Discouraged by The Biggest Loser Outcomes?
Weight Loss Minneapolis | Weight Loss Programs | OPTIFAST
Based on the recent media coverage of The Biggest Loser (TBL) study results, you might be discouraged, thinking “why should I bother, if my metabolism will just end up being lower?”
Bariatric physicians across the nation reacted with insight and far more positive statements:
Dr. Barbara Berkeley, a long time bariatrician and author of “Refuse to Regain,” states that maintenance is probably the most important part of weight loss, and little has been done to help people achieve it. If you read only the New York Times article, you might believe that it is inevitable that you will gain your weight back, and you should give up on any efforts to get healthier. According to Dr. Berkeley, there are some major flaws in the article, and she details the following:
Danny Cahill, portrayed in the article as a failure, started at 430 pounds, and his current weight of 295 is still 130 pounds below starting.
Amanda Arlauskas had a starting weight of 250, and she’s keeping off 74 pounds with her current weight of 176.
Tracy Yukich started at 250 amd os mpw 178, 72 pounds lighter.
Two others were cited: Rudy Pauls started at 442 and had bariatric surgery because of his weight regain. Sean Algaier started at 444 and gained all of it back, but he is 450 now, not grossly heavier than he started.
Medical guidelines for weight loss Minneapolis state that a loss of as little as 10% of body weight improves health and risk factors. Bariatric surgeons define successful surgical weight loss Minneapolis as weight loss that is equal to or greater than 50% of excess body weight, which means that if a person is 100 pounds over desirable body weight, a 50-pound loss is considered success.
Bariatric physician Dr. Linda Anegawa pointed out a number of issues from the study: the dieters’ insulin resistance/ metabolic syndrome tendencies; body image and admustment to a new frame size; prevalence of eating disorders undetected; and there was no reference made to any kind of weight maintenance protocol for TBL alumni.
Dr. Claudia Huegel agrees with the points mentioned above, but she added that the article did talk about obesity as a complex disease, and the more publicity it gets, the more possibility that research dollars will go into treatment developments. She pointed out that bariatric physicians have many success stories, despite the challenges of the complex disease.
Dr. Berkeley summed it up this way: If our patients do have a slower metabolism, a significant decrease in carbohydrate consumption during weight maintenance makes the difference. “Weight gain and hunger are modulated by a number of factors, but insulin–the hormone that pours forth in response to carbohydrate– is a major player. Keeping insulin at bay with a lower carb diet depresses hunger and fat storage. Our patients who adopt a more primal diet which is low in sugars and starches do well in maintenance. Combined with behavioral strategies to reverse small regains, a good amount of physical activity, ongoing support and an assiduous avoidance of addictive foods, we have a good recipe for successful maintenance without ever worrying about metabolic rate.”
At Medical Weight Management Center, we help you lose weight, and we have continuous support to help you keep it off . Call 952-835-2132 or go to our website, www.medicalweightcenter.com to contact our Registered Dietitian. You can get complete details of our plan.
