We have also come to expect that we are likely to develop common health problems, like high blood pressure and diabetes. Consider for a moment, however, how these extra few pounds may be increasing your risk for developing these medical conditions. Read on to learn why a few extra pounds do matter, how you can halt the gain, and how losing a little pays back a lot

Myths and Weight Loss

Myths are a part of every society and culture. They help explain common experiences that are mysterious, frightening, or difficult to understand. Ancient civilizations used myths to explain aspects of the world that they could not comprehend. Joseph Campbell, author of the book The Power of Myth, explains that we need myths to survive and to explain and understand our existence.

Weight Loss Myths are powerful. They can inspire us to great heights. But they can also become traps when they mask the full truth. If you go beyond the kernel of truth that forms the basis of the myth and believe that every aspect of the myth is true, you can become paralyzed into inaction because the myth seemingly explains everything.

Many popular weight-loss methods can be attractive and persuasive. Who hasn’t tried at least a few of the latest and greatest weight loss plans? These methods are appealing because they are based on a believable myth, a convincing scientific explanation, and a fantastic promise: the pitch is that if you buy into the myth, you will lose weight quickly. Perhaps you believed the myth that simply by cutting back on fat you could lose weight permanently. Maybe you believed the myth that cutting out most carbohydrates would magically melt away your extra fat and pounds. Perhaps you subscribed to the common myth that if you simply began exercising more, your weight would come off. We wish we could tell you that these myths were true. While each has some kernels of truth, they’re missing quite a bit as well. That’s the point of this book; we’ll fill you in on the whole story. Myths have the power to keep you riding the weight-loss roller coaster or prevent you from trying again. That is why it is so important to pull out the kernel of truth and discard the rest. Until you separate the truth from the myth, you won’t achieve your goal of sustainable weight loss. Stop in your local bookstore, browse online, or watch one of television’s morning shows and you will quickly see that weight-loss myths are abundant. One popular myth states that carrying a few extra pounds around doesn’t really have an impact on your health. The myth has a kernel of truth: carrying around a few extra pounds is not as risky as carrying around a lot of extra pounds. But the whole truth is that even gaining small amounts of weight as the years go by carries a health risk.

Today, an even more widespread but fading myth is that a low-carbohydrate diet magically melts away pounds and is answer to weight loss. Once again, there is an element of truth to this myth. Many people eat overly large portions of carbohydrates like pasta and bread, as well as too many foods with added sugars and highly processed flour. This type of eating can contribute to weight gain in very significant ways. Furthermore, carbohydrate foods supply a majority of our calories. So cutting back on empty calories from added sugar and highly processed flour can help you lose weight as long as you don’t fill your diet with low-carbohydrate, calorie-rich foods.

Or what about the common myth that all you need to do is go to the gym and work out to lose weight? There is a kernel of truth to the relationship between regular exercise and weight loss. But individuals who think that they can lose weight simply by increasing their exercise program and not controlling their food intake are almost always embarking on a futile journey.

We all have myths. Some are wonderful because they inspire us. Some get in the way of our progress. Myths can be busted through knowledge. The road to sustainable weight loss begins when you get rid of the weight-loss myths standing in your way and learn how to make the science of weight loss work for you. This book is about weight-loss truths. Our goal is to tell you the whole truth about how you can lose weight for good. In doing so, we can help you base your weight-loss efforts on solid principles that work and that are based on years of experience and hundreds of scientific studies, many of which were performed at the Rippe Lifestyle Institute (RLI) or with people following the Weight Watchers program.

Together, we’ve had the opportunity to learn from countless people about what works when it comes to sustainable weight loss. We know that with the right method, long-term weight loss is possible.

You cannot lose weight without burning up more calories than you eat; you gain weight only when you eat more than you burn. Obviously, then, an effective weight loss program is one which has you eat fewer calories than you burn. Contrary to what many people think, regular exercise usually diminishes the appetite rather than increasing it.

Weight loss is not easy, and it is often not fun, although it can be. One pound ofbody fat contains about 3,500 calories, a substantial amount when compared to the calories in most foods, or even in most full meals; unfortunately, it is also substantial when compared to the number of calories utilized during exercise. Permanent weight loss takes time. For best long-term results, it is recommended that only one or two pounds be lost per week. Most of us would like to lose weightfaster, but are rarely able to lose it even at the recommended rate.

Fat becomes more of a problem with increasing age because of decreasing activity and a decreasing metabolic rate. Women store more fat than men do. The recommended “ideal” fat for women is 19 percent of body weight. For men it is 12 percent. There are two kinds of fat: essential and storage.

Essential fat is stored in the bone marrow, brain, spinal cord, and major organs, and should not be lost. Women normally have about 12 percent essential fat, while men have only 3 percent. Storage fat serves as protection for the vital organs. It is extra fat that protects too many of us far better than necessary. It is the fat thatweight loss programs attempt to reduce. The desired amount of storage fat for both sexes is about 7 to 8 percent.