WEIGHT MANAGEMENT - NEW RESEARCH

Weight Management - New Research, New Suggestions

If you are one of the millions of Americans who resolve to lose weight, only to fail over and over again, you are not alone.  Those extra pounds are easy to gain during the holidays, and so difficult to lose.  But psychologists and physiologists are finding new answers to the rather complex questions of why 65 percent of Americans are now obese or overweight, and what can be done about this growing epidemic.

It's not your fault. 
A key realization weight experts have is that overweight Americans are experiencing a mismatch between their physiology and environment.  Researchers have found that all humans possess a basic physiology that encourages eating whenever food is available.  However, in America we are exposed to increasingly larger portion sizes, and a fast-food restaurant on every street corner.  This leads to a dangerous combination between food availability and basic biological drives.  Some scientists also blame food manufacturers, who engineer high fat, high sugar, low nutrient foods to be much more tasty, inexpensive, and convenient than healthy, unprocessed foods.
Another interesting finding focuses on the relationship between stress, eating, and belly fat.  Stressed eaters have been found to consume more unhealthy foods, and exercise less.  This may point to a connection either way – that stress makes us eat poorly, or that poor eating contributes to more stress.  In addition, new studies on rats demonstrate that rats under stress ate more high fat, high sugar foods than their less stressed counterparts, and became calmer as a result.  This suggests that overeating and being overweight itself may be unhealthy--yet somewhat effective--methods of stress management.

The right kind of help.

Fortunately, researchers are also finding more effective ways of assisting overweight individuals with losing weight and keeping it off.  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), self-monitoring, and, surprisingly, meditation are all being used to increase the success of a reasonable diet and exercise program.  CBT includes developing an understanding of self-defeating messages about food and weight, and learning ways to combat these and replace them with more healthy, encouraging self-statements.  Self-monitoring involves systematically observing and recording important target behaviors, such as total minutes of exercise per day or total fat intake.  Though tedious, such recording is the only real way to know what is working and what is not, to remain honest with oneself about the true quality of one’s efforts, and to see progress.  

Meditation is also presently being studied to determine if it can be helpful, particularly with those who binge-eat.  Some researchers believe that the skills learned in meditation, particularly mindfulness and tuning into bodily cues, are key to increasing awareness of feelings of hunger and fullness in obese populations.    
Make a plan. 

Of course, it all starts with a plan that focuses not on quick weight loss, but on a long-term, healthy lifestyle.  Based on the experts, here are some tips and ideas:
  • Don’t allow yourself to get hungry. When hungry, we naturally gravitate toward quick, prepackaged, less healthy food choices. Regular meals insure more control over what we eat.
  • Remove unhealthy foods from your environment. Throw out the potato chips and do not buy more – they are not healthy for anyone in your family! Replace the candy jar on your desk with fresh flowers.
  • Manage your stress. Exercise is one of the best ways to do this, and it has wonderful side effects, including improved strength, health, and flexibility.
  • Use self-monitoring to record your target behaviors and goals. Phrase your goals in a positive way, if possible, such as, “I will eat 5 fruits or vegetables a day.” Or “I will exercise 4 days per week.” Keep a calendar on which you record your daily progress toward your goals. Add new goals as needed to maintain motivation.
  • Talk to yourself in an encouraging way. Review your progress daily and weekly, focus on what you did well as well as areas to improve. 
  • Aim for 4 hours of exercise per week. This new standard is a change from the “20 minutes a day, 3 days a week” recommendation of the past.
  • Using a pedometer, or the tracking feature on your smartphone, aim for 10,000 steps per day.  
  • Eat real food, not prepackaged, processed, or fast foods.
  • Do not set a goal to reduce unhealthy foods, like sugar, or French fries containing dangerous trans-fatty acids; but rather eliminate them from your diet. Many experts now believe that the best strategy is to lose one’s taste for these foods altogether.
  • “Make your brain feel great.” This recommendation, from Dr. Bob Arnot, MD, is based on the link between stress and overeating. It then follows that increasing serotonin, the neurotransmitter that plays a role in alleviating depression and anxiety, would greatly help in controlling eating. Thus, follow all the recommendations known to boost serotonin, including adequate amounts of sleep, exercise, relaxation, sunlight, and avoidance of chemical depressants such as alcohol. Include small “mood boosters” throughout your day, including time with friends, laughter, a walk, or a happiness reminders list. 
  • Plan to exercise and eat well for the rest of your life. Don’t set a goal to lose 10 pounds in 3 weeks only to return to your previous habits once the time is up. Give yourself the lifelong gift of health!
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