Managing the Battle of the Bulge :: Food and Nutrition

Managing the Battle of the Bulge
by author Julian Whitaker

More than one-third of Canadian adults are overweight and 15 percent are clinically obese, reports Health Canada.

A 2001 study of nearly 10,000 people found that obesity, a greater risk to health than smoking, is linked to our most common killers - heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Why We’re Getting Fat - and staying Fat

The reason behind the obesity epidemic is simple: we’re eating too much and exercising too little. Storing fat is an evolutionary instinct, honed in our distant past when food was not an everyday commodity. The ability to store fat for use in times of scarcity ensured survival. Today, however, our virtually unlimited access to food, combined with a sedentary lifestyle, has given us the perfect recipe for obesity.

Still, some people can eat with abandon and not gain a pound, while others struggle with their weight. It isn’t a matter of willpower over weakness. Research has shown that food cravings are more intense (and more disastrous) for some people than for others because dozens of genes, hormones, and brain chemicals influence appetite and metabolism.

Metabolic Mayhem

We are not powerless against nature, however. We can help or hurt ourselves. For example, we wreak havoc on our metabolism by going on extremely low-calorie diets with fewer than 800 calories per day, impairing our ability to maintain a healthy weight. The same “fat-hoarding” instinct that gave our ancestors the evolutionary edge in times of scarcity sabotages our efforts to lose weight. The weight comes off rapidly at first, but our metabolism slows down to make up for the calorie loss.

Unfortunately, because our metabolic rate stays depressed for up to two months (even after normal eating begins), when we do return to a normal diet, we gain weight rapidly, often beyond our original weight. This yo-yo effect is particularly destructive, because those new fat cells stay forever. Weight variations from repeated diet attempts have been linked to high levels of heart disease and mortality.

Healthful hints for staying slim

With a little effort you can work with your metabolism, not against it. Take these simple steps to help prevent weight gain and preserve your health.

Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. If you make an effort to eat five nutrient- and fibre-rich plant foods each day, you will naturally and effortlessly eat less of everything else.
Eat some soy foods. Soy has been shown to promote insulin sensitivity, which helps keep blood sugar levels healthy and your metabolism working smoothly.
Add freshly ground flax seed to your meals. Flax is high in fibre, which provides bulk, helps you feel full, and aids in digestion. Flax also helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels, making it an excellent food for anyone trying to lose or maintain weight.

These steps, in addition to the obvious fat fighters - eating less and exercising more - will help you win the battle of the bulge.

Julian Whitaker, MD, is founder of the Whitaker Wellness Institute Medical Clinic in Newport Beach, California. He has written eight books, including (Warner Books). For more information, visit or call 1-800-539-8219. For more information, please visit .

Source: alive #255, January 2004

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