Weight Loss: A Scientific Approach to Control Obesity

What is obesity?

Scientifically, obesity is the excessive accumulation of fat inside the body. However, Technically, it is related to poor dietary choices, excessive eating, and minimal physical activity. Emotionally, obesity can be a point of concern as it may reduce quality of life and cause various mental & health issues.

Visceral fat most commonly called "belly fat" accumulates around the internal organs, such as the liver, pancreas, and intestines is the most dangerous fat. While some amount of visceral fat is necessary to cushion and protect organs but its excessive accumulation can lead to various health disadvantages.

Visceral fat induces the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines that decreases the production of "adiponectin", an anti-inflammatory hormone. This contribute to chronic inflammation, which is associated with various diseases, including cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance (diabetes). Visceral fat also releases free fatty acids into the liver contributing to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Visceral Fat

In medical science, obesity is measured based on the Body Mass Index (BMI), which depends on an individual's weight (in kilograms) and height (in square meters). High BMI indicates excessive body weight. Many online BMI calculators are available to measure it, which include factors like age and gender to provide an accurate BMI measurement.

Normal BMI range: 18.5 kg/m² - 25 kg/m²
Overweight range: 25 kg/m² - 29 kg/m²
Obese: above 30 kg/m²

Most of the time, BMI provides an accurate evaluation of obesity, but not always. For example, muscles are much denser and heavier than fat. If you are muscular, your BMI may be high, but you are not obese or overweight. In short, if you are obese or overweight due to accumulation of fat try to control it as early as possible because body fat is something easy to gain but hard to loose.

Reasons for Obesity/Weight Gain

As everyone knows:

Consuming an excessive number of calories (its about imbalance between the calories consumed and the calories burned).
Less physical activity.
Overeating, during stress/depression or celebrations (emotional eating).

Lesser-Known Facts causing weight gain:

The human body lose calories (1500 to 2000 per day), even in a resting state to support essential bodily functions like breathing, heart pumping, brain function, digestion, and the working of other organs. This is known as Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR).

Hormonal imbalance: Ghrelin is a hormone which induces hunger. Overproduction of this hormone makes you to overeat which contributes to weight gain.
Hypothyroidism: It is characterized by an less active thyroid gland, which results in insufficient production of thyroid hormones leading to a decreased Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Hypothyroidism may happens due to various reasons, most common are iodine deficiency, autoimmune disorder, viral infection and side effect of certain medicines.
Certain medications: Antidepressants and antipsychotics, can slow down BMR and induce sedation and reducing physical activity which ultimately causes weight gain.
Lack of proper sleep: Less sleep can lead to increased production of Ghrelin, inducing hunger and causing weight gain.

How obesity affects the health

Obesity Can Cause diabetes

In an obese person, the accumulation of FAT in muscle cells, liver cells (leading to a fatty liver), and other body cells can lead to the release of molecules called free fatty acids. These molecules reduces the uptake or absorption of glucose by all the body cells, including the liver. This unabsorbed extra glucose ends up in the blood, increasing blood glucose levels and potentially causing diabetes, specifically type 2 diabetes.

Is it reversible? Yes, with regular exercise, a healthy diet, weight management, and, if necessary, with the use of medications.

Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease: A Deep Relationship

Obesity refers to the accumulation of fat throughout the body, including within blood vessels. This accumulation causes inflammation and damage to the internal lining of blood vessels, and buildup of fatty plaques, characterized by high levels of triglycerides and 'bad' cholesterol (LDL), as well as low levels of 'good' cholesterol (HDL) in the arteries. This contributes to the narrowing and hardening of blood vessels, a condition known as atherosclerosis. This leads to restricted blood flow and an increase in blood pressure (hypertension). Hypertension and blocked arteries can strain the heart and blood vessels, significantly increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular disorders.

When obesity is coupled with high blood glucose levels, it becomes a potentially deadly combination. Elevated blood glucose levels can damage blood cells and lead to the formation of clots which significantly increases the risk of heart disease.

Big Question:

How can we reduce body fat and avoid above life threatening complications?

Here's is the list of things to be done:

1. Consume foods having a high thermic effect: To digest such a food body has to work hard and spend more energy and calories. These food includes green leafy vegetables, legumes, high-protein foods (like eggs, chicken, and fish), olive oil, and high-fiber foods (such as whole grain, salad, avocados, beans and dry fruits).

2. Consume High satiety index foods: The foods mentioned above have a high satiety index, means they provide a feeling of fullness, thus preventing you from overeating.

