Statistics show that obesity affects more than half the population of many countries. In the United States a third of the population is obese. Obesity is a significant risk factor for many diseases, including type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoarthritis and respiratory problems. In the United States obesity is considered to be, directly or indirectly, one of the primary causes of death.
Most of us have tried one of the many diets or diet products that are on the market. Most of us know what it is like to be on a diet – months of deprivation with varying degrees of success. We are a nation of yoyo dieters. Our extremely low calorie crash diets are followed by a return to our old habits and a steady weight gain until we start our next diet.
Not only is this pattern demoralizing, it is also harmful. Nutritional deficiencies develop, our body composition changes to a higher fat to muscle ratio, the adrenal glands become exhausted and our energy drops.
Unfortunately, in common weight loss programs the focus is often on calorie restriction to the point of starvation, and the bodies nutritional requirements are ignored. For a diet to be successful it must ensure that muscle mass is maintained, that there are sufficient nutrients to drive the energy cycles in the cells, and that it does not activate the bodies coping mechanism that are in place to conserve energy in order to survive times of famine.
Successful weight loss should heal your metabolism and improve your health. In my practice we aim for a steady reduction in weight that can be maintained long term without triggering food cravings. It is not about eating less, but eating more wisely so that you can achieve your desired weight loss.