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Weight Loss Woes

Weight loss, weight loss, weight loss! Who does not want to lose weight? And, by the weekend?! Almost everyone has struggled with a few extra pounds at some point in life. If you happen to be one of those people, you may know that losing weight and keeping it off is not an easy endeavor. In fact, over 90% of dieters regain lost weight when the diet is over. Even more disturbing is that the dieter's body is much more likely to store fat than burn it when normal eating is resumed. Given this fact, you may wonder why anyone would even diet at all. But again, if you are a person who likes to indulge every now and then, you know that gaining weight is effortless. Therefore, unless you are one who vigilantly exercises and burns off those extra calories, you probably have found yourself reading a diet book or two. You may have even considered some of the more drastic options to weight loss: amphetamines, starvation, and surgery. But, do you know the hazards associated with these approaches? Let's take a look:


Appetite suppressant:

Definition: A dietary supplement which reduces appetite and food consumption , in the hopes that weight loss will occur.

Side effects: High blood pressure, increased heart rate, heart valve damage, stroke, insomnia, anxiety/panic attacks, addiction, and death.


hCG Diet:

Definition: An ultra-low calorie diet (usually less than 500 calories a day) supplemented by oral or injected human chorionic gonadotropin. HCG is a hormone made by the developing embryo during pregnancy thought to increase fat loss while sparing muscle loss.

Side effects: For men, gynecomastia (growing female breasts), water retention, increased sex drive, mood alterations, headaches, and high blood pressure . Rebound bingeing is also common after starvations diets (less than 800 calories a day).


Gastric bypass:

Action: A surgical operation which divides the stomach into two pouches, one small and one large, both of which are connected to the small intestine. The smaller pouch restricts the amount of food a person can comfortably eat.

Side effects: Infection, hemorrhage (abnormal bleeding), hernia, bowel obstruction, pulmonary embolism (a blood clot that breaks free and travels to the lungs), leakage, ulcer, dumping syndrome * , and numerous nutritional deficiencies (calcium, iron, protein, zinc, vitamin A, and B vitamins).

* Dumping syndrome occurs when a gastric bypass patient eats sugar. The body floods the intestines to dilute the sugar, resulting in symptoms of intense anxiety, cold sweat, increased heart rate, and diarrhea.


Lap band:

Action: A silicone band that is surgically placed around the top of the stomach, sectioning off only a small area to receive food. Once the smaller pouch is full, the brain senses that the entire stomach is full, thus signaling the person to stop eating.

Side effects: Ulceration, slippage (band slips and causes a larger upper pouch), erosion (band erodes through the stomach wall), kink (not allowing passage of any food), nausea, vomiting, GERD, constipation, diarrhea, and dysphagia (trouble swallowing).



So, you ask, what is the safest and best way to lose weight? Simple: burn more calories than you consume each day. If you burn 2300 calories a day and only consume 1800, you will lose 1 pound a week, or 4-5 pounds a month. Sounds good, you say, but how do I do that? By eating healthy foods that are varied and balanced (see article Healthy Eating for Healthy Living ) and by moving your body every day! There may also be some deficiencies in your body that need to be corrected before weight loss will be a reality. Many enzymes and cofactors are needed to ensure that the necessary processes, conducive to weight loss, take place. As such, it is not unusual to supplement your healthy eating and exercise regime with vitamins, amino acids, and/or other various nutrients that your body naturally needs to efficiently burn stored fat.


Article aurthored by Dr. Cherie Minette, Naturopathic Physician


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