The mainstream solution to weight gain and obesity is diet and exercise. In particular we are told that limiting the energy intake through an energy restricted diet, in combination with a further deficit of energy created through exercise is the only way to lose body weight. Such a contention is provably false, and has shown to be erroneous in the nutritional literature (here and here). However, the contention that an energy restricted diet and exercise can cause weight loss is also disingenuous because losing weight is not the ultimate goal. Successful reversal of weight gain, really involves improvements in body composition, and this involves a simultaneous loss of body fat and an increase in skeletal muscle. Diet and exercise may cause decreases in the body weight of obese and overweight individuals, but this is often at the expense of large amounts of skeletal muscle (up to 50 %) that can reduce the resting metabolic rate and cause significant deteriorations in the underlying foundation of lean body tissue.
A high quality diet is essential to successful long term weight loss, as it addresses the underlying cause of weight gain, which is a poor quality diet containing metabolic poisons. However, having the correct underlying hormonal health is pivotal to this success because these hormones dictate the condition of the tissues under which the improvements in body composition can occur. For example, insulin is the most anabolic hormone in animals. It is not possible to oxidise fat under conditions of high insulin levels because insulin stimulates anabolic pathways, such as fatty acid and triglyceride synthesis pathways, that are concerned with accruing energy in tissues. Those with high levels of fasting insulin, are therefore in a situation whereby they are unable to oxidise fat effectively as the underlying signal is one of fat storage. Lowering insulin levels, both fasting and postprandial is therefore a necessary step in the process of improving body composition. Yes, the anabolism of insulin is important, but it must be transient and controlled.
Hormonal systems interact and one cannot be effected without a subsequent knock on effect to other systems. Hormonal health has been covered in a book by Dr Michael Colgan, which is well worth reading for those interested in maintaining hormonal conditional necessary for good health.
Another hormone that is pivotal to body composition improvements in testosterone, particularly in men. The middle age spread seen in the fifth decade of life in many men is due in large part to a slow decline in testosterone production after the age of 30. Testosterone is another anabolic hormone that is required for the building and maintenance of skeletal muscle. As levels decline, the amount of skeletal muscle also declines and this in turn significantly reduces the resting metabolic rate. The energy intake required for normal metabolic function therefore also declines and this can increase the likelihood of weight gain with lower quality foods. Maintaining testosterone production is therefore pivotal to maintaining correct body composition, and this can be achieved through testosterone stimulating activities such as resistance training. This decline in testosterone is inevitable for both men and women, but it is important to minimise the rate of this decline in order to preserve the maximum amount of lean tissue.
Exercise can be a stressor that leads to the production and release or cortisol. However, it can also stimulate the release of testosterone, which can have beneficial effects on health. Finding the balance between stressing the system and ensuring the optimal synthesis and release of testosterone is a tightrope walked by those who exercise. Stress in daily life will also play a role in this balancing act because stress is cumulative and the additional stress from daily living can significantly reduce the ability to withstand exercise stress. Of the exercise types, high intensity resistance training is the best exercise for testosterone production.
Cortisol is a hormone that is released in response to perceived stressors. These stressors can vary depending on the individuals and stress is therefore subjective. However, know common stressors include lack of sleep, insecurity and overcrowding. Therefore stress is a common problem in the modern World which can have detrimental effect. One of the side effects of stress is a resistance to insulin which can raise insulin levels and cause the accumulation of body fat. Continual high levels of stress hormones may therefore detrimentally affect the ability to effectively control insulin levels. This last point also nicely illustrates the interactivity of these hormonal systems. One system cannot be effected without another also being affected and a loss of health is typified by a gradual loss of control over an increasing number of these hormonal systems. Maintaining hormonal health through high quality diets, high intensity exercise and the avoidance of stress is therefore pivotal to not only health but also weight loss.
Eat Well, Stay Healthy and Protect Yourself
RdB
