12 People Have Died After Trying This Popular Weight-Loss Procedure. Here's What You Should Know6/7/2018
12 People Have Died After Trying This Popular Weight-Loss Procedure. Here's What You Should Know
https://ift.tt/2JlxmsM At least 12 deaths in the last two years have been linked to a popular treatment for obesity, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned in a letter to health care providers earlier this week. In most cases, patients died within a month of having a liquid-filled balloon inserted in their stomachs, a procedure that limits the amount a person can eat and helps them feel fuller faster. Two types of liquid-filled balloon systems have been on the market since 2015: the ReShape Integrated Dual Balloon System and the Orbera Intragastric Balloon System. These balloons are inserted via a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure and are inflated with a saline solution once in place in the stomach. The balloons are designed to remain in place for several months, while patients receive counseling on diet, exercise, and healthy lifestyle changes. In clinical trials for both devices, patients lost at least twice as much weight with these procedures than with diet and exercise alone. But in August 2017, the FDA issued a warning about seven deaths that had been linked to the two types of liquid-filled balloons. At the time, the FDA said that it wasn't clear whether those deaths were caused by the balloon systems, but that it was looking into the possibility. This week, the agency revealed that five more deaths had been reported since last year’s warning, several of which were linked to perforations of the stomach wall after balloon implantation. In addition to the deaths, other complications related to the placement and use of these devices—such as inflammation of the pancreas, and the balloon filling with air or more liquid and getting too large--have also been reported. The FDA approved labeling changes last week to reflect this new information and is encouraging doctors to closely monitor patients with intragastric balloons for complications. Health care providers should also talk with their patients about symptoms that could be signs of serious problems, the FDA said, and advise them on what to do if those symptoms occur. RELATED: I Had 7 Pounds of Skin Removed After Major Weight Loss—Here's What You Should Know But the letter does not discourage all use of the Orbera and ReShape balloons. “While these devices remain an appropriate treatment option for some patients with obesity, patients should always discuss with their doctors which treatment option is best for them,” said William Maisel, MD, director of the Office of Device Evaluation in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Orbera and ReShape manufacturers cited mortality rates of lower than 0.01% and 0.06%, respectively. “You can’t say that this is a completely safe operation—there are definitely some risks involved. And for a fair consent process, you have to discuss these things with your patients,” says Dr. Pryor. “But I do think if you’re aware of these complications, and you’re looking out for pain and other symptoms, these things can be managed if identified early.” RELATED: 5 Things Not to Say to Someone Who's Had Weight-Loss Surgery Liquid-filled balloons are one of several options for patients considering surgical treatments for obesity. Patients who fit the criteria for traditional weight-loss surgery—usually a body mass index of 40 or higher, or 35 with other health problems—can also opt for a gastric bypass or a sleeve gastrectomy. Like any surgery, these procedures also come with risks. But they’re generally considered very safe: One 2012 report found that mortality and complication rates for both gastric bypass and sleeve procedures were lower than those generally associated with gallbladder or hip replacement surgery. And according to the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, the mortality rate during the 30 days following bariatric surgery is around 0.13%. “If people meet the parameters, I will strongly encourage them to have either a sleeve or gastric bypass procedure, as those are the most studied to be effective for weight loss,” says Dr. Pryor. “If somebody has a lower BMI or they don’t qualify for surgery or aren’t interested in surgery, that’s where other options, such as balloons, come in.” A newer balloon system, called Obalon, is swallowed rather than inserted endoscopically, and is then filled with gas rather than with liquid. At this time, the FDA is not aware of any deaths or serious adverse events related to these newer devices, an agency spokesperson told Health via email. To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter When deciding on any treatment options, Dr. Pryor says, it’s important doctors and patients consider both the risks and the benefits. In the case of intragastric balloons, benefits can include not just weight loss, but also reductions in obesity-related complications like heart disease and diabetes. “Despite the FDA’s warning, I think the balloons are still an excellent procedure,” she says, “and an important option for many patients struggling with their weight.” Weight Loss via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2zvXHy6 June 7, 2018 at 05:19PM
