New Treatments > Obesity

What is Obesity ?
Obesity occurs when the body is storing too much fat in its adipose tissue. The adipose tissue is primarily located under the skin and on top of each kidney. Men tend to carry body fat in their chest, abdomen and buttocks (apple shape). A woman tends to carry body fat in her breasts, hips, waist and buttocks (pear shape).
The effects of the disease, in terms of death, disability and morbidity are devastating. Despite the enormous toll taken by obesity, however, the disease does not receive the attention it deserves from government, the health care profession or the insurance industry.

The United States spends billions on health care. Yet, the rates for obesity are escalating. The impact caused by type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, stroke and the other conditions caused by obesity are only going to escalate

The cause
I will show how obesity is caused and further, knowing the cause will automatically present the solution.
We will search for the way our body stores fat.

This article shows it in great detail: How Stuff Works: How Fat Cells Work

A quote:

How Fat is Stored in Your Body
Chylomicrons do not last long in the bloodstream -- only about eight minutes -- because enzymes called lipoprotein lipases break the fats into fatty acids. Lipoprotein lipases are found in the walls of blood vessels in fat tissue, muscle tissue and heart muscle. The activity of lipoprotein lipases depends upon the levels of insulin in the body. If insulin is high, then the lipases are highly active; if insulin is low, the lipases are inactive.

The fatty acids are then absorbed from the blood into fat cells, muscle cells and liver cells. In these cells, under stimulation by insulin, fatty acids are made into fat molecules and stored as fat droplets.

It is also possible for fat cells to take up glucose and amino acids, which have been absorbed into the bloodstream after a meal, and convert those into fat molecules. The conversion of carbohydrates or protein into fat is 10 times less efficient than simply storing fat in a fat cell, but the body can do it.

When you are not eating, your body is not absorbing food. If your body is not absorbing food, there is little insulin in the blood.

The first line of defense in maintaining energy is to break down carbohydrates, or glycogen, into simple glucose molecules -- this process is called glycogenolysis. Next, your body breaks down fats into glycerol and fatty acids in the process of lipolysis. The fatty acids can then be broken down directly to get energy, or can be used to make glucose through a multi-step process called gluconeogenesis. In gluconeogenesis, amino acids can also be used to make glucose.


Summary

• The storing of fat you've eaten is dependent on insulin
• The conversion of carbohydrates and amino acids into fat is dependent on insulin
• The body can only use fat as fuel when no insulin is present

Then what is insulin
Insulin is a hormone produced by beta cells in the pancreas. It has three important functions:

• Allow glucose to pass into cells, where it is used for energy.
• Supress excess production of sugar in the liver and muscles.
• Suppress breakdown of fat for energy.

What triggers the release of insulin into the blood by the pancreas ?
Eating carbohydrates signals the pancreas directly to release insulin. Carbohydrates are all sugars and starches.

The Simple Solution
A very simple solution is presented here automatically: Eat less carbohydrates. Just don't eat your grains, potatoes, rice, corn and sugars, and no insulin will be released and your body will be able to: Burn your fat in the adipose tissue and secondly, it won't be able to store more fat in the adipose tissue.
You can eat as much fat and protein as you like: You won't turn fat. Experience shows that eating more fat will make you loose weight even faster !
It seems odd, but that's the simple solution to obesity !

The proof is in the pudding
Take a look at these stunning testimonials on the Canadian Low Carb Site.
One example of before and after:

Our names are Dan and Karen and 11 months ago we had a serious weight condition. We discovered an effective way of dealing with it… a low carbohydrate lifestyle.

Also be sure to take a look at Dan John's Meat, Leaves and Berries Page.

My parents are both on the low-carb program also and my father already lost 14 kilo's (28 lbs) and my mother 12 kilo's (24 lbs).

Further benefits of going low-carb
Going low-carb is very beneficial, not only for your weight, but also for your cholesterol levels, your blood pressure, allergies, hypoglycemia, diabetes I, diabetes II, intestinal problems, etc.
In short: Most (if not all) diseases and illnesses react favorably to a low-carb diet. That's because that diet fits our genes a lot better than the highly refined, high carbohydrate diet we're eating the last decades. You will get as healthy and energetic as our paleolithic ancestors. Alas not all diseases are cured by going on this diet, but I am convinced that every person gets a major improvement in health !

Good luck and be sure to give it a try !