The Solution to Healthy Weight Loss
Marilyn Pokorney

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The overweight and obesity epidemic is a worldwide problem.
There are no official statistics for spending on diet
products, but estimates vary from $40 to $100 billion in the
US alone, much of that on scams and fad diets that promise
the impossible.

Research shows that 95% of people who have lost weight find
that they regain it back when they return to their normal
eating habits.

According to the Center for Disease Control’s Chronic
Disease Center, in 1991 in the United States, only four
states had an obesity prevalence of 15 percent to 19
percent. In 2003, 15 states had an obesity prevalence of
15 to 19 percent, 31 states had an obesity prevalence of 20
to 24 percent, and four states had a prevalence of 25
percent or more.

Major medical problems associated with obesity include
gallbladder disease, high blood pressure, high blood
cholesterol, diabetes, and osteoarthritis.

If that isn’t incentive enough to lose that excess weight
statistics show that overweight people are usually given
lower paying jobs, get lower salaries, receive little in
raises, and are, as a whole, looked down upon by 40 percent
of fellow employees and employers.

In 2002 The American Heart Association reported that more
than 10 percent of US children ages 2 to 5 are overweight.
That is up from 7 percent in 1994. The situation is
probably even worse now, said Dr. Robert H. Eckel,
president-elect of the heart association and professor of
medicine at the University of Colorado.

The obesity problem among children has increased with
school-age children as well. Four million children ages 6
to 11 and 5.3 million in age group 12 to 19 have increased
by 75 percent from 1991.

Food habits adopted in childhood can be hard to change. As
a result hypertension and high cholesterol leading to heart
disease, strokes, and diabetes are going to become the
nations top health problem with people of all ages within 10
to 30 years. These are ailments that usually afflict the
middle age to elderly population. More than a million new
cases of diabetes are already being diagnosed each year,
says the American Diabetic Association.

Nearly 30 percent of American adults are overweight and
another 30 percent are obese, according to University of
Minnesota researchers. Obesity is usually described as a
weight 20 percent greater than the persons desirable weight.

A study by the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at the
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle revealed
that 60% of overweight women, and 70% of obese women, are
likely to become pregnant while taking the pill. The
researchers suggest that a higher metabolism is the reason,
causing the medication to be effective for a shorter length
of time. Or, that the drug interacts with the body’s
hormones in a way that the drug becomes trapped in the body
fat instead of circulating in the bloodstream.

Studies with obese pregnant women show they are 50% more
likely to die during pregnancy than those of normal weight.
Complications such as miscarriage, gestational diabetes,
hypertension, pre-eclampsia, pre-term labor, and stillbirth
are also more common. Preliminary evidence shows that
babies are also adversely affected, and are more likely to
be obese themselves in later life.

Fast foods: Studies show that people who frequent fast food
outlets twice a week or more gained 36 pounds over the
course of 15 years compared to 26 pounds for those that
frequented them once a week or less.

A major factor for the obesity crisis is a sedentary
lifestyle, not enough exercise, and the eating of high
calorie fast foods in place of nutritious natural food
products.

Fast food is designed to promote consumption of the maximum
number of calories in the minimum amount of time. This
upsets the body’s normal metabolism. One solution is to eat
smaller, more nutritious, meals more frequently throughout
the day.

Physical activity reduces the effects of being overweight,
but healthy eating habits have to be followed to prevent
disease associated with poor nutrition according to an
expert of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School
of Public Health.

The new diet guidelines set by the Health and Human Services
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is basically a
balanced diet and good old fashioned exercise. They stress
more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and limit fats, sugar,
alcohol, and salt.

Many supermarkets are open 24 hours a day making a choice of
healthy food available at all times.

For more tips on how to lose weight safely see The Secret to
Weight Loss at:
http://www.apluswriting.net/diettips/diettips.htm

*****************************************
Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
*****************************************

About the Author

Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net

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The Atkins diet principles lay the foundation for a healthy, more balanced way of eating than the standard American diet. Its emphasis is on using good carbohydrates in balance with adequate protein. This is in stark contrast to what most Americans eat on a daily basis. The average American eats lots of processed foods that have hidden sugars and highly processed carbohydrates. This has put most Americans on the road to diabetes and pre-diabetic conditions. What is sad is that diabetes has a predictable set of stages and that they can be easily recognized.

