Saturday, October 6, 2012

Weight Loss is More Than a Cosmetic Issue


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.




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