How many times have you heard from your healthcare provider, “You need to lose weight." He or she may have gone on to say, “You just need to lose weight. Just eat better, you know, watch your calories and exercise.”
That’s it? Eat better and exercise. What does that mean? Am I supposed to eat less? Eat more fruits and less meat? Am I supposed to join the gym? Or should I just walk more?
Well, all of those ideas may be good to some degree, but every person is different, thus the modifications must be tailored to each person’s specific needs. So, let’s explore this further, especially for those who are tipping the scales toward obesity.
OBSESITY: WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT MATTERS
Obesity in the United States is at an all time high, and it is becoming a larger and larger (no pun intended) epidemic. It is impacting both our health as a nation AND our healthcare costs, because it is contributing to the occurrence of many other preventable diseases and disorders.
Yet many of these secondary effects of obesity are preventable.
So, what exactly is obesity and how is it diagnosed? The diagnosis of obesity is made when your BMI, or Body Mass Index reaches 30 or greater. Your BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and multiply that figure by 703. Or you can divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared.
Or, you can use this online calculator.
Let’s start with some statistics about obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control (a.k.a the CDC) the prevalence of obesity in the US in 2000 was 30.5%. By 2022, the rate of obesity jumped to 41.9%. During this same timeframe, the rate of severe obesity (a BMI of 40 or above) increased from 4.7% to 9.2% of the population.
If we break the prevalence down by age groups, you will see that as we become more sedentary and as our metabolism changes, the rates go up. From age 20-39 the rate among adults is 39.8%. But by the time we reach the bracket of 40-59, the rate climbs to 44.3%.
Interestingly, by the time we reach 60 and above, the current rate of obesity is 41.5%, 3.2% lower than the 40-59 age bracket. That may be due to the fact that, at that point in life, we tend to naturally consume fewer calories, skip meals, and perhaps lose muscle mass
My primary concern is the fact that many conditions are directly related to obesity. This includes heart disease, stroke, cancer, and sleep apnea. It also includes type II diabetes, which we used to call “adult-onset diabetes.” However we can no longer use this term.
From 2017 to 2020, the prevalence of obesity in children aged 2 to 19 affected approximately 14.7 million children and adolescents. When we break that down by age groups, the rate for children aged 2-5 years old have an obesity rate of 12.7%. By the ages of 6 to 11 years, that rate climbs to 20.7%, and then by 12-19 years the rate climbs further to 22.2%. And here again, even in this age group, type II diabetes is listed as a health rick of obesity. Therefore, we can no longer call this form of diabetes “adult onset.”
A GROWING PROBLEM
Obesity is also implicated in the onset of another condition, which is a rising health and cognitive concern in the US, one that I follow closely due to my family history: Alzheimer’s.
More than 55 million people globally suffer from dementia. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, which affects 32 million people.
Scientists have known for years that there is a link between obesity and Alzheimer’s. However a recent study done at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio appears to be pointing to specific genes that relate to both obesity and Alzheimer’s.
This study was just published in February of this year. These researchers found that the nerve breakdown (or neurodegeneration) found in Alzheimer’s is similar to that which occurs with obesity. They also found that 21 of the 74 genes known to be related to Alzheimer’s are also related to obesity. The researchers believe that this may be why individuals who develop obesity during their mid-life years frequently develop Alzheimer’s.
The thought, at least at this point, is that obesity may upregulate or turn on the Alzheimer’s genes. This in turn increases the likelihood that Alzheimer’s will start to progress.
This study used the data from 5,600 individuals, so it is a relatively large sample of the population. The link between obesity and inflammation may also play a role in the progression on not only Alzheimer’s but of all the conditions previously mentioned. Another recent finding is that there is a link genetically between Alzheimer’s and the immune system as well as lipid metabolism.
Obesity, particularly in the mid-life years has been known to be a risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s for years now. Now however, we may know why. There is perhaps a direct genetic link between the two. Thus, this leads us to consider another possible way to reduce our risk of developing this devastating condition. It is possible that controlling weight and reducing obesity may reduce the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s (in addition to reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes).
HOW TO TAKE CONTROL
So, that was the bad news. The good news is we absolutely can change the trajectory and move the needle in the opposite direction on the health and wellness spectrum. But first of all we need to recognize that just saying “You need to lose weight” isn’t enough. We each need a road map.
I know that what I am about to say sounds old to some of you. It is perhaps redundant, but it is the truth. You need to “Eat Right, Think Right, Move Right, and Sleep Right.” Each one of these four pillars of health are equally important in gaining control not only of your general health, but also your weight.
I know that this too will sound like a sales pitch, but I assure you it is not, because I have seen it work time and time again over the years. Our Cleanse Program is so much more than it sounds. It is a way to learn the techniques and information needed to reboot your system. It is a way to change your belief system about what is a “genetically congruent” lifestyle for you and for all of us as humans.
So, I will challenge you to take time and join us in person, at no cost, on Thursday, August 22nd at the Center for Nutrition and Wellness. If, however, you are a distance away or would just prefer to stay at home and learn more about our Cleanse program, you can join us virtually as well. Either way, you first have to register.
Please consider joining us to learn how you can begin the process of creating a genetically congruent lifestyle. This will lead you and the children you influence on the path of a “Longer Healthier Live” This will give you the tools to create your own road map.
And please remember that weight loss is always a byproduct of health and wellness and a healthy lifestyle, not the other way around.