Weight Loss Toronto

Weight. More specifically being thin is closely associated with beauty, looking good and individual self esteem. All too often, our perception of beauty is derived from a collection of the hundreds of thousands of images each one of us sees over our lifetime.

These images, put in our face and at our fingertips by the media as well as the fashion and beauty industry, are not always images depicting overall health and wellness. What is more troubling are the mixed messages all of us receive from the media and our celebrity obsessed popular culture. It has left me wondering are North American’s thin, or are we obese?

According to the World Health Organization obesity has become more prevalent than ever before in North America. In fact the rate of obesity has grown so rapidly that experts have begun to describe this trend as an epidemic. Given the numerous serious health consequences associated with obesity, this terminology is not completely misplaced.

Rate of Obesity	Canada	USA	Mexico
Male	28.4%	42.3%	30.3%
Female	29.5%	48.6%	44.2%

Achieving overall wellness including a healthy body weight is a tug of every person faces over the course of a life time. Are we supposed to be as thin as the models we see everywhere from bus shelters, magazines and billboards? Or are we supposed to buy the burgers, fries and milkshakes advertised every second commercial on TV?

Recently a shift has taken place in the focus of some marketers. One such example is Dove with their Campaign for Real Beauty, which featured a number of television commercials illustrating the unhealthy images and beauty ideals the industry has been spoon feeding children and adults on a daily basis. The kicker…“No wonder our concept of beauty is distorted”. It is no wonder and personally, thinking about it…makes me want some chocolate!

Thankfully for people everywhere one voice of reason may help to encourage others! What people should be focused on is being healthy instead of thin. Given the 10 most common health side effects of obesity and their severity, a shift from ‘vanity insanity’ in favour of healthy living are sure to help us all avoid the following potentially fatal repercussions.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease that affects the body’s ability to produce or use the hormone insulin correctly. There are two different types of Diabetes known as type 1 and type 2. Over 90% of all diabetes cases are type 2 which is strongly linked to obesity and physical inactivity. If left untreated high blood sugar levels and diabetes can cause heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, leg and foot amputations and complications during pregnancy.

Currently there are 17 million American’s livings with diabetes and another 6 million are unaware that they have the disease. Carrying extra body weight and body fat are directly related to the development of type 2 diabetes, as almost 90% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight.² Research studies have found that lifestyle changes and even small amounts of weight loss (5-10%) can prevent and even delay the development of type 2 diabetes in high risk adults. Managing your weight is the best thing you can do to prevent the development of diabetes.

Stroke

Stroke is a type of cardiovascular disease; it affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. There are 2 types of stroke one in which a blood vessel within the brain clogs (approximately 83% of all cases)⁴ and the other occurs when a blood vessel ruptures (approximately 17% of all cases). Stroke can be caused by a number of factors including high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, physical inactivity and obesity.

In 2002 researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston determined for certain that obesity is a measurable risk factor for stroke in men. The study which lasted 12 years involved 21, 414 physicians who had their BMI recorded. In all 747 strokes were recorded. Researchers were able to determine using this information those men with a BMI equal to or greater than 30 increase their risk of stroke 6% with each unit increase of BMI (approximately 7.4 pounds for a 6 foot tall male).

Another great way to assess your risk for stroke is by using waist circumference. Taking a measurement of your waist circumference is a strong way to predict your risk for both heart and stroke. For women the recommended waist measurement is no larger than 35 inches or 32 inches for people of Chinese or South Asian descent. For men the recommended waist measurement is no larger than 40 inches or 35 inches for people of Chinese or South Asian descent.

Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis are debilitating conditions that can, depending on the severity, severely cripple people, causing pain and detracting from overall quality of life. Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis are the most common joint disorders with symptoms in the hands, knees, hips, back and neck. Being overweight increases the weight placed on joints such as the knee, ultimately hastening the breakdown of cartilage. Overweight women have nearly four times the risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee, and overweight men have a five time greater risk of developing OA.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea is defined as the cessation of breathing during sleep for at least 10 seconds. The most common form of Sleep Apnea is called obstructive Sleep Apnea. It is a potentially life threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention.

Sleep Apnea has a strong association with several diseases but is particularly related to the heart and circulatory system. Obesity is the cause of Sleep Apnea in some cases due to the deposition of fatty cells in throat tissue narrowing the airway.

Gallbladder Disease

The gallbladder is part of a special system that has evolved to help the human body digest fat. The gallbladder holds bile and bile is essential to the emulsification of fat. The most common disorder of the gallbladder is gallstones. Gallstones occur frequently in developed countries and may be associated with eating a diet high in fat and refined carbohydrates.

Obesity and being overweight are both significant risk factors for gallstones. In such cases the liver over produces cholesterol, which is delivered into the bile causing it to become supersaturated. Diets high in saturated fats and refined sugars are the primary culprit. Weight cycling (rapid weight loss and rapid weight gain) can further increase cholesterol production in the liver causing gallstones to form.

Birth Defects

Pre-Pregnancy BMI has a strong association with certain birth defects. An American study conducted out of the University of Texas, involving 10,249 women found that women who are obese prior to pregnancy are at a higher risk of having a baby with certain birth defects, including missing limbs, malformed hearts and underdeveloped spinal cords.

Obese women have higher rates of premature birth, are more likely to develop gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. The U.S. study found that there were 7 birth defects that were more common among obese mothers, they include:

• Spina Bifida: or the incomplete development of the brain and spinal cord.
• Heart defects: May include malformation of valves or leaks.
• Anorectal Atresia: A malformation of the anal opening.
• Hypospadias: abnormally placed urethral opening in males.
• Limb reduction defects: May include small or missing toes, fingers, arms or legs.
• Diaphragmatic Hernia: An opening in the diaphragm that allows abdominal organs to move into the chest cavity (may also result in underdeveloped lungs).
• Omphalocele: When the intestines or other abdominal organs protrude through that navel.

Infertility

Being overweight or obese can lead to infertility. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one such condition that is strongly associated with obesity. Women with PCOS have ovaries that produce high levels of male hormones, particularly testosterone. Women with PCOS tend to have absent periods and have an increased rate of type 2 diabetes and blood sugar abnormalities. All of which decrease the likelihood of conception and a healthy full term pregnancy.

An imbalanced level of male hormones inside a women’s body results in low levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) being produced. Without FSH stimulating egg production the follicles in the ovaries swell with fluid and form cysts, this process with repeat itself every time an egg become trapped. This can cause severe complications sometimes causing the ovary to swell to the size of a grapefruit.

Lower Back Pain
People who carry an increased amount of weight especially around the belly tend to report lower back pain more frequently than people of normal weight. In fact a recent report found that obese people who underwent gastric bypass surgery reported 44% less lower back pain, six months after undergoing surgery.

The study completed at the University of Southern California was presented at the American Association of Neurological Surgeons meeting. The average amount of weight loss for each patient was 85 pounds.

Depression

Obesity has been associated with a significant increase in lifetime diagnosis of major depression, particularly in women. According to a study that involved 9,125 obese respondents one 1:21 respondent had been diagnosed with major depression, 1:47 people had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and 1:27 people had been diagnosed with a panic disorder or agoraphobia.

The risk for developing depression due to obesity seems to be more prevalent among white, college graduates. Therefore, obesity is associated with a 25% increase in the odds of developing a mood or anxiety disorder. This correlation between the higher risk factor for depression among obese, white, educated people is believed to be attached with the stigma of obesity, illustrating that obesity is less socially acceptable within different socio-cultural groups.

Gastric Reflux or GERD

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a digestive malady that affects the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). GERD can cause injury to the esophagus due to chronic exposure to stomach acid. When GERD occurs the muscle connecting the esophagus with the stomach the LES, allows food to pass back up into the esophagus.

One of the most common causes of GERD in both men and women is obesity. Both obesity and GERD are highly prevalent diseases in Western societies. A 2003 Scandinavian study, one of the largest of its kind found that people who are overweight or obese may be up to six times more likely to suffer from GERD than a normal weight counterpart. The same study indicated that the higher the BMI of the patient the worse the reflux symptoms.

Obesity and even being just being a little overweight is without a doubt, one of foremost causes of many preventable conditions and illnesses. While being underweight has its share of problems associated with it as well, it is about time people stop looking at weight through a lens of vanity and start associating weight with overall health. After all a healthy body has no specific shape or size, just an owner who cares for it.

Weight Loss Toronto