Thursday, December 14, 2006

The Obese Fat Cell

As a person becomes overweight fat cells expand in size and reproduce.  Unfortunately, a new study demonstrates that obese fat cells churn out a lot of disease causing pro-inflammatory signals, compared to their thinner counterparts.  Yes, the million dollar question is:  How fit is your fat?  Knowing the answer may save your life.  Read my new book, the Leptin Diet, and learn how to change this disease-provoking state of affairs.

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Enjoy Thanksgiving!

Our society is rapidly losing the cultural fabric that holds us all together.  At least one day every year there is a celebration based on food, sharing, family, and community.  It is a time to pause from the endless priorities of life and to be thankful for what we have.  Celebrate.  Enjoy the feast.  And mostly, enjoy those with whom you share the feast. 

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Is Fat the Fountain of Youth?

While stem cells stir debate, fat may be where it’s at.  Long maligned as the evil depots of obesity, white adipose tissue has changed its place in the minds of many scientists.  The discovery of leptin entered in a new era of medicine and new tools for managing weight.  Scientists have now documented that white adipose tissue contains an abundance of cells that can be used in therapeutic medicine for natural regeneration of health.  This marks the start of a new era for human health and well being.  This is truly an amazing turn of events.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Leptin Trumps Insulin

The accumulation of excess fat, especially in the liver, is the hallmark of health headed in the direction of disease.  Abdominal weight gain is reflective of fatty accumulation in the liver.  Once the liver is congested with excess fat, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol are much more likely.  A series of clever experiments has now demonstrated that leptin resistance, not insulin resistance, is the primary factor driving the accumulation of surplus fat in the liver.  In other words, the dysfunction of white adipose tissue is the root cause of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, consequent insulin resistance, and increased risk for all factors of metabolic syndrome X.

Friday, November 10, 2006

Obesity and Pancreatic Distress

As a person gains weight the pancreas must work harder to produce more insulin to transport the excess calories.  The initial response to this problem is for the pancreas to increase the number of beta cells that produce insulin, a form of “pancreatic physical fitness.” If the pancreas is able to keep up an overweight person may not suffer debilitating health consequences.  However, as triglycerides, blood sugar, and cholesterol begin to drift upward the pancreas is losing its fitness.  Metabolic signals coming from white adipose tissue, leptin and adiponectin, regulate pancreas beta cell fitness.  A new study shows that as the weight problem worsens leptin levels rise too high while adiponectin levels fall.  Once adiponectin levