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STRESS FACTORS AND WEIGHT LOSS

by Administrator 5. August 2008 11:03
There is an interesting association between stress, smoking sex steroid hormones and weight management The sex steroid hormone called oestrogen is primarily responsible for reproductive function and women have higher levels compared with men. 

Interestingly the function of this very important hormone is not restricted to reproduction only but is also critically involved in coordination of body composition and hence weight management, through its regulation of certain digestive enzymes. Additionally oestrogen is responsible for the peripheral distribution of fat in contrast to the central or abdominal deposition, which is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. It appears the sex steroid hormone interacts with other chemicals all working together to regulate body weight.

There appears to be a link between the intensity of exercise and the sex steroid hormones, and could be the reason why moderate intensity exercise is what is required to ensure weight loss as described elsewhere in this site. Rising sex steroid hormone concentration seems to be related to suppression of appetite and also redistribution of body fat, from abdominal areas to the hip/buttock thus decreasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.   Thus the normal function of the sex steroid hormones is critical for healthy living. Unfortunately in the presence of stress, there is an alteration in the way the sex steroid hormone works. The sex steroid hormones are blunted and all the benefits lost. 

 The cigarette smoke contains at least 400 different chemical one of which is nicotine. In the presence of nicotine, the sex steroid hormones are blunted and all benefits compromised. Consequently stressful situations in people’s lives as well as smoking are important issues which hamper successful weight loss.

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The Role of Exercise in Obesity Control

by Administrator 5. August 2008 10:57

Healthy and sustainable weight loss is not a fantasy, but achievable in only THOSE WHO DESIRE  IT AND DEMONSTRATE THIS DESIRE WITH A LONG TERM COMMITMENT TO THE RIGHT APPROACH.

It is impossible to achieve a healthy life, with increased life expectancy without exercise.  Remember the human heart begins beating from 5 weeks gestation in the womb, and without taking any break, continues to work until you die.  The only way to keep the heart muscle healthy is nothing short of exercising the heart muscle to pump efficiently without strain.

Thus regular exercise induces cardiovascular adaptations that promote a healthy heart and hence longevity.  Overweight and obesity problems put excessive demands on the heart making it prone to failure and premature death. It is obvious therefore that without appropriate exercise it is impossible to attain the healthy body we dream of.

The human body was created, very dynamic in its design and function contrary to what the evolutionary theory makes us understand.  Without an understanding of this concept it is impossible to realise that the body restricts fat utilisation in accordance to a pre-programmed weight according to one's own eating habits.  Adipose cells are laid during three phases of life; the last trimester of pregnancy, the first year of life and during the adolescent growth spurt period. This critically determines the potential for overweight problems subject to lifestyle patterns.   Your general lifestyle then determines the ease with which fat cells can be burnt for weight loss purposes.

It is therefore imperative that without a sustained increased energy demand from a regular moderate intensity exercise lifestyle pattern, it is easy for the human brain to manipulate the energy equation (see the section on dieting) without utilising stored fat. Note that the brain is reluctant to authorise the use of stored fat, it needs that in the even of any crises where you are unable to feed. 

Even though  it is possible to achieve weight loss by avoiding the natural and physiological way through exercise and reducing total energy intake, and using either drugs or weird dieting (unbalanced ), such weight loss is temporal.  Such  'crises weight loss' often involves muscle brakdown and water loss and not fat cell loss.

It is important to realise that even for exercise to induce an acceptable healthy weight loss a critical level of work load /intensity needs to be attained, and done regularly.  This level of exercise intensity induces hormonal changes that involve fatmobilasaion and other parameters for improved health. Anything short of this results in a temporal weight loss which is often regained typically with vengeance.  This explains why mere walking has little or no effect on weight that has already been gained.  Remember over 95% of all those who lose weight put it back on.

To understand more about the type of exercise, its intensity, frequency and duration that is beneficial for sustainable weight loss, and for the management of Type II diabetes AND OTHER CHRONIC DISEASES(such as hypertension, sexual dysfunction) why not register with Dr Ben's Sustainable Weight Loss Programme  and increase your life expentancy.

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Obesity | Exercise

Why Weight Loss is Difficult to Maintain

by Administrator 5. August 2008 05:38
 
1. Habit of excess calorie intake; A lot of people have developed the habit of excess food intake, and given that habits are difficult to break, it makes managing obesity problematic.

 2. Defective fat regulating hormone (leptin) by resistance and transport failure:

As previously stated the fat regulating hormone (leptin) acts by inducing loss of appetite when the level of body fat is high. In some individuals this hormone that regulates appetite can become ineffective either due to resistance often caused by large calorie, high fat food intake or failure of transport of the hormone leptin to the brain to stimulate the appetite regulating centre of the brain. Occasionally there may be a structural defect in the hormone hence unable to work efficiently. Under these circumstances the body loses it ability to control appetite and help control weight. 

3. Set point for leptin /adiposity: Each individual has a set point for the fat regulating hormone leptin determined by a certain level of body fat at which there is a trigger for the hormone leptin to be released to act and reduce appetite. In leptin resistance the set point is elevated and makes control of obesity difficult. Thus the more you eat high calories / high fat diets the more you induce leptin resistance and the more to compound your ability to control your weight.

4. Drastic weight reduction not effective: It is documented that 95% of people who lose weight regain it because most obese people employ drastic measures to lose weight.   Obesity is a chronic disease and successful management cannot be achieved over a short time, but rather through an effective long-term management programme involving full participation of individuals who must accept long term lifestyle changes if meaningful success is desired.
     5.   A decrease in calorie intake is often results in a reduction in the basal metabolic
           rate. Any extra calories taken over and above this new reduced basal metabolic rate is then stored as fat.
6.   Diet or Exercise alone doesn’t work, but must involve a combination of appropriate physical activity status and appropriate dietary control. Dieting alone causes the brain to give the interpretation of the presence of famine and hence manipulates the Voluntary utilization of stored fat is similar to the temptation to spend purposeful money savings for a specific ‘big project’ energy equation. Additionally increased physical activity would demand supply of extra energy supply. In view of the reluctance to utilize stored energy, the brain would modify basal metabolism especially cutting energy supply to less important cells/tissues in an effort to try not to utilize the stored fat. It appears that unless the physical activity and its demand for energy supply hits a critical high threshold stored fat will not be utilized.
7.   Wrong type of exercise / wrong diet. Some dietary regimes proposed for weight management involve either restricted carbohydrate or fat intake. Long-term use of such regimes would result in malnutrition because the diet is not balanced. Such practices are unhealthy generally. 
8.    Lack of emotional support. The obese woman needs the support of family and friends to achieve success. Words of encouragement are key to keep the level of motivation high to keep up working on weight management.

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About the author

Following the understanding I have gained after my PhD work in Exercise Physiology I have taken up the challenge to stop the increasing trend of obesity.  This desire led to the birth of Dr Ben's Sustainable Weight Loss programmes aimed at reversing the trends in childhood and adult overweight and obesity problems.

Dr Benjamin Dadebo BSc. MB.ChB, MSc(Sports Med) PhD( Exercise Physiology)

Clinical Director, Dr Ben's Sustainable Weight Loss Programme

Dr Ben's Health Solutions Ltd

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