3. Don't take calories less than required to maintain BMR: Insufficient calorie intake can leave you energy deficit for daily tasks, nutritionally deprived, and irritable.

4. Eat sufficient amount of plant-based proteins: Reduce animal protein intake as animal protein can raise level of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) in the body. TMAO is known to cause injuries and inflammation along inner lining of blood vessels, leading to the formation of cholesterol plaques.

5. Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep daily: Inadequate sleep can trigger the production of the hunger-inducing hormone Ghrelin, leading to overeating and weight gain.

Take 7-8 hours sleep daily

6. Reduce stress: Stress can contribute to weight gain, by inducing the production of hormones called glucocorticoids leading to obesity by increasing the number of fat cells inside the body.

7. Exercise is a crucial factor: It not only burns calories but also offers other benefits, such as:

Increases blood flow and oxygen delivery to various parts of the body, including the gut. Improved blood flow in the gut creates a more hospitable environment for the growth of beneficial bacteria. Research has shown that aerobic exercise can increase the levels of bioproducts in the intestine that support the growth of Akkermansia muciniphila, a bacterium that helps control obesity, reduces the risk of diabetes, Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and even cancer.
Reduces stress and anxiety which indirectly reduces obesity.
Exhibit anti-inflammatory effects throughout the body which can help to control risk of heart disease and IBS.

Do it Daily

Regulate the release of gut hormones like peptide YY (PYY) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). These hormones provide a feeling of fullness, and stimulate gut motility for efficient food and waste movement through the digestive system.

8. Eat Fermented Foods: These food contains Healthy Gut Microbes and these microbes act in several ways to boost mood and control obesity. Let's see how:

Humans cannot digest dietary fibers, but some healthy gut bacteria can ferment fibers and produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as acetate, butyrate, and propionate. These SCFAs offer numerous benefits, such as reduce inflammation, maintain healthy blood lipid profiles, and lower the risk of colon cancer. Apart from this SCFAs can:

Stimulate the release of satiety hormones, signaling fullness, and reduce the release of hunger-inducing hormones.
Promote thermogenesis, generating heat in the body, which helps to burn more calories.
Reduce the risk of developing insulin resistance, associated with weight gain and obesity.
Decrease fat accumulation and encourage the breakdown of stored fat for energy. Certain bacteria that produce SCFAs include Lactobacillus, Clostridium, Ruminiococcus, Bacteroides, Prevotella, and Bifidobacterium. Their number increases when we eat fiber-rich foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, as well as in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Some beneficial microbes have the ability to produce neurotransmitters, including Serotonin and Dopamine, which often associate with feelings of happiness/well-being and referred to as 'Happy hormones”.

Fermented Foods supports growth of Good GUT Bacteria

9. Avoid sugar and unhealthy fats: This promotes Growth of harmful bacteria in the gut leads to obesity. How does this happen?

Regular consumption of diet containing high-sugar or unhealthy fat increases the number of harmful microbes in the gut producing hunger-stimulating proteins directly controlling the brain. These proteins induce craving for more sugary and high-fat containing food items and such mind controlling cravings are not easy to resist. These new harmful microbes slows down your metabolism, leading to obesity, diabetes and heart related problems.
Further, bad microbes convert primary bile acids produced by liver into secondary bile acids (i.e., deoxycholic acid and lithocholic acid). This Secondary bile acids induce the production of Ghrelin, "the hunger hormone," which stimulates appetite and promotes the desire to eat, leading to weight gain.

But, a well-balanced diet with right proportion of proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats, fibers, vitamins, minerals and 3-4 liters/day intake of water can enhance the diversity of beneficial bacteria. This prevent intestinal damage, makes environment for growth of good microbes and reduce cravings for unhealthy food.

Patients in which obesity poses a major health risk, an extreme approach can be followed i.e., the manipulation of the gut microbiome through Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). In simple terms, taking the good bacteria from a lean person's stool and transferring it to the gut of someone who is experiencing obesity. This technique is known to restore the healthy microbes in gut of obese person which can help to improve insulin sensitivity, reduce cholesterol, HbA1C, and plasma glucose levels.

In conclusion, understanding the multifaceted nature of obesity and adopting a holistic approach to address the root cause is essential for its effective management and overall well-being.

“ I hope this science-based information has provided insights into the various reasons behind obesity. I encourage you to comprehend these factors and embrace a path that can guide you towards maintaining a normal weight and fostering a healthy life.