Weight Loss – A Challenge 1

Weight Loss Series

Obesity is one of the most challenging problems of the present times. Despite the best efforts on part of the obese, the Dietician and the Physicians the problem is increasing day by day.

There is general consensus that decreasing energy intake and increasing energy output is the key to reducing weight and for this many approaches have been adopted be it diet, drugs or bariatric surgery and increased physical activity. Inspite of all this , the goal seems far off and how to achieve it is not clear.

There are various types of diets and exercise regimes have been propagated, with different kind of results. Some have been successful in some context but unsuccessful in others. Even though there seems to be an agreement that genetic factors combined with the lifestyle including diet and physical activity are responsible for weight gain in most individuals, an ideal diet and type and amount of physical activity required to loose weight are still debatable. However, one thing remains constant, that is the amount of energy intake. So, whenever a weight loss diet is prescribed, it usually means restricting either fat or carbohydrates in the diet.

Glucose- the primary energy chioce of the body:

While low fat diet was popular during the 20th century, a low carbohydrate diet has gained popularity during the recent years. A low carbohydrate diet meant reducing the simple sugars in diet. The nutrients in the food that we eat get digested and converted into their simpler form that is glucose from carbohydrates, fatty acids from fats and amino acids from proteins. Carbohydrates and fats are the two primary sources of energy, used for basic metabolic functions of the body. Glucose is the primary energy source choice of the body.

Ketones or ketogenesis:

In the absence of carbohydrates, fatty acids are converted to ketones in the liver , which are used as the source of fuel and the process known as ketosis.Until recently, ketosis was viewed with apprehension, but with advances in the area of Nutrition Research, some favorable results have come up to show, ketogenic diets as a favorable tool for weight reduction. Ketogenesis, therefore means production of ketones in the body and ketogenic diet simply means a diet which produces more ketones.

Glucose vs Ketones as a fuel:

Glucose is a most favored fuel for the proper brain functioning, but brain also uses ketones fuel source in the absence of glucose. Other tissues like muscles can function fairly well with either carbohydrate (glucose) or fats (ketones) as fuel source.
Many researchers say that any diet that succeeds in weight loss is not due to the restriction of carbohydrates but due to the reduction in insulin levels. Insulin has been found to be the primary regulator of fat storage and reduction in simple carbohydrates also results in reduction of insulin in blood.

Is a low carbohydrate , low fat diet better than a low carbohydrate high fat diet in augmenting weight loss, this needs to be examined in detail.

For further information on the subject plz keep reading “WEIGHT LOSS – A CHALLENGE”., a series of articles which will be uploaded – DO KEEP AN EYE ON THIS SPACE FOR FURTHER TIPS AND ENCOURAGEMENT.
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