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This Woman Has Lost 40 Pounds in 8 Months Since Starting the Keto Diet
https://ift.tt/2sHzMaX When it comes to relationship milestones, most of us celebrate an engagement or wedding anniversary. But last week, Sharon Sandhu took to Instagram to toast her eight-month relationship—with the keto diet. “Happy 8 months of Keto to me,” the 34-year-old from Canada wrote in the caption. “My journey through keto started on Oct. 1st 2017 at 172lbs. Now 8 months later down over 40lbs at 131lbs. A healthy outside starts with the inside — you are what you eat.” In the four photos she posted, Sandhu showed her followers how much her body has changed in eight months since starting this high-fat, low-carb diet plan. She credits her keto-approved meals for her amazing weight loss, but she also walks on a regular basis and is planning to enhance her exercise routine. RELATED: Keto vs. Atkins: Which Is the Better Low-Carb Diet? “I wanted to share my transformation so that I could inspire others,” she tells Health. “Being healthy really starts from the food you eat.” Sandhu also uses her social media account to post photos of recipe ideas, like spaghetti squash with cheese and chicken, and keto-friendly chocolate chip cookies. Though it was initially used to help people control epileptic seizures, the keto diet has surged in popularity as a weight-loss strategy. The goal is to achieve ketosis, a state in which the body uses fat as its primary fuel, rather than carbs. Not all nutrition experts are totally on board with it. But many RDs say it can be helpful—and anecdotal evidence, such as Sandhu's post, make a strong case. Weight Loss via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2zvXHy6 June 6, 2018 at 03:15PM
How Intermittent Fasting Helped This Woman Lose 65 Pounds in 5 Months
https://ift.tt/2Jk6rJH Janielle Wright is known on social media for posting style and beauty looks. But these days, the 28-year-old influencer is posting more makeup-free gym selfies than cat eyes. On Sunday, she showed off the progress she's made on her weight loss journey—she's dropped 65 pounds since January 1. RELATED: The Healthiest Way to Do Intermittent Fasting, According to a Nutritionist “DONE NATURALLY,” she wrote, celebrating her transformation. “Get up and make a change...make it happen!” Wright tells Health how her journey got started. She made a New Year's resolution to lose 100 pounds by the end of the year, motivated to get healthier by her 3-year-old daughter, Novah. “I was 337 pounds and feared that I wouldn’t live long enough for me to see her tie her shoes,” she says. “I wanted to be better for her and I wanted to live for her.” In a YouTube video where she details her weight-loss story for fans, she also reflected on her “before.” “That’s the highest weight I’ve ever been,” she said. “I didn’t want to die.” To reach her goal, Wright went on a low-carb diet consisting of veggies and lean protein, and she currently eats plenty of foods containing healthy fats, like salmon and tuna. But the secret to her success so far is intermittent fasting, a diet strategy that has people cycling between periods of regular eating and then fasting or severely restricting their caloric intake. While fasting for long periods is never a good idea for weight loss, some research shows that intermittent fasting can help people reach their target weight and reduce disease risk. Wright started with a 16-hour fasting period and 8-hour eating window, but she also does the 20/4 method, which involves a shorter, 4-hour eating period. RELATED: 11 Ways to Hate the Treadmill Less “When I break my fast it’s usually with two or three egg whites with two pieces of bacon and sausage, fruit, spinach salad, baked chicken,” she says, telling Health her favorite foods. Wright also began using a treadmill, and she now power walks for 45 minutes on a high incline. She follows up her workout with a 25-minute HIIT routine. Since January, she’s worked out every day, Monday through Saturday, and takes Sunday off. She now consistently exercises for 70 minutes every day, six days per week. In the YouTube video, Wright was asked how she finds time to eat healthy and squeeze in a workout nearly every day. “I make sure that I find the time because it’s something important to me and it’s something I want,” she said. “This is my lifestyle now.” Wright doesn’t drink alcohol, and she hasn’t taken any dietary supplements. With minimal “cheat meals” and faith in her weight-loss journey, she’s proving to be an inspiration to both her little one and her 30,000-plus followers on Instagram. Weight Loss via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2zvXHy6 June 5, 2018 at 04:42PM
