Weight Management
“We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.”
~John Dryden
It is a well-known fact that caloric restriction and energy expenditure have long been the gold standard when referencing weight management. For some patients, these rules apply and work like a charm: eat less, exercise more, and weight reduction is accomplished.
So why then, doesn’t this always work for everyone?
Welcome to the world of metabolic differences!
Do some patients have under-active thyroids and others suffer from insulin resistance? You bet, but it has not been better depicted than in an article in the October, 2010 issue of The Life Extension Institute titled “The Multiple Factors Involved in Age-Related Weight Gain.” While I realize that not everyone suffers from weight gain related to aging, there are 27 correctable inducers of weight gain. As a clinical nutritionist, it is my forte to understand these things and run the appropriate blood chemistries and related tests to best help my patients in their quest for a healthy life.
The one thing for you to understand, regardless of the circumstances that have produced obesity in your life, is that obesity changes your physiology in profound ways over time. It is a state of your existence that—if you do not address it, and allow this process to continue in your body—will significantly raise your risk of developing obesity-related diseases such as heart disease, cancer, vascular occlusion (blocked arteries), kidney failure, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, early senility, and other illnesses.
The common denominator that I see most often as a driving force in obesity, (defined as anyone 30 lbs or more overweight), is excessive carbohydrate ingestion. The American diet and the food industry have developed foods for us to eat, with a preponderance of white sugar, white flour, and high-fructose corn syrup. The problem is compounded by fear of fats and a completely misguided notion of the ratios of protein, carbohydrates, and fats that should be eaten. Add over-consumption of fruit, fruit juices, soda, and a low-fiber diet, and you have the perfect recipe for the development of obesity and diabetes. Now add the fact that you may be stressed, drinking too much alcohol, and making all the excuses in the world not to get to the gym on a regular basis, and you are right in the sweet spot for the development of obesity-related illness.
Hopefully you see your doctor once a year for a physical, but more often than not, your insulin levels, and also a blood marker for where your sugar levels have been over the last three months (known as HbA1c), have never been tested. If you are obese and have never undergone a three-hour glucose tolerance test, the diagnosis of insulin resistance has most likely been missed. Given the current state of health care, internists and GP’s are stressed and have to see too many patients. Not enough time is allotted in our HMO-dominated system, and you as a patient are getting the short end of the stick. In other instances, the doctor is not trained in nutritional biochemistry as it relates to lifestyle medicine.
Our office specializes in metabolic typing and the interventions necessary to help you attain your health goals. Call us today at 212-333-7300, and get a fresh start on your path to wellness.
“Understanding that we control our own destiny is key to our success in life. Simply put, when we decide how we want our life to be we must take responsibility and move forward.” ~Mac Anderson
