A recent article suggests that the long held view on what causes obesity is inherently flawed.
A recent article1, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, presents a bold alternative to the accepted theory that obesity results from an energy imbalance, a model that has been the foundation for universal assumptions and research on obesity. However, the paradigm shift supported by the article’s seventeen authors suggests that this long held view on what causes obesity is inherently flawed because it is overly concerned with how obesity occurs rather than why some people accumulate more fat than others.
For the better part of the last century, the prevailing view has been that overweight and obesity result from the gap between calories consumed and calories expended. The preponderance of research has accepted this as its theoretical grounding. David Ludwig and colleagues dispute this in their article, proposing that the body’s hormonal response to a high-glycemic-load diet increases fat, and their carbohydrate-insulin model considers more closely a range of factors that influence how individuals store fat.
One of the authors offers an analogy to explain what they believe to be the flawed premise of energy imbalance by comparing to wealth gain.2 That is, it is unlikely that an economist would accept the theory that people become wealthy because they take in more money than they spend. Although true to a degree, it does not consider how or why some people are able to gain wealth while others struggle. They suggest that the same concept holds true for weight and explain why some people gain weight even when their caloric intake is the same, or less than others.
How Can People with Obesity Reduce Their COVID Risk? — By Andrea M. Pampaloni, Ph.D.
Immunocompromised groups, including people with obesity, continue to have poor outcomes related to coronavirus.
As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccinations and other precautions have been effective in reducing hospitalizations and deaths resulting from the disease. However, immunocompromised groups, including people with obesity, continue to have poor outcomes related to coronavirus.
From early on it quickly became clear that obesity was a high risk factor for severe illness related to COVID-19 and that it increased the likelihood of hospitalization by nearly 30 percent. Obesity is also the cardiometabolic condition that contributes the highest health risk, followed by hypertension and diabetes, which are often comorbidities of obesity.
However, with the introduction of new and more contagious variants, vaccine effectiveness decreased in certain immunocompromised groups. The introduction of Omicron, which is highly transmissible even among those who are vaccinated, creates additional challenges for people with obesity because it infects adipose cells and adipose tissue macrophages, causing a damaging inflammatory response. This is evidenced by a death rate that is nearly 10 times higher in countries with high levels of obesity, including the U.S.1
Reducing COVID Risk among Obese Populations
A recent study published in JAMA Surgery found that substantial weight loss can be a modifiable risk in terms of COVID severity. Patients who lost weight had lower risk for hospitalization, need for supplemental oxygen, and risk of severe COVID-19 infection. They also experienced better outcomes after becoming infected.2
Although the referenced study used bariatric surgery as the weight loss mechanism, the overall conclusion was the negative health outcomes can be reversed with weight loss for patients with obesity that have COVID-19.
This is the season of gift giving and receiving as many enter into the Holy Days that create more introspection, focus on gratitude, and sharing of spirit, love, and kindness.
You might feel this is your favorite time of year or you might feel it to be busy and over scheduled or you might get stressed as you are thrown into family dynamics that feel uncomfortable for you.
And we want to wish you peace and tranquility. May you have a wonderful time with family and friends.
Sincerely, Dr. Paul Robinson and the office staff.
These scalloped potatoes are surprisingly rich and creamy even though they're made with no dairy (milk, butter or cheese)--vegan comfort food at its best. We use almond milk, herbs and spices to make a flavorful sauce and finish the dish with a crunchy almond topping. This makes a satisfying side dish if you're cooking for dairy-free or vegan diets. By: Hilary Meyer
Total:1 hr Servings: 10
Ingredients
Ingredient Checklist
1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
½ teaspoon white or black pepper, divided
½ teaspoon garlic powder or fresh chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons flour
2 ½ cups unsweetened plain almond milk or another plant based milk alternative
Delicious Minestrone Soup! Easy to make and reheat.
MINESTRONE SOUP
YIELD: 4 CUP SERVINGS TOTAL TIME: 1 HOUR
Ingredients 1¼ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs 4 cups chicken stock 1 cup sliced celery 2 cups shredded green cabbage 1 cup diced yellow summer squash 1 cup cauliflower florets 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes 1 cup fresh basil ½ tsp ground black pepper 4 tsp low-fat parmesan cheese
Directions
Combine the chicken and stock in a large pot, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken thighs from the broth and set aside to cool.
Add the vegetables to the simmering broth and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Once the chicken is cool enough, shred it into bite-sized pieces.
Add the chicken back to the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, and pepper. Serve soup in bowls with a teaspoon of parmesan cheese per serving.
Credits: OPTAVIA
OPTAVIA RECIPE! LOW FAT, LOW CARB, FULL OF PROTIEN AND TASTES GREAT!
Karie Ploeger, Nutritionist, FNTP, FHC Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Office: 510-886-5515
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