After Scare, Body-Positive Photographer Wants Moms to Prioritize Health Over Size
https://ift.tt/2xDyna2 Photographer, author, and blogger Natalie McCain has spent the last three years building The Honest Body Project, a community focused on body and parenting-positivity. Her inspiring photo series have given a voice and a platform to several difficult topics that many moms struggle with, including postpartum depression and C-section anxiety. But now she's taking the stage to share a vulnerable experience of her own: McCain was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in late November. With her diagnosis came her desire to share her story and encourage other moms to prioritize their own health, before it's too late. In an eye-opening blog post, McCain admits she has neglected her own health to tend to the needs of her children—an experience many moms know all too well. "I had intense brain fog that I assumed was due to not getting enough sleep," McCain wrote. "I had tingling in my fingers, but assumed it was from sleeping wrong on my arm or an old carpal tunnel injury. I started to feel weird after eating desserts, but it didn't click that it could be from the sugar. I would often get headaches after exercise or upon waking," she explained. Despite her symptoms, she didn't immediately see a doctor. "As moms, we tend to explain things away when it comes to our own health," she wrote. "I didn't take any of the symptoms seriously, even though my body was trying desperately to alert me that something was wrong." Time to Take Action When her doctor told her that her A1C level—or the three-month average of blood sugar—was on the extremely high spectrum at around 300, McCain says she was overcome with anger, mostly at herself. She knew diabetes ran in her family, and as the doctor revealed she had 'raging, out-of-control' type 2, she wondered what she could have done differently. "I exercised frequently prior to my diagnosis and I was not a junk food eating person," she told Parents.com. "I didn't think I was treating my body badly, but clearly my body was not thriving off of what I was fueling it with." To begin her road to better health, her doctor insisted on insulin, but her pharmacy wasn't able to fulfill her prescription for a few days. Frantic for answers, McCain turned to a friend with expert knowledge on diabetes who suggested she shift her diet. "I started immediately and within two weeks my sugar readings were all at normal levels without ever starting medication," she said. "I was in shock—as was my doctor when I returned to see her."
Though McCain is now managing her type 2 diabetes with a strict, nutritional diet and exercise routine, she's committed to helping other moms put their health first, so they can avoid a similar scary health experience. She wants to shed light on the many warning signals our bodies send—many of which are easy to miss or ignore. Know the Warning Signs It's common for type 2 diabetics to go several weeks, months, or even years, without realizing something is off since the indicators aren't always clear, explains Allison A. Vorderstrasse, DNSc, APRN, FAAN, an associate professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. Many diabetics experience increased hunger or thirst, more frequent trips to the bathroom, and fatigue. These symptoms are all due to the fact your body isn't receiving what it needs from fuel, Vorderstrasse explains. But for moms, these warning signs could just feel like a result of any other jam-packed, overworked day: "A mom might think that feeling tired, hungry, or thirsty are part of the fatigue or lack of sleep associated with having children, family, or work-related responsibilities. She may be less focused on taking care of herself with these multiple competing demands for her time and attention," Vorderstrasse says. In the same way you listen to your gut about your children's ailments, McCain urges mothers to seek medical attention for themselves sooner than later. It's important to remember that what your children need most is a healthy, vibrant parent who will be around for a long time. Don't let shame get the best of you, McCain urges. "Being a body-positive activist, I have been preaching about loving your body for years. When I realized I wasn't truly taking care of my health, I felt guilty. The symptoms went on for nearly a year, only getting worse with time," she says. "I knew I needed to share my story to help raise awareness that part of self-love is not only celebrating and accepting your body, it is also being responsible for your health." This article originally appeared on Parents.com. Weight Loss via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2zvXHy6 June 4, 2018 at 04:39PM
Poor sleep may fuel harmful eating habits and diabetes
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Poor sleep could contribute to poor dietary habits, warns a recent study.
