Nutrition
Effects of Extra Weight
Obesity is a serious, chronic disease that can have a negative effect on many systems in your body. People who are overweight or obese have a much greater risk of developing serious conditions, including:
- Heart Disease
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Chronic Pain
- Bone & Joint Disease
If you or someone you know is overweight or obese, know you’re not alone. The U.S. Surgeon General has declared that obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Approximately {as of 2018):
- 35 percent of women and 31 percent of men are considered seriously overweight
- 15 percent of children between the ages of six and 19 are overweight
Obesity Has a Far-Ranging Negative Effect on Health
Each year obesity-related conditions cost over 150 billion dollars and cause an estimated 300,000 premature deaths in the US. The health effects associated with obesity include, but are not limited to, the following:
High Blood Pressure
Additional fat tissue in the body needs oxygen and nutrients in order to live, which requires the blood vessels to circulate more blood to the fat tissue. This increases the workload of the heart because it must pump more blood through additional blood vessels. More circulating blood also means more pressure on the artery walls. Higher pressure on the artery walls increases the blood pressure. In addition, extra weight can raise the heart rate and reduce the body’s ability to transport blood through the vessels.
Diabetes
Obesity is the major cause of type 2 diabetes. This type of diabetes usually begins in adulthood but is now actually occurring in children. Obesity can cause resistance to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. When obesity causes insulin resistance, the blood sugar becomes elevated. Even moderate obesity dramatically increases the risk of diabetes.
Heart Disease
Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is present 10 times more often in obese people compared to those who are not obese. Coronary artery disease is also more prevalent because fatty deposits build up in arteries that supply the heart. Narrowed arteries and reduced blood flow to the heart can cause chest pain (angina) or a heart attack. Blood clots can also form in narrowed arteries and cause a stroke.
Joint Problems, Including Osteoarthritis
Obesity can affect the knees and hips because of the stress placed on the joints by extra weight. Joint replacement surgery, while commonly
performed on damaged joints, may not be an advisable option for an obese person because the artificial joint has a higher risk of loosening and causing further damage.
Sleep Apnea & Respiratory Problems
Sleep apnea, which causes people to stop breathing for brief periods, interrupts sleep throughout the night and causes sleepiness during the day. It also causes heavy snoring. Respiratory problems associated with obesity occur when added weight of the chest wall squeezes the lungs and causes restricted breathing. Sleep apnea is also associated with high blood pressure.
Cancer
In women, being overweight contributes to an increased risk for a variety of cancers including breast cancer, colon, gallbladder, and uterus. Men who are overweight have a higher risk of colon cancer and prostate cancers.
Metabolic Syndrome
The National Cholesterol Education Program has identified metabolic syndrome as a complex risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome consists of six major components: abdominal obesity, elevated blood cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, insulin resistance with or without glucose intolerance, elevation of certain blood components that indicate inflammation, and elevation of certain clotting factors in the blood. In the US, approximately one-third of overweight or obese persons exhibit metabolic syndrome. This can make it more difficult f for you to lose and maintain weight loss
Psychosocial Effects
In a culture where often the ideal of physical attractiveness is to be overly thin, people who are overweight or obese frequently suffer disadvantages. Overweight and obese persons are often blamed for their condition and may be considered to be lazy or weak-willed. It is not uncommon for overweight or obese conditions to result in persons having lower incomes or having fewer or no romantic relationships. Disapproval of overweight persons expressed by some individuals may progress to bias, discrimination, and even torment.
Basic Nutrition Facts
What Is a Calorie?
A Calorie is what we call a unit of energy our bodies use to live, function, and move. If our bodies run out of consumed calories to use, then we start burning through the ones stored in our bodies. Calories are stored as glycogen in our muscles, and as body fat. Calories can be broken down further into macronutrients.
What are Macronutrients?
There are 3 main macronutrients that we need to eat everyday, protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
Proteins
Muscle tissue is made from the amino acids broken down during digestion that comes from the protein we eat. Amino acids are also used to decrease muscle breakdown. Therefore, protein helps build muscle and prevents current muscle from catabolism (muscle loss). Proteins are built from amino acids. Not all protein sources have all the amino acids needed for our bodies. These are called incomplete proteins. A complete protein is a protein that has all the amino acids we need. Animal proteins, soy, hemp, and quinoa are complete proteins. Most plant based protein sources are incomplete proteins and will need to be consumed along with other sources of plant protein to provide you with all the essential amino acids.
Carbohydrates
A carbohydrate's primary role is to provide energy for our bodies to use. The main energy source for movement comes from stored carbohydrates, or glycogen in your muscle tissue. A carbohydrate is built from units of monosaccharides or sugar compounds. There are three monosaccharides found in nature, glucose, fructose, and galactose.
Glucose is the most common sugar found, it is also the most common one used in creating other carbohydrates, such as disaccharides (2 Sugars), oligosaccharides (3-10 sugars), and polysaccharides (many sugars). Fructose is the “fruit sugar” and is the sweetest monosaccharide. Galactose is the milk sugar and is most commonly found linked with glucose to make lactose, which is in milk. These are the monosaccharides and along with most disaccharides are considered simple carbs. Simple carbs are carbs we break down quickly and are found in processed and refined sugars, fruit, milk, and milk products.
Most of our carbs should come from complex carb sources. Complex carbs are usually made from polysaccharides (a long chain of sugar molecules). Starches are polysaccharides found in grains and vegetables. Complex carbs are carbs that take longer to digest and provide a more sustained energy.
Fats
Dietary fat is an essential part of our diet. Fat serves a role in vitamin absorption, nerve transmission, and cell structure. Fat also helps in hormone production and if dropped too low, you may experience some hormonal changes that are not beneficial to your day to day living. Mono and polyunsaturated fats are considered the healthy fats. Saturated fat is found in animal products and is usually solid at room temperature. Saturated fats should be eaten in moderation as saturated fat has been linked to cardiovascular disease. Trans fats begin as unsaturated fats and then undergo hydrogenation to become saturated fat and should be avoided in your diet.
The Macro Breakdown
- Fat = 9 calories per gram of fat
- Carbohydrate = 4 calories per gram of carbohydrates
- Protein = 4 calories per gram of protein
An example to clarify this can be found in one serving of 2% milk
- Carb – 12 grams x 4 = 48 calories from carbs
- Protein – 8 grams x 4 = 32 calories from protein
- Fat – 5 grams x 9=45 calories from fat
- Total Calories = 125
The AMDR or acceptable macro distribution range recommendation for each macro are as follows, these are the percentages of your total calories
- Proteins – 10-35%
- Carbs – 40-65%
- Fats – 20-35%
Basic Foods to Always Have On Hand
Full of antioxidants, fiber, and loaded with micronutrients
Cheap complete protein source, rich in many micronutrients
Cheap complete protein source, rich in many micronutrients
High in protein and fiber, rich in many micronutrients
Vitamin C, antioxidants, many other micronutrients
Cabbage, broccoli and green leaf vegetables - micronutrient dense foods, fiber source
Cheap protein source, source of omega 3 fatty acids and many micronutrients
Rich in antioxidants and rich in micronutrients, great mix in with yogurt or oats
Rich in micronutrients, antioxidants, and a healthy source of fat
High in probiotics, high in protein, easily manipulated with mix ins to change flavor
Many spices are filled with nutrients we need for our daily life, they also help flavor our food