Healthy Weight to Fight Obesity

by adminAugust 19, 2020

In a previous blog, I discussed the global epidemic of obesity, labelled ‘globesity’, that is regarded as one of the most pressing public health problems today – a bigger problem than malnutrition across the world.[i] Recent data shows that just over 60% of men and women in the UK are overweight or obese, and 20% of year 6 children are classified as obese.[ii]

Obesity is again in the headlines because of its links with Covid19. Thankfully, there is much more evidence-based research and awareness of the dangers of obesity. In this blog I look at the link between obesity and Covid19, as well as what we can do to avoid all the dangers that make obesity such a threat to your health.

Obesity and Covid19

Viruses such as Covid19 have been shown to have a disproportionate impact in patients who are obese, which is not surprising since obesity puts such a strain on the body. Research shows that obesity is closely linked with reduced pulmonary function, low muscle strength, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, insulin resistance, along with comorbidities such as diabetes and kidney disease.[iii] The immune response is also compromised in people with obesity, since obesity is characterised by a state of chronic inflammation and systemic metabolic dysfunction. All of this means that people with obesity are more likely to require medical intervention for viruses such as Covid19 and other illnesses and diseases. In the UK last year over 11,000 hospital admissions were directly attributable to obesity, an increase of 4% on the previous year.[iv]

What can we do to reduce the risk of obesity and ensure a healthy weight for ourselves and our families?

Eliminate sugar:

I explored the negative effects of sugar and what some people call a ‘sugar belly’ in one of my blogs last year. You can read about the damaging effects of sugar on your body: affecting metabolism, raising blood pressure, disrupting hormones and damaging your liver (leading to fatty liver in particular). While the sugar tax is an excellent idea, to keep tackling obesity, we also need to address other contributing factors such as high trans-fat content of foods, sedentary lifestyles and socio-economic contributors to obesity.[v] You might like to listen to this episode of The Food Doctor where Hazel Wallace talks geneticist Dr.Giles Yeo to discuss how our genes influence our chances of becoming obese, at home genetic tests, the clean eating movement and the sugar tax.

Increase physical strength and mobility:

Eliminating sugar is a great start! However, it is worth pointing out straight away that a skinny frame is not the ultimate health goal. One study from 2016 showed that unfit skinny people were twice as likely to get diabetes as people who were much heavier but much fitter. [vi] Regular exercise is key to ensuring a healthy weight and optimal fitness. Exercise increases strength, flexibility and mobility and comes with a host of other benefits, including:

Better sleep,
More endorphins,
Social connections,
Relaxation

Don’t neglect healthy fats:

We know that excess body fat contributes to chronic inflammation in your body and this can significantly increase your risk of various diseases including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.[vii] However, before you think about removing all fat from your diet in an attempt to reduce weight, remember our bodies need healthy fats for optimal health! Going fat-free is never a good idea. Instead of reaching for fat-free processed food and drink, choose healthy fats that will stabilise weight, promote health and reduce risk of developing chronic disease.

Even animal proteins found in meat can be beneficial if consuming grass-fed meat and when prepared correctly (e.g. no high temp cooking, smoking, processing). A good tip that I often share with my clients is to avoid heating oils that are liquid at room temperature, and instead use a small amount of coconut oil or butter which are solid at room temperature. If you decide to cook with olive oil, add a tablespoon of water to it to keep the temperature down.

While high protein diets such as the Atkin’s Diet can increase the risk of heart disease, plant based diets high in chicken, turkey, fish and eggs that are not associated with a higher risk of heart disease.[viii] Above all, make sure the right types of healthy fats are included in your diet, to ensure minimal risks to health.

Individual approaches to achieving a healthy weight:

It is really important to recognise that what might work for someone else might not be best for you. Everyone has an individual biochemistry, and has different lifestyle goals, commitments, health requirements and exercise commitments, so working out how to achieve a healthy weight will be specific to you. Whether it is psychological factors, unhealthy relationships with food, unavoidable lifestyle pressures or nutrient imbalances, having a healthy weight is possible!

If you are struggling to lose weight yet doing everything right, it would be worth checking the following:

High Stress (HPA axis / Adrenal Dysfunction) can cause sudden weight around the middle
Hypothyroid (under-active thyroid function)
High tissue toxicity
High inflammation
Gut microbiome imbalance

Over the past few months, I have completed a training in Live and Dried Blood Analysis. This is considered to be a screening tool for the imbalances above, as often the problems our bodies are facing are reflected in our blood. Seeing the evidence of cardiovascular degeneration in blood samples can really help focus our attention on tackling obesity! Please mention this in your consultations if you would like personalised programme.

It seems Ancient Greeks knew obesity was a problem a long time ago! Hippocrates warned that obesity was conducive to other illnesses and could lead to early death and Plutarch described the body as a ship which must not be overloaded. Ancient Spartans prized lean features that ‘defined the body’s true shape’ and their young were brought up exercising bare-footed and naked. We wouldn’t want to copy everything the Ancient Greeks did, but like them we can value a healthy weight, good exercise and unprocessed foods that help our bodies thrive!

With every blessing,

Emma

Emma Maitland-Carew – Registered Nutritional Therapist

Dip.ION, mBANT, CHNC Registered Practitioner,

Metabolic Balance® Coach, HeartMath Coach.

References

[i] Lifshitz F, Lifshitz JZ (2014) Globesity: the root causes of the obesity epidemic in the USA and now worldwide. Pediatr Endocrinol Rev 2014 Sep;12(1):17-34.

[ii] NHS, ‘Statistics on Obesity and Physical Activity and Diet’, 2020, https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-obesity-physical-activity-and-diet/england-2020.

[iii] Simonnet, A. et al. ‘High prevalence of obesity in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) requiring invasive mechanical ventilation.’ Obesity (2020) https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22831.

[iv] ‘NHS, Statistics on Obesity and Physical Activity and Diet’, 2020, https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/statistics-on-obesity-physical-activity-and-diet/england-2020.

[v] Wallace, H. ‘Sugar Tax – Is It Really Working’ The Food Medic, 27 January 2020. https://thefoodmedic.co.uk/2020/01/sugar-tax-is-it-really-working/

[vi] Guo F, Garvey WT. ‘Cardiometabolic disease risk in metabolically healthy and unhealthy obesity: Stability of metabolic health status in adults.’ Obesity (Silver Spring). 2016;24(2):516-525. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4731253/

[vii] Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology has a series of videos online which you can watch, including one called ‘The Skinny on Obesity’ https://www.uctv.tv/skinny-on-obesity

[viii] Heli E.K. Virtanen, Sari Voutilainen, Timo T. Koskinen, Jaakko Mursu, Tomi-Pekka Tuomainen, MD, and Jyrki K. Virtanen. ‘Intake of Different Dietary Proteins and Risk of Heart Failure in Men: The Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study.’ Circulation: Heart Failure, 11:6, June 2018, https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.117.004531