Is there any one contributor to chronic health conditions more prevalent and dangerous than obesity? National obesity rates among adults has doubled since 1980 alone, yet it seems to be overlooked and misunderstood more often than any other disease catalyst. The explosion of weight loss products and the plethora of theories behind weight gain have seemingly done nothing more than water down this issue, leaving the public confused and indifferent. In this article, we delve beyond the turmoil surrounding the obesity issue and offer new insight into what obesity means for you and your patients.
The fact is this problem is not going away and, yet, people continue to attend their weight loss meetings, eat their tiny out-of-the-box meals, drink their shakes and work out like crazy. We have worked with people who have stuck to these protocols for years, losing very little and gaining it all back plus some. Then, either by design or misconception, they blame it on themselves. And so, for years, we have been banging our heads against the wall with this “calories-in-versus-calories-out” solution. No wonder this is a billion dollar industry!
Diet and exercise have long been touted as both the problem and the solution. If the real solution is that simple, and completely free, then why are so many people walking around dangerously overweight in a country known worldwide for its ambition and persistence? It may be because diet and exercise do not always work! In fact, some experts are finding that diet and exercise alone work a very low percentage of the time.
Still, fitness enthusiasts and “health freaks” will talk all day about self control and the like, but evidence is building against a new culprit. The fact is, these overweight people are often deemed weak minded, lazy and lacking in self control, but may possess a very real and unfortunate cause for the fat they cannot lose and the cravings that simply will not go away.
People suffering from hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue are great examples. These individuals tend to carry excess fat and have an extremely difficult time taking it off. In addition, a variety of mental and emotional circumstances come to mind including uncontrollable appetite and abnormal satiety. The probable reason?
Toxicity.
Whether it be from various heavy metals, including mercury or copper, perchlorate, BPA, food additives, prescription drugs, plastics, bromide, fluoride, or any of the thousands of chemicals used in pesticides, evidence on the causes of obesity is mounting on a much deeper issue, much more complex than the calories-in-versus-calories-out theory.
These toxins, and many more, are becoming virtually unavoidable. Take drinking water, for example. Runoff adds pesticides and perchlorate (rocket fuel), and various prescription drugs are tossed into the mix by unsafe disposal methods. The water is then treated with chloride and fluoride before it finally ends up in your glass. If you do the research on these chemicals, you will find that there is something very wrong with this formula and that’s just one limited example.
Exposure is happening through the consumption of everyday products that are trusted to be safe. Scarier yet is alarming evidence that mothers have a great capacity to pass such toxic substances to a fetus. In this situation, the issues will be present throughout development, resulting in potential problems deeper than science has currently explored.
A perfect illustration of these points is the use of diethylstilbestrol (DES) by expecting mothers to prevent miscarriages during the 1950’s and 1960’s. The consequences were a wide range of devastating birth defects, all from a product deemed safe for consumption.
New evidence is continually surfacing supporting this cause and many experts agree that increased toxicity can lead to any number of imbalances which manifest themselves as excess fat. In addition, some hypothesize that, as a direct result of greater exposure over a prolonged period, the youngest generation of Americans will have even greater health issues than those of their parents.
It is plausible to assume that a wide range of imbalances could be caused along these same lines. In May, the Government even released a piece titled: Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity within a Generation. In it they reveal that “scientists have coined the term “obesogens” for chemicals that they believe may promote weight gain and obesity. Such chemicals may promote obesity by increasing the number of fat cells, changing the amount of calories burned at rest, altering energy balance, and altering the body’s mechanisms for appetite and satiety. Fetal and infant exposure to such chemicals may result in more weight gain per food consumed and also possibly less weight loss per amount of energy expended. The health effects of these chemicals during fetal and infant development may persist throughout life, long after the exposures occur.”1
These “obesogens” are some of the exact same substances mentioned earlier in this piece. They are found in various everyday products and we are no doubt exposed to them frequently.
To have the science community finally becoming skeptical of these everyday chemicals is both alarming and refreshing.
The bright side to all of this? The living cell is an incredibly resilient structure. It will work very hard to remove these toxins from its being and return to homeostasis. The body has proven very capable of exercising this power with many less powerful intruders and illnesses; however, strong evidence supports the idea that, in most cases, it has great difficulty removing the more harmful substances all by itself.
This problem presents a remarkable opportunity for health professionals. Experts are finding that giving the body a little bit of help can be incredibly beneficial to the body’s healing process. Clinical, nonprescription detoxification of these toxins has been found to produce the needed fuel for bringing balance to the body. For this, we recommend you look to homeopathic remedies for their unparalleled safety, effectiveness, ease of use and affordability.
Where weight loss is concerned, it is vital to find programs that provide the ability to uncover a wide range of imbalances which may be causing weight gain and retention. Notice the use of the word “program.”
Successful programs will produce quality, lasting results, while providing the patient with lifestyle education for successful, back-to-everyday life. It is imperative that a program involve the consumption of real food as opposed to shakes or meals in a box. Meal replacements and those that come in boxes tend to represent a set of perpetual diet programs which produce poor results, a low quality of life and do not give the patient any basis for living a healthy life outside the diet.
In addition to being results-driven and including each element previously mentioned, you will be best served selecting a turn-key program which is easily implemented into an existing practice. However, the amount of clawing and scratching you want to do is totally up to you, as developing a clinically tested successful program on your own takes years and a lot of money. Finally—an end is in sight to the era of ball and chain diets as you, the practitioner, now have the power to provide real results.
Susan Blackard, R.N., N.D.C, M.H.A., F.N.P.C, is an expert on obesity and detoxification at the Rejuvenation Institute of Natural Health. For more information, download the free e-book on clinical weight loss at www.dc-weightloss.com or call 1-877-942-4669.
Reference
White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity within a Generation. May 2010.