And which weight loss plans can you trust?

America has become increasing obese - adults and children alike.  Some have even called it it an epidemic.  It is no great surprise to anyone that overweight people have an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and other illnesses. Losing weight reduces the risk.   Consider the following facts concerning weight loss:

• An estimated 300,000 deaths per year may be attributable to obesity.
• Even moderate amounts of excess fat (10 to 20 pounds for a person of average height) increases the risk of death, particularly among adults aged 30 to 64 years, especially if this fat is stored as abdominal fat tissue.
• Individuals who are obese (BMI > 30) have a 50 to 100% increased risk of premature death from all causes, compared to individuals with a healthy weight.
• Heart disease is increased in persons who are overweight or obese (BMI > 25).
• High blood pressure is twice as common in adults who are obese than in those who are at a healthy weight.
• A weight gain of 11 to 18 pounds increases a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes to twice that of individuals who have not gained weight.
• Overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk for some types of cancer including endometrial, colon, gall bladder, prostate, kidney, and postmenopausal breast cancer.
• Women gaining more than 20 pounds from age 18 to midlife double their risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, compared to women whose weight remains stable.

One of the newer and more interesting weight loss programs as of late has been the development of low carb diets from a slightly different angle.  That new weight loss angle is the ability to eat carbohydrates while neutralizing a large percentage of the calories form the carbs.

Benefits of a Low Carb Diet!

Cutting Carbs Reaps Rewards

There are a lot of potential benefits to reduced-carbohydrate diets. Some of them have been intensely studied, while others have been commonly reported among people who have reduced the carbohydrate in their diets. Not everyone will gain all these benefits, of course. People who are more sensitive to carbohydrates are probably more likely to receive more benefit.  Scientifically DemonstratedAlthough I have linked to only one study for each of these claims, there are many studies, often going back decades, that show similar results. This is why I feel safe in saying these results have been demonstrated. However, note that in many of these studies, people were not screened for factors such as insulin resistance. If the group most likely to benefit is studied, rather than a random sample, the results could be stronger.

• Weight loss (even when not consciously restricting calories)
• Improved triglycerides
• Reduced blood glucose for diabetics and pre-diabetics
• Increased HDL (“good”) cholesterol
• Improved insulin sensitivity
• Decreased blood pressure
• Lower blood insulin level
• Compared to high carb weight loss diets (and when combined with exercise), less muscle mass lost
• Ketogenic diets (one type of low carb diet) used to treat seizure disorders

Commonly Reported

These are some of the most commonly reported benefits in low carb forums, support groups, and informal surveys.

(Some have preliminary scientific evidence, but more subjective improvements are harder to study.) The first two are by far the most commonly reported, and these benefits usually happen by the end of the first week, although sometimes it takes another week or two. Results are obviously going to be variable between individuals. 

• Increased energy
• Cravings for sweets gone or much less
• Better mental concentration; no “brain fog”
• Improved mood; emotions more even
• ”Compulsive” or “emotional” eating gone
• Improved dental hygiene (less dental plaque; improved gum health)

Sometimes Reported

These are more variable, partly dependent upon the symptoms the person was having in the first place. Again, a low carb diet can in no way be considered a cure for these conditions, and this is not a scientific survey. Also, rest assured I am not listing every benefit I have ever heard of - these have been mentioned enough to make me think that there is validity to them for some people.

• Improvement in joint or muscle pain
• Fewer headaches
• PMS improved
• Gastrointestinal symptoms, such as heartburn, improved
• Improvement in skin appearance

tags: low carb diet, weight loss programs, lose weight fast, diet, weight loss plan, carb counter, fast weight loss, diet plans, low carb diets, phase 2 carb blocker,

This entry was posted on Monday, January 21st, 2008 at 9:21 pm and is filed under Carbohydrates, Carbcruncher, Main Page. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.