The City-County Observer is excited to announce it’s new bi-weekly health and wellness column by Dr. Roy M. Arnold. Dr. Arnold is a Cum Laude graduate of the University of Alabama School of Medicine. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Disease. Dr. Arnold also carries a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Chapman University in Orange, California. He has over 20 years of experience in Wellness and Preventative Medicine and also served 11 years in the United States Air Force where he receive specialty training in Aerospace medicine, tropical and occupational diseases, combat casualty care, as well as in advanced trauma care.
More recently Dr. Arnold has worked as Chief Medical Officer of many Health plans, which has kept him up to date in Internal Medicine and in every aspect of Preventative care. The doctor has been focused on getting his new concierge practice, 21st Century Healthcare, operational and is excited by the possibilities of the changing landscape that is American medicine. From 2009 to 2012 Dr. Arnold has been selected as one of America’s Top Physicians by the Consumers’ Research Council of America. Please help us give Dr. Arnold a warm welcome as he brings us up-to-date medical advice and news of medical discoveries and breakthroughs relevant to the well being of us all and be sure to keep an eye out every other week for new articles!
Obesity: Which Diet is the Best for You?
More than 60% of the adult US population is overweight and at least 36% of adults are obese. Obesity is associated with increased health risks such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancers, easily making obesity the number one health problem in the US. Annual medical costs for obesity in 2008 were estimated to be $148 Billion with annual costs of $1429 more than individuals of normal weight.
Achieving a healthy weight is not about following a fad diet or eating specially prepared foods. It involves a fundamental change in dietary habits and exercise frequency that balances nutritional intake and energy expenditure. No medication or dietary supplement can promise sustained weight loss without significant changes in caloric intake and exercise pattern.
Having said all of this, what has caused the obesity epidemic in the USA? The causes are multiple but can mainly be attributed to more sedentary lifestyle, increased consumption of processed foods high in carbohydrates and calories and increased portion size like 44oz sodas, supersized fries and double everything. We are incessantly bombarded with advertising for fast food, all-you-can eat buffets, free drink refills, two-for-one pizzas and never-ending breadsticks.
With the emphasis on prevention of heart disease, the public has been led to believe that low-fat equals healthy. This may not be necessarily so as many low-fat processed foods contain high levels of carbohydrates and sweeteners including high-fructose corn syrup.
It would be instructive at this point to explore how the body actually handles digestion and absorption of nutrients. The 3 major sources of dietary nutrition are carbohydrates, fat and protein.Carbohydrates such as sugar and starch are broken down in the intestine into simple sugars like glucose and absorbed directly into the bloodstream. The body senses this and releases insulin from the pancreas. Insulin is a hormone responsible for regulating the blood sugar content. It does this by promoting the conversion of glucose into fat which is stored in the body as “love handles†and “belly fat.†Carbohydrate consumption in the form of simple sugars found in sweets, baked goods and soft drinks, or more complex carbohydrates in wheat flour, cereal, potatoes and white rice is quickly absorbed and promotes fat deposition if it isn’t used for fueling muscular activity. A common misconception is that high fat consumption makes one fat, when in fact it is more likely the carbohydrates that promote body fat accumulation.
Dietary fat is a rich source of calories and fats from animal sources can contribute to elevated blood fat concentrations which in turn can promote heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. Nutritionists suggest that most of the dietary fat consumption should come from either plants (nuts, olive oil and avocados) or from poultry and fish. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish can be particularly beneficial in preventing cardiovascular events.
Proteins are long chains of smaller building blocks call amino acids. The body must completely break down proteins into individual amino acids in order to absorb them. This fact completely negates the claims of certain foods that they contain, “fat-burning enzymes†that will promote rapid weight loss. While there may be enzymes in the food, they are completely destroyed before they are absorbed into the bloodstream. Once absorbed, the amino acids are used to build different proteins such as muscle, enzymes and immune proteins.
Because of the preponderance of carbohydrates in the American diet, energy expenditure doesn’t use all of them for fuel and obesity results. The solution? Eat less and move around more. Beyond that, what you eat makes a world of difference. We need to make a fundamental and permanent shift in our diet to more vegetables and fruit, more fiber and fewer carbohydrates. There are two different dietary regimens that are effective and are gaining in popularity: The Mediterranean diet and The Paleo diet.
People who live around the Mediterranean region tend to live longer and have a lower prevalence of heart disease and stroke. Their diet is high in fiber, emphasizes fruit and vegetables, and relies mainly on fish and poultry for protein. Most of the fats consumed are from plant origin – olives and olive oil, avocados and nuts. What carbohydrates are consumed are whole grains and high in fiber. A good website to learn more is http://advancedmediterraneandiet.com.
The Paleo diet operates on the principal that while humans have developed agriculture and livestock farming in the last 10,000 years, our metabolism hasn’t changed from that time when humans lived as hunters and gatherers. This diet places strong emphasis on avoiding grains like rice, corn and wheat products, and dairy. There is heavy emphasis on protein and fat intake and upon fresh vegetables and fruits that are high in fiber. This diet restricts carbohydrates significantly and may result in faster weight loss. A good website for learning more is http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/10/04/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet.
Whichever diet you choose, increasing you amount of exercise is also important. Try to exercise aerobically 150 minutes per week either through running, brisk walking, bicycling, swimming, treadmill or elliptical. Strength training and core training are also very important. Strength training improves upper body strength through weight lifting, resistance bands or pushups. Core training strengthens the abdominal muscles using situps, crunches, planks or yoga.
In all situations, please seek the advice of your primary healthcare provider before embarking on a diet or exercise regimen to determine the right plan for you. Start slowly and increase your exercise as you can tolerate. Good luck and stay healthy!
