|
Don't fool yourself - crash dieting and "marathon" gym sessions simply don't work. Your body was never meant to be fat. And getting it back in shape is easier than you think... |
Fat Cells Are Yours For Life
By Yuri Elkaim
It has been shown that adult obesity can be attributed to 25 percent genetic origin and another 30 percent to family cultural factors. Many different factors come into play, including lifestyle, exercise habits, psychological and emotional issues, and obviously eating habits and the quality of foods eaten.
Regardless of your situation or predisposition it is always important to claim 100 percent responsibility for your life and your health. You have the power to change and alter your body in anyway shape or form, all that is required is a consistent application of result-producing habits.
Here are two major factors predicting who is at risk for obesity:
** Adults with a low basal metabolic rate (strongly familial but can be altered).
** Obese infants of obese mothers.
One of the ways in which obesity can develop is related to fat cells. Specifically, how many of them you have and how large they are.
Fat cells differ from other cells in the body in that they are greedier and more elastic than most other cells. They can hold up to 62 percent fat, while other cells contain only about 20 percent fat.
An average weight person will have 25-35 billion fat cells, while an obese person may have 100-150 billion. In response to weight gain (and an acidic body), fat cells puff up like tiny balloons to store extra fat. Like balloons, there is a limit to their capacity, but when this limit is reached a stimulus occurs resulting in the production of even more fat cells. Once fat cells have been produced, they remain in the body for life and can only be removed surgically.
It's important to remember that only during certain times in your life can the actual number of fat cells increase. Conversely, the size of your fat cells can change throughout your life. As you'll see shortly, women are unfortunately more susceptible to gaining fat and being overweight.
There are several times during the life cycle when the body is receptive to the accumulation of new fat cells. Keep in mind that these periods of time can shape who you are for the rest of your life. So be sure to make the proper food and lifestyle choices.
1. INFANCY (first 2 years of life)
The first time after birth when additional fat cells are produced is during infancy, especially during the first two years of life when the growth rate is explosive and the need for calories is high. If there is a family history of obesity, it is wise to restrict non-essential fats.
Parents beware! What you feed your child during this stage can set them up for great health and a lean body or it can predispose them to bad habits, sickness, and an easy accumulation of fat. Please do the right thing. Follow the principles laid out for you in Eating for Energy.
2. EARLY ADOLESCENCE (10-11 years of age)
In females, the body begins laying down extra fat to produce the contours of the adult woman. This is vulnerable time for fat gain since most teenagers tend to consume large amounts of processed foods loaded with sugar and bad fat.
3. PREGNANCY
During pregnancy there is a tendency to synthesize a significant number of fat cells. In fact, the first hormonal changes that occur with pregnancy redirect the mother's metabolism to fat storage and fat use, saving the carbohydrates for the developing fetus.
NOTE: Aside from pregnancy, the time between adolescence and menopause is not a natural period of fat cell number expansion.
4. POST-MENOPAUSE
The final period of possible fat cell accumulation is after menopause. Studies show that 65-75 percent of menopausal women involuntarily gain weight. This may be the result of a lack of progesterone and the consequent estrogen dominance that causes weight gain.
Yo-Yo Diets and Fat Accumulation
There is a controversy about whether fat cells can be added as a result of yo-yo diets. One theory is that starvation and "crash" diets may cause an increase in fat cell number.
There have also been reports that liposuction from one area of the body can lead to fat cell gain in other areas. The body will find ways to balance itself out. Once fat cells are formed they do not disappear with weight loss. When you lose weight they simply shrink in size, thus reducing the amount of body fat.
Thus, learning to maintain healthy eating practices is the best strategy to avoiding weight gain as you age.
Dangers of Being Overweight/Obese
Obesity is defined as having a bodyweight over 20 percent of "standard" weight, or when body fat exceeds 30 percent of body weight in women and 25 percent of body weight in men. The desirable body fat (not BMI) range is 18-28 percent and 12-16 percent for women and men, respectively.
Being overweight/obese is correlated with pretty much every disease imaginable. It obviously shortens your lifespan as well. According to the National Institutes of Health, someone who is only 10 percent above their ideal weight has a 5-15 percent likelihood of not reaching their life expectancy. Someone who weighs 100 percent above their ideal weight is a whopping 1,100 percent likely of not reaching their full life expectancy.
Other diseases related to being overweight include:
** Type II Diabetes – enlarged fat cells which then poorly bind and poorly respond to insulin.
** Asthma – more likely to develop asthma the heavier you are.
** Bone and Joint Disorders – excess pressure on hip, knee, and ankle joints.
** Heart Disease – increases in serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels
** Gall Bladder Stones – increased cholesterol content in bile
** Hypertension – the heavier you are, the harder the heart has to pump to circulate the blood.
** Various Cancers – estrogen produced by fat cells and excess energy intake may promote tumor development.
Is it really worth suffering anymore? If you've been struggling with excess weight for some time now, then it's time you try something that is different from what you've been doing.
Eating for Energy will show you strategies that you can (and should) fit into your life. Learn the eating secrets that keep nature's animals fit and free of obesity and disease. It's time to stop the insanity.
