Obesity (Weight Loss)
Dr. Weyrich's Naturopathic Functional Medicine Notebook
| Home | Make an Appointment | Downloadable Forms | FAQ | Disorders Treated | Functional Lab Tests | Lectures | Public Speaking | Free Newsletter | Unsubscribe | Colophon |
Overview
Obesity is associated with increased risk of many diseases, including the top killers in developed nations - cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.Dr. Weyrich believes that there is no "one size fits all" diet plan for right-sizing a patient's weight. However, it appears clear that the high carbohydrate, low fat diet advocated by many conventional authorities is a disaster. Indeed, any farmer can tell you that the best way to fatten an animal is to feed them corn.
Etiology
At the most simplistic level, weight gain is the result of consumption of more calories of food energy than is burned by physical and metabolic activity. However there is much more to the story - many hormones interact to control hunger, metabolic activity, mood, and percieved energy level.Perhaps one of the most important hormone imbalance leading to obesity is hypothyroidism [Starr2005, pg 164; Zondek1944a; Hertoghe1915; Siegal2001].
Adequate dietary fat is important to maintaining a normal metabolism. Dr. Barnes reports that a high protein, low fat diet will slow the metabolism and produce symptoms of hypothyroidism [Barnes; Starr2005].
At least one study shows that a 60% fat diet is more effective in losing weight than a 30% fat diet. As summarized by Dr. Starr, the results of the study reported by Duke University in 2002 are as folows [need reference]:
| % Fat in diet | Weight loss # | % Change HDL | % Change TG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60% | 30 # | +11% | -49% |
| 30% | 20 # | 0% | -22% |
In conclusion, avoidance of dietary fats is counterproductive in weight loss programs. On the other hand, correcting hypothyroidism appears to benefit weight loss.
Differential Diagnosis
ICD-9 Codes
| ICD9-Code | Description | Comments |
|---|---|---|
References
Unless specifically noted above, references used in the construction of this web page include the following:[FDM] Lecture notes from Functional Medicine University.
[SCNM] Lecture notes from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.
[UT] Lecture notes from the University of Tennessee graduate programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry.
[Barnes] Broda O. Barnes M.D. Research Foundation at http://www.brodaobarnes.org. Cited by [Starr2005].
[Starr2005] Mark Starr. Hypothyroidism Type 2: The Epidemic. Columbia, MO: Mark Starr Trust (2005).
Copyright © 2007-2010 Dr. Weyrich (Naturopathic Medical license number 07-1008). The information on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or illness. The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This web page is http://www.DrWeyrich.com/disorders/obesity.html - Phone Dr. Weyrich at (480) 423-6952