The road to diabetes has to do with something called the glycemic index. All carbohydrates are rated on this index with regards to the level of insulin reaction they produce. Foods that have a high glycemic index rating will cause your pancreas to release a lot of insulin to break down the amount of sugars and carbohydrates (which produce high amounts of glucose). The refined carbohydrates and sugars that make up the vast majority of the American diet rank very high on the glycemic index.

We are able to more readily digest these foods as children, because our bodies function more efficiently in our youth. There may have been side effects, like weight gain and mood swings, but they didnt stand out. As we age, however, these symptoms begin to grow and become more prevalent. The nation-wide obesity epidemic is a result of high-carbohydrate diets and unstable blood sugar levels.

Many people who are overweight are also insulin resistant. Insulin resistance means that the insulin is not doing its job in removing glucose from the blood stream. The pancreas gets over worked and it releases massive amounts of insulin, sometimes 20 times more than the body actually needs. This results in the blood sugar dropping to extremely low levels. This sets off a chain reaction in the body that leads to a release of adrenaline to correct the blood sugar problem.

With age, blood sugar and insulin difficulties become more aggravated. The condition is called hyperinsulinism and is a precursor for type II diabetes. It is normally accompanied by high blood pressure and high triglycerides.

After years of using a high-carbohydrate diet, you will finally become fully diabetic. Insulin is the bodys primary fat creator and extra pounds usually accompany late onset diabetes. Pre-diabetic conditions, if not treated effectively, will lead to diabetes indefinitely.

However, there are easily identifiable warning signs to diabetes that appear early. Your family doctor can perform insulin level tests that will let you know if you are at risk for pre-diabetic conditions, and studies show that low-carb diets like Atkins can help. Controlling your blood sugar is one of the most effective methods to controlling pre-diabetic conditions.

The Atkins diet helps effectively control blood sugar. The combination of proteins, fats and good carbohydrates will keep your body satisfied without the roller coaster effect. Controlling carbohydrates in quantity as well as type will help limit the insulin spikes. This will let your pancreas work in the way that it was meant to be, and it will decrease the likelihood of your developing pre-diabetic conditions. Its a vicious cycle that, if left unchecked, can lead to diabetes later in life. When the Atkins diet is followed effectively it produces stable blood sugar throughout the day and helps you stay off the road to diabetes.

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If you are diabetic and overweight, you need a good diabetic weight loss diet to not only control your weight but also deal with leveling off your blood sugar. Keeping your weight and blood sugar under control is imperative to reducing the likelihood you will suffer the very serious complications that are known to be associated with diabetes.

Obviously the key to losing weight is to choose healthy foods to eat. Foods that also help control insulin production and release are a plus, too. Learning to eat a balanced diet for some can be a little tricky. An important part of keeping you blood sugar levels under control is learning to balance protein, fats, and carbohydrates of every meal you eat.

Keeping carbohydrates under control is key because some carbohydrates convert almost immediately into simple sugars and cause the pancreas to dump insulin into your system to counteract the meteoric rise in blood sugar. If this is not brought under control, you will find yourself with more problems than just diabetes.

Who knows, maybe if you lose the weight you will not have to prick your finger all the time and inject all of that insulin into your body everyday. Maybe your diabetes will even disappear if you become fit and healthy.

Nutritionists and doctors have changed their thinking that all diabetics are the same and all can follow the same general diet. They can’t. A good diabetic weight loss diet today is tailored to the specific patient and promotes optimum nutrition for optimum health. Simple carbohydrates are kept to a minimum and protein that is high in Omega-3 fatty acids are encouraged. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in abundance in fish with the highest concentration found in salmon.

Diets low in fat and cholesterol and high in green leafy vegetables and high fiber foods like whole grain is very important in controlling diabetes. Fruits should only be eaten in moderation due to their high natural sugar content which can make blood sugar levels spike then fall rapidly due to insulin overload.

Blood sugar levels should be checked regularly before and after meals and before bedtime to get an accurate idea of how the food you eat affects your levels especially when trying to lose weight. Diabetes is no laughing matter and when you are trying to lose weight on top of the diabetes you need to be extra careful. Take things slowly, keep careful, accurate records of each blood sugar check and keep a food journal, too.

Get some ideas for planning your meals and snacks by going to the American Diabetes Association’s website and studying the diabetic food pyramid. You should be able to get some good information about diabetes and diet while on the site and learn to put what you learn into practice.

With Type II diabetes now in epidemic proportions in the United States because of the obesity epidemic following a good diabetic weight loss diet is as vital as the insulin you have been prescribed.

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