Fat Loss
Most people today are aware of the importance of fat loss as obesity or just being overweight can contribute to significant health problems. Obesity, which may be thought of as excess energy in the form of fat, has serious consequences on health and life expectancy. Obesity in many countries is now considered by many to be akin to an epidemic.
It should be noted that not all fat is bad and that a healthy person requires a substantial store of fat in their bodies in order to function correctly which amounts to approximately 15 % in men and up to 25 % in women.
Obesity has also been linked to serious medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer as well as minor but still troubling conditions such as excessive sweating which can be attributed to a smaller ratio of skin to body mass.
Sweat and other secretions in the folds of skin intermix to produce a breeding ground for disease-producing organisms. For those of us that are overweight the biggest threats to health comes from the effects upon the major body systems.
One of the biggest threats comes from diabetes. Your body obtains sugar from the food you eat. The sugar passes along the bloodstream making it available where required. Blood sugar levels are controlled by the hormone insulin which is manufactured by the pancreas. Blood sugar is help in the liver and other organs. But when their holding capacity is exceeded insulin moves sugar into fat cells in the form of a fat called triglyceride.
Consequently in some obese individuals the pancreas produces more and more insulin. The pancreas may enlarge as the obesity gets worse, and the body becomes less sensitive to insulin. When the insulin mechanism is swamped blood sugar levels rise and the result is the condition we know as diabetes.
Their is a direct correlation between weight increase and the increase in the number of people suffering from diabetes.
If it you are obese it takes more energy to breathe due to the weight of fat upon the chest. The heart needs to work hard in order to pump blood to the lungs and to the excess fat tissue around the body. Scientists have discovered that being overweight affects the size of the heart. This enlargement of the heart is referred to as left ventricle hypertrophy. This condition can result in high blood pressure and erratic heartbeats.
Blood vessels shrink in the obese and consequently the heart is forced to pump harder, and blood pressure rises. High blood pressure carries a multitude of risks, including stroke, kidney failure, and heart attack.
It has been shown that people that are overweight are twice as likely to develop high blood pressure than those of normal weight. Roughly about one quarter of all heart and blood vessel problems are related to obesity.
The distribution of fat deposits may be a better indicator of a life threatening condition than mere weight comparisons with weight-height charts. Research has shown that abdominal fat is more often associated with heart disease than fat in the thighs or buttocks.
Weight loss alone even without exercise can result in a diminished risk of heart disease. Weight loss is a better regulator of cardiac structure than using drugs to lower blood pressure. Obesity in men contributes to angina and sudden death even when not accompanied by high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol.
Regular vigorous exercise such as running or swimming, can help reduce high blood pressure. Exercise can also alter the metabolism of the obese allowing them to burn calories at a greater rate. It can also condition their hunger mechanisms, making it easier for them to diet.
Both bone and cartilage need the stress of exercise in order to function normally. The inactivity that often goes hand in hand with obesity can worsen the degenerative joint disease known as osteoarthritis. The additional strain that obesity puts on weight-bearing joints can worsen arthritis of the hips, knees and ankles.
Research has shown that body fat can be a storehouse for carcinogenic substances in both women and men and individuals 40% or more above average weight suffer from a higher death rate from cancer. In men this will usually be from cancer of the colon and rectum, while in women deaths are caused by cancer of the gallbladder, breast, cervix, uterus and ovaries. The source of calories seems to play as important a role as the excess amount particularly in cancer of the breast and uterus.
There is now overwhelming evidence that many health problems are associated with obesity. For diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and high blood pressure, research has show that the obese can lower their risks to the levels associated with people of normal weight by engaging in a fat loss program.
A popular program that has been launched by Dr. Suzanne Gudakunst is "Fat Loss Secret". This differs from many fat loss programs by stressing the importance of the plaque which lines the surface of the gut and how this can be removed. You can read about this unique fat loss program "Fat Loss Secret" which differs from many other similar programs by concentrating on methods for removing the plaque that adheres to the lining of your gut. You can read more about this fat loss program here.