Snacking in the late hours of the night may not bring many consequences if done every now and again, but if you're a habitual night-time fridge raider, then you may be putting your health at risk. A study from last year suggested that snacking beyond bedtime could lead to skin damage by altering the production of a protective enzyme. However, some of the most serious effects of night-time snacking have to do with metabolic diseases, with research showing that this habit can contribute to the risk of diabetes and heart disease. And, according to a new study from the University of Arizona in Tucson, people who have a hard time falling asleep at night are some of the most exposed to munching in the later hours, which may increase their risk of obesity and diabetes. "Laboratory studies suggest," explains co-author Michael A. Grandner, "that sleep deprivation can lead to junk food cravings at night, which leads to increased unhealthy snacking at night, which then leads to weight gain." "This study," he adds, "provides important information about the process, that these laboratory findings may actually translate to the real world." The researchers' findings were recently presented at SLEEP 2018, the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, held in Baltimore, MD. Poor sleep and junk food cravings relatedGrandner and his colleagues collected their data through phone-based surveys, and, in total, they analyzed sleep- and diet-related information from 3,105 adults from 23 metropolitan areas across the United States. In the surveys, the respondents were quizzed about their night-time snacking habits, sleep quality, and any diagnosed health issues. The participants were also asked whether sleep deprivation made them want to munch on junk foods. Approximately 60 percent of the respondents admitted to snacking late at night on a regular basis, while two thirds of them said that sleeplessness made them reach for unhealthful snacks. Grandner and colleagues also observed that people who reported junk food cravings were twice as likely as peers to indulge in night-time fridge raids, and that this, in turn, was linked to a heightened risk of developing diabetes. Moreover, the researchers found that sleep deprivation was a reliable predictor of cravings for unhealthful snacks, while these cravings were tied to a higher likelihood of an obesity or diabetes diagnosis. "This connection between poor sleep, junk food cravings, and unhealthy night-time snacking may represent an important way that sleep helps regulate metabolism," Grandner hypothesizes. Between 50 and 70 million U.S. individuals live with a sleep disorder, according to data from the American Sleep Association. And because, as the new study reports, sleep duration and quality and eating habits are closely linked, the effects that lack of sleep can have on a person's diet and metabolic health must be taken very seriously. Making sure that we do everything we can to have a restful night's sleep may actually help to improve our dietary habits and keep metabolic conditions at bay, the study suggests.
Weight Loss via Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness News From Medical News Today https://ift.tt/O45xlc June 4, 2018 at 11:46AM
How are liver function and cholesterol production linked?
https://ift.tt/2JpRE3z Cholesterol is a fatty molecule that is found in some foods as well as being made in the liver. There are two primary forms of cholesterol, one that is useful to the body, and one that can build up and cause health problems. What are healthy levels of cholesterol?
The liver makes most of the cholesterol in the body.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) are the two main types of cholesterol. Scientists measure levels of cholesterol in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) of blood. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest the following as healthy levels of cholesterol:
What does HDL do?HDL takes cholesterol from the cells in the body to the liver. The liver breaks it down or passes it out of the body as a waste product. This function is useful to the body, so HDL is sometimes called "good cholesterol." What does LDL do?LDL takes cholesterol from the liver to the cells. Cells use cholesterol but too much can build up in the arteries. This buildup in the arteries can cause health problems so that doctors sometimes refer to LDL as "bad cholesterol." Effects of high cholesterolWhen a person has high levels of LDL, they are often referred to as having "high cholesterol." This condition can increase the risk of developing several health problems. Cholesterol can build up in the arteries, which are the major blood vessels in the body. They can become narrower, as a result, which restricts the supply of blood and oxygen to the organs. Narrowing of the arteries can also increase the risk of blood clots. If blood flow to the heart is restricted, it can increase the risk for coronary heart disease. This includes angina, heart attacks, and heart failure. If blood flow to the brain is restricted, it can increase the risk of stroke. Can liver disease cause high cholesterol?There are many different liver diseases. Hepatitis, alcohol-related liver disease, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD are some of the most common liver diseases. Liver disease causes damage to the liver, which can mean that it is not able to work as well. One of the functions of the liver is to break down cholesterol. If the liver is not working properly, it can cause cholesterol to build up in the body. How does cholesterol impact the liver?A diet can create fat around the liver if it is high in cholesterol. This scenario can lead to NAFLD, which may result in liver damage long-term. NAFLD can increase the risk of health problems, such as a stroke or diabetes. If the condition is found and treated at an early stage, it is often possible to stop it from getting worse. A person can also reduce the amount of fat in their liver at an early stage. Diagnosing high cholesterol
A doctor may recommend a blood test if high cholesterol is suspected.
Usually, high cholesterol does not cause any symptoms. But a simple blood test measures cholesterol levels. A doctor may recommend a cholesterol test if a person has a family history of heart disease, a medical condition such as diabetes, or if they are overweight. A liver biopsy or liver function test is usually used to diagnose liver disease. A biopsy will remove a tiny piece of liver tissue to test for disease. A liver function test is a blood test that can measure proteins and enzymes in the blood. The levels of these proteins and enzymes can show if the liver is damaged. What are the treatment options?A person can make lifestyle changes and sometimes take medication to treat high cholesterol. Usually, they will be encouraged to make changes to diet and exercise first. If they are overweight, they may be advised to lose weight. A doctor may prescribe medication if these changes do not lower cholesterol after a few months. The most common medication is statins, which a person needs to take for life. Statins are drugs that block a chemical in the liver that makes cholesterol. Treatment for liver disease depends on what type of liver disease a person is experiencing. It will usually involve lifestyle changes, medication, or sometimes, a liver transplant if the liver is too damaged to function. DietDiet can help to cut the risk of developing liver disease and may reduce its impact. Keeping to a healthy weight is an essential way to maintain good overall health. What a person is recommended to eat or drink may be different for each specific liver disease. A doctor will be able to advise on diet and exercise. AlcoholA person who has alcohol-related liver disease will usually be advised to stop drinking alcohol. Eating enough protein and carbohydrates as part of a balanced diet can help maintain a healthy weight. Foods to eat and avoidCutting down on fatty foods may reduce the impact of a fatty liver or NAFLD. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and foods such as bread and potatoes that release energy slowly can help. A diet with plenty of protein is a way of obtaining adequate energy supplies without eating high-cholesterol foods. Eggs, nuts, chicken breast, and pulses are excellent sources of protein. Eating regularly and snacking between meals can be a healthful way for a person to get enough fuel. Prevention
A healthful diet is recommended to help lower cholesterol.
A person can help prevent health problems, such as damage to the liver, by reducing high levels of LDL cholesterol. They can lower cholesterol by eating a healthful diet, with plenty of fruits and vegetables. Saturated fats contain a high level of cholesterol. Many fast foods, cakes, butter, fatty meats such as sausages, full-fat cheese, and cream contain saturated fats. Taking regular exercise can help to lower a person's cholesterol. Giving up smoking can also be beneficial. TakeawayMaking changes to diet and exercise are ways a person can manage high cholesterol. And they will need to maintain these changes to avoid high cholesterol returning. The liver can repair itself up to a certain point. This means that someone may be able to reduce the damage that has been done if they discover liver disease at an early stage. Losing weight if needed, eating a healthful diet, exercising, and cutting down on alcohol can help to reduce the impact of liver disease. Weight Loss via Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness News From Medical News Today https://ift.tt/O45xlc June 4, 2018 at 06:41AM
Can we 'switch off' the pleasure of sweet tastes?
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Scientists discover how to switch off sweet and bitter tastes in the brain.
The brain associates a spectrum of thoughts, feelings, and memories with different tastes. A new study suggests that these responses exist separately within the brain and can be individually modified or even "erased." In previous research, the authors of the current study attempted to map the taste system of the brain. They found that specialized cells on the tongue send signals to different regions of the brain when they encounter each of the five tastes — sweet, bitter, salty, sour, or umami. These responses enable the brain to identify the taste and trigger relevant behaviors. "When our brain senses a taste, it not only identifies its quality, it choreographs a wonderful symphony of neuronal signals that link that experience to its context, hedonic value, memories, emotions, and the other senses, to produce a coherent response," says Charles S. Zuker, the paper's senior author. For their most recent study, Zuker and colleagues focused on the amygdala; this part of the brain is involved when we make judgments about sensory information, including information about taste. Making the brain swap sweet and bitterIn the study, the team experimented with artificially activating the sweet and bitter brain connections in mice. They found that when the brain connections for sweet taste were turned on, the mice would react to water like it was sugar. They also discovered that it was possible to manipulate brain connections in a way that made the mice interpret sweet-tasting foods as bitter and vice versa.
