As
Healthcare Practitioners, Nutritionalists and Naturopaths we are well
equipped to help our patients lose weight, look better, and feel good
about their physical appearance. Better than this weight loss is more
than simply a cosmetic issue. This is shown by the following case
study, losing weight can have far-reaching benefits that extend well
beyond improving how one looks and feels. Excitingly, weight loss can
also make significant changes to our patients' physiology and reduce
risk factors associated with chronic disease. I have used an example
from the Health World Clinic as I am unable to release information
from my clients although the results are similar..
Case
Details
A
34 year old woman presented to the Health World research clinic
classed as obese (BMI 33.5), weighing 98 kg. She had gained a
significant amount of weight over the last 5 years since the birth of
her first child. She regularly skipped meals, consumed coffee in
place of breakfast most days and frequently ate take-away meals.
Sleep patterns were irregular. Not surprisingly, she was constantly
tired and irritable. She suffered mid-afternoon energy slumps and
sugar cravings. Blood test results indicated dyslipidaemia, with high
total cholesterol and triglycerides, low HDLs, and inflammation as
evidenced by a raised high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).
The
patient was very motivated to lose weight and become healthy so she
could play more actively with her daughters.
The
Practitioner put the patient on the Professional Weight Management
Program, a carbohydrate-controlled diet containing good levels of
dietary protein and healthy levels of good fats. The patient was
advised to exercise at moderate intensity for a minimum of 30 minutes
most days of the week. The Practitioner also prescribed some
supplements.
Clinical
Outcomes
After
6 weeks, the patient had lost over 7 kg in fat. She was finding the
diet easy to follow and noticed her clothes were looser. By the end
of week 9, the patient had not only lost a significant amount of
weight (10.3 kg) and fat mass (8.7 kg), she also maintained her
muscle mass. She dropped a dress size and now felt more confident
within herself. Her moods had moderated, energy levels had increased
and she was sleeping better. Not only was the patient looking and
feeling better, blood test results confirmed a significant
improvement in many of her cardio-metabolic parameters, as seen in
Figure Three.
Case
Discussion
Obesity
levels in Australia and New Zealand are rising, with Australians
recording the third largest increases in BMI in the world over the
past 2 decades.These statistics are concerning – and not just for
purely aesthetic reasons. Obesity, inflammation, insulin resistance,
and cardiovascular disease risk are closely interrelated, and
supporting fat loss can improve many cardio-metabolic risk factors
that are implicated in chronic disease.
The
Cranes Pharmacy Professional Weight Management Program is simple to
follow and gives you great results. There are three main parts.
What to eat and when to throw your body into fat burning. We look at
underlying medical reasons why your body may not be burning fat and
treat them. The third part of the program teaches you how to think
to burn fat. Often our eating patterns are ruled by our emotions and
it is necessary to moderate some of these unconscious patterns.
