Friday, August 04, 2017

Weight Loss Article in Time Magazine, June 9,2017

An article in Time by Alexandra Sifferlin is about how weight loss varies among different people. Scientists and doctors have not figured out which diet, such as low-carbohydrate or lo-fat, works best for people. An increasing amount of Americans are overweight: 71% are overweight and 40% are obese. In one study, the same amount of people lost weight in each of two groups put in a low-carbohydrate or low-fat diet experienced , and the same amount of people gaining it back. In fact, people who lose weight keep it off for about 5.5 years and then gain it back. The simple adage of burn more calories than  you eat may not work for everyone.

More than 10,000 people are registered in the Brown University National weight Control Registry. Many of them report trying different diets before losing weight. they tend to eat breakfast and watch less than 10 hours of television  a week. Dr. Rena Wing, a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, runs the study. According to her, no two people in the study lost weight in exactly the same way. 

Genes may have something to do with weight gain and loss. Experts have identified more than 100 genetic markers that are linked to weight, but they say that these account for about 3% of differences between people's sizes. Scientists are also exploring how weight gain may be associated with chemicals in everyday items such as mattresses and store receipts may be interfering with the normal functioning of hormones by mimicking them. An individual's microbe environment on or in their bodies may also influence weight.

This study to me shows how it is important to know yourself and your body to see what diet and - or exercise regime works best for you. It is also important to get off a plateau in dieting or exercise. If you do something for too long, your body gets used to it and it has less of an effect.

The article can be found at http://time.com/4793832/the-weight-loss-trap/.

Check out Pocket Guide to Fitness on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=louiza+patsis

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