Wang continues, "This segregation between sweet and bitter regions in both the taste cortex and amygdala meant we could independently manipulate these brain regions and monitor any resulting changes in behavior." Interestingly, when the team "switched off" the amygdala connections without manipulating the taste cortex, they found that the animals were still able to identify tastes correctly but seemed to no longer attach taste to emotional responses. For instance, the mice would express no preference for sweet food and would not avoid bitter-tasting food. "It would be like taking a bite of your favorite chocolate cake but not deriving any enjoyment from doing so," Wang says. "After a few bites, you may stop eating, whereas otherwise, you would have scarfed it down." Isolating pleasure from eatingBecause the research suggests that the pleasure of eating food can be separated from the act of feeding and manipulated, the results could be significant when developing future treatments for eating disorders. Zuker and Wang are now researching how other brain regions might affect the taste system, including those involved in learning, memory, and coordinating motor actions. "Our goal is to piece together how those regions add meaning and context to taste," says Wang. "We hope our investigations will help to decipher how the brain processes sensory information and brings richness to our sensory experiences." Weight Loss via Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness News From Medical News Today https://ift.tt/O45xlc June 3, 2018 at 06:42AM
How Losing Her Mom to Breast Cancer Pushed This Woman Through Her 106-Lb. Weight Loss
https://ift.tt/2svmzSv Watch the full episode of People Features: How We Lost 100 Pounds! streaming now on PeopleTV.com, or download the PeopleTV app on your favorite device. Just 25 years old, Lauren Council had already given up hope of ever losing weight. After years of binge eating, and the pain of losing her mom to breast cancer when she was in high school, the Ripon, California native found herself weighing 270 lbs. “I had accepted that this was going to be my life because nothing seemed to motivate me,” Council, 26, tells PEOPLE for the 2018 “How We Lost 100 Lbs.” issue. “I was so unhappy, and I would think all the time that I was probably going to hit 300 lbs. within a couple years.” But everything changed one night in April 2017, when horrible stomach pain sent her to urgent care. “I had this pain I’d never experienced before and was up sick all night and didn’t know what was going on,” she says. “I had experienced digestive issues on and off for years, but nothing to this extreme.” A month later, Council was diagnosed with IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome, and decided — partly out of necessity — to go gluten- and dairy-free, and cut out junk food. Finally ready to make a change, she ditched the soda and candy once and for all. “I decided that was it. I was not gonna go back to my old ways,” she says. “I couldn’t live life like that, just being sick all the time. That was the wake up call I needed to finally do something about my diet and my lifestyle.” For more on Council and four more women who lost 100 lbs., pick up a copy of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday. Once she got her IBS under control, Council started working out. Inspired by her late mom, she set a goal for herself. “I wanted to lose 70 lbs. by the time I turned 27 in July 2018, because that was when I needed to start having mammograms,” she said. “I’m at a very high risk for breast cancer because I lost my mom when I was 17, and she was diagnosed at 37. I thought that would be a good motivator for me.” Council ended up meeting that goal earlier than expected — by October 2017 — and set her sights on a new goal: to drop a total of 100 lbs. by early 2018. She easily hit that one as well, in February. “I know she would be so proud of me,” Council says of her mom. “She wanted me to be the happiest I could ever be. To see her sick most of our lives with breast cancer and fighting that battle for almost 10 years — I just don’t want to have to go through what she had to go through.” She’s now working on finding a balance as she transitions to maintaining her weight loss. But Council is “incredibly excited” about her accomplishment. “It’s changed my life dramatically,” she says. “I’m so incredibly excited and happy and proud of myself to be at where I’m at today.” Council is also sharing the love by helping others reach their own weight loss goals through her Instagram account, @laurenelizhealthylivin. “From day one, I decided to post on social media because it helped me keep myself accountable, but early on, I found that it was making a difference in other people’s lives,” she says. “And even if it’s just that one person that I can help, I mean, that right there is just so incredibly rewarding.” Weight Loss via Weight Loss - Health.com https://ift.tt/2zvXHy6 June 1, 2018 at 12:27PM
'Healthy obesity' not so healthy for the heart
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Can any type of obesity ever be characterized as 'healthy?' A new study suggests that the answer might be 'no.'
Obesity tends to bring with it numerous health risks, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and several types of cancer. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, in 2013–2014, up to 40.4 percent of adult women in the United States had been diagnosed with obesity. Still, some women have what is often known as "metabolically healthy obesity," as, despite their high body mass index (BMI), they do not have many of the additional health conditions that obesity is a major risk factor for. But as specialists have pointed out, there is currently no clear definition of metabolically healthy obesity, so different studies investigating the specifics of this condition may each describe it differently. Research published recently in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology opts for a definition that characterizes it as obesity in the "simultaneous absence of hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and diabetes." The authors of this study, however, were interested in addressing a question that is a frequent point of debate when considering metabolically healthy obesity: "Does it affect the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and if so, to what extent?" Lead researcher Prof. Matthias Schulze — from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke in Nuthetal — and colleagues hypothesized that, while at first glance, obesity free of metabolic diseases may not heighten a person's risk of CVD, in the long-term, it may lead to the same negative effects on cardiovascular health as other types of obesity. Is metabolically healthy obesity 'healthy?'At first, the research team identified previous studies that had looked at the effects of metabolically healthy obesity on health, focusing on those that followed up the participants over a long period of time (over 12 years). A systematic review of these studies revealed that obesity — whether or not it is accompanied by metabolic diseases — does heighten the risk for cardiovascular conditions. To confirm these preliminary observations, Prof. Schulze and team went ahead and conducted a large cohort study involving 90,257 women — recruited using the ongoing Nurses' Health Study — who were free of CVD at baseline. The participants were then split into different health categories based on their BMIs, their baseline metabolic health status, and change in metabolic health status. Then, they were followed up for a period of 30 years (1980–2010). In order to monitor any changes in health, the women were sent questionnaires every couple of years, so they were able to report any relevant medical information. Over an average follow-up period of 24 years, 6,306 women were diagnosed with CVD, and the researchers also recorded 3,304 heart attacks, as well as the occurrence of 3,080 strokes. For their analysis, the researchers also adjusted for influencing factors, including the participants' age, levels of physical activity, smoking and drinking habits, ethnicity, aspirin use, and any family history of heart attack or diabetes. Larger CVD risk for all women with high BMIs"Our large cohort study confirms that metabolically healthy obesity is not a harmless condition, and even women who remain free of metabolic diseases for decades face an increased risk of cardiovascular events," notes Prof. Schulze. Their analysis revealed, unsurprisingly, that all women with a metabolic disease — notwithstanding BMI — were at a heightened risk of also developing a cardiovascular condition. More specifically, women with a normal BMI but who were metabolically unhealthy had a 2.5 times higher risk of CVD compared with peers with both normal weight and no metabolic conditions. As for women with metabolically healthy obesity, they had a 39 percent higher risk of CVD than healthy study participants. But the findings did not stop here. Eighty-four percent of the women who had metabolically healthy obesity at baseline, as well as 68 percent of the metabolically healthy women with a normal BMI, developed a metabolic condition over a 20-year period. "[W]e observed," Prof. Schulze goes on to say, "that most healthy women are likely to develop type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol over time, irrespective of their BMI, putting them at much higher risk for cardiovascular disease." But even the women who had managed to steer free of metabolic diseases over those 20 years nevertheless had a 57 percent higher risk of CVD if they had obesity than healthy women with a normal weight. Preventive measures always importantThe study authors note that all these observations suggest that even women who believe that they are "in the clear" when it comes to diabetes, hypertension, and — by association — CVD would do well to take preventive measures by paying more attention to their diets and exercising habits. "Long-term maintenance of metabolic health is a challenge for overweight/obese, but also for normal-weight women," Prof. Schulze says.
Still, the team admits that the study faces a number of limitations that should be taken into account. First and foremost, the authors say, it should be noted that the research only observed a set of associations, so relationships of cause and effect would benefit from further investigation. Moreover, most of the study participants were women of European descent, which may mean that women of other ethnicities, as well as men, may not encounter the same effects observed in this study. Finally, since definitions of "metabolically healthy obesity" differ between studies, other projects may reach different conclusions by working with alternative descriptions of this condition. Yet this study's most obvious strengths, note Prof. Schulze and colleagues, are the fact that it followed up a large cohort over a long period of time, and that relevant measurements were repeated as necessary. Weight Loss via Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness News From Medical News Today https://ift.tt/O45xlc June 1, 2018 at 06:50AM |
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