While I am interested in many aspects of health, and in particular
providing information that individuals can use to exert more control
over their health and wellbeing, I do confess to having a particular
interest in weight loss. One reason for this is that its an issue that
is quite commonly on people's mind. As our collective weight and
waistlines expand, so does the number of people wanting to shed their
excess baggage. The other reason why I have an interest in this area
concerns what I believe to be a misguided approach to weight loss based
on the calorie principle.
I go through the detail of this in my latest book (Waist Disposal). You
can read what I believe to be the major issues here
<http://www.drbriffa.com/blog/2010/04/19/my-new-book-waist-disposal-now-available/>.
For those not inclined to go back and read this earlier post, here's the
key points transcribed:
"Conventional advice dictates that weight loss depends on simply
eating less or exercising more. Curiously, though, research reveals
that there is no good evidence that either of these approaches leads
to sustained, meaningful weight loss. The normal retort is that
failed slimmers must be 'cheating'. But could the real reason for
failure here be not self-delusion, but a fundamental problem with
the calorie-based theory of weight loss?
For example, one reason why eating less may not be effective for
long term weight loss is that it can cause the metabolism to stall
(if you don't put much fuel on a fire, it doesn't burn so well).
Plus, calorie-conscious individuals tend to cut the fat in favour or
carbohydrate. However, it is carbohydrate that is mainly responsible
for the secretion of insulin – the hormone that is chiefly
responsible for the deposition of fat in the body.
Another problem with eating less is, well, hunger. And while we
might be able to put with this for awhile, in the long term going
hungry makes conventional approaches to weight loss quite
unsustainable."
The bottom line is that the way we conventionally think about weight
loss (based on the calorie principle) makes significant, sustained
weight loss hard to achieve. And I'm not into making this hard for
people. I genuinely believe in helping individuals achieve their health
goals easily. And that's a major motivation behind me not perpetuating
the calorie principle mantra that so often causes people to end up
hungry and demoralised (and, usually, overweight too).
As I wrote in the blog post linked to above:
"In reality, the key to successful, sustainable weight loss is to
eat a diet that truly satisfies (so no hunger), but at the same time
induces relatively little in the way of insulin."
What this means, essentially, is eating a relatively low-carb,
protein-rich diet based on meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, vegetables and
some fruit. It's a 'primal' or 'paleo' diet. It's eating a bit like a
caveman (or cavewoman). For most people, successful weight loss in the
long term is really is as simple (and as easy) as that.
Because I like things to be easy, I'm interested in little tricks and
tools that can aid individuals achieving their health goals with minimal
effort. Getting a bit more sleep (by getting into bed a bit earlier) and
getting more sun exposure are examples of this. But getting back to the
weight loss theme, I was interested to read a recent study which
examined the effects of supplementing women with nutrients, in terms of
the apparent effect of this on, among other things, weight and fatness [1].
About 100 overweight (average body mass index 28) women aged 18-55 were
treated with one of the folowing:
1. a multivitamin and mineral tablet
2. calcium (162 mg per day)
3. a placebo (inactive medication)
The study lasted a total of six months. A number of measurements were
taken including body weight, body mass index (BMI), fat mass and waist
circumference.
Those taking the multivitamin and mineral, compared to those taking
placebo, saw significant falls in body weight, BMI and fat mass.
Why? Well, another measure monitored in this study was 'resting energy
expenditure' (the amount of energy consumed by the body at rest). This
was found to be up in the group taking the multivitamin and mineral.
This finding suggests that taking the nutrient supplement sparked a
little more life into the metabolisms of the ladies in this study.
Perhaps of some significance is the fact that those taking the
multivitamin and mineral saw a fall in a physiological measurement known
as the 'respiratory quotient'. This is assessed by measuring the amount
of oxygen an individual uses and comparing that with the amount of
carbon dioxide they release in their breath. Respiratory quotients vary
between 0.7 and 1.0. Lower values suggest better fat-burning in the
cells. Although the fall in the respiratory quotient seen in those
taking a multivitamin and mineral did not quite reach statistical
significance, this finding suggests that nutrient supplementation might
have the potential to enhance fat-burning in the body.
Now, this is one study, and it was done in women (and not men), so I
don't think we're at a stage where we can recommend nutrient
supplementation as some sort of fat loss panacea. However, the idea that
nutrient supplementation might aid weight control and fat burning is not
too far-fetched: the reactions that convert food into energy in the body
depend, to a degree, on 'co-factors', many of which are nutrients found
in multivitamin and mineral supplements.
*References:*
1. Li Y, et al. Effects of multivitamin and mineral supplementation on
adiposity, energy expenditure and lipid profiles in obese Chinese women.
International Journal of Obesity (2010) 34, 1070-1077
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