While parents usually decide what kids eat, it’s no secret that kids will eat (especially snacks) what’s available. Therefore, the key to healthy families is surrounding everyone with healthier options. Getting the family on board with healthy life choices will also help individuals when it comes to losing weight. Do:
Don’t:
As a health care provider, you are in an ideal position to talk to your patients about weight control since excess weight can lead to diabetes, heart disease and other medical problems. At Medical Metabolic Specialists, we understand that this conversation is not always easy to have but is certainly important. Quickly Addressing Weight Problems in Clinic
Rule #1: You don’t have to talk about diet, exercise or life circumstance. Certainly, don’t start there. Rule #2: Focus on readiness! When the topic of weight arises, think about stages of change. When they say: I can’t, I won’t, make an excuse, or tell how great their diet is. What it means : Pre-contemplation stage of change. They can’t see it or don’t want to look at it. What you do: Connect their weight or their behaviors to something they care about. When they say: I might What it means: Contemplation stage of change. They are on the edge. What you do: Give a nudge. “Weight loss would really help.” When they say: I will What it means: Preparation stage of change What you do: Ask for a plan and commitment: “How will you do that? When will you start?” When they say: I am What it means: Action stage of change. They are doing something. What you do: Be encouraging. Say something positive. Let them know help is available. Rule #3 : Use the right words or they may not hear what you say.
Last February, we posted an article that highlighted research on the correlation between eating late and your blood sugar. The study concluded that ultimately, when food is consumed late at night, when our glucose tolerance is lowest, the body is more likely to store those calories as fat rather than burn it as energy. Repeatedly eating late will ultimately lead to weight gain. Another new study, led by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, has shown that regularly eating late in the day can have negative health consequences. Not only can eating late promote weight gain but it also has an unfavorable impact on energy metabolism and hormonal markers that are linked to health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. During a recent research study, patients with fatty liver disease reduced their Body Mass Index (BMI) following a regimented health education, nutrition and exercise program. This holistic approach to weight loss is very similar to the comprehensive program at Medical Metabolic Specialists.
If you want to lose weight, it’s best to first consult your doctor about whether weight loss is advisable for you. Below are some ideas for healthy adults to use to help lose weight that you may want to discuss with your doctor.
A recent study conducted at The University of Pennsylvania points to potential dangers of weight bias internalization. While the results are mixed, there is new evidence to support the association between weight bias internalization and risk for metabolic syndrome. Weight bias includes (WBI) pervasive negative stereotypes and prejudice regarding an individual’s overweight, such as attributions of responsibility and/or incompetence. New research suggests that adults with obesity seeking weight-loss treatment, who scored higher on a WBI scale were more likely to have metabolic syndrome compared to those with lower scores. Over the years, researchers have proven time after time that beige fat possesses both the qualities of white and brown fat. This “hybrid fat” can not only hoard energy, like white fat, but also burn energy, similar to brown fat. In 2015, researchers discovered another interesting feature of beige fat: it has the ability to switch between storing and burning energy. Most recently, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco found a way of keeping beige cells in the energy-burning state. Why does this matter? By preventing beige fat cells from digesting their own mitochondria, researchers actually protected mice against obesity and symptoms of prediabetes. A graduate student who worked on the study, Svetlana Altshuler-Keylin, explains. “We knew that the color of brown and beige fat comes from the amount of pigmented mitochondria they contain, so we wondered whether something was going on with the mitochondria when beige fat turns white.” When we hear the term Body Mass Index (BMI) it’s often in relation to conditions such as Diabetes or high blood pressure. It’s not very often we hear BMI having anything to do with the brain – that is about to change. Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Yale University have found a new link between high BMI and brain structure.
Recently published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, the team of researchers showed that the brains of overweight people age at a much faster rate than those of their lean counterparts. In fact, researchers were able to show that the brains of obese or overweight individuals appear to age an extra ten years compared to lean people. Through brain scanning technology, the scientists were able to draw conclusions from the decrease in volume of white matter in the overweight or obese groups.
What exactly is aspartame?
Aspartame is probably the most common artificial sweetener in use today. You know it under its brand names such as NutraSweet and Equal. Companies use this substitute in foods and beverages because it is about 200x sweeter than regular sugar, so much less is needed to give the same level of sweetness. This inevitably lowers the calories in the food or beverage, which has been thought to help individuals with obesity who are trying to lose weight and wean themselves off of sugar. (American Cancer Society) However, a team of researchers has found a possible explanation for why the use of sugar substitutes might not actually promote weight loss at all. Aspartame and weight loss |
MMSMedical Metabolic Specialists, located in Fort Collins, Colorado, is dedicated to using the latest scientific techniques to create a comprehensive, individualized. lifelong weight management program to improve your overall health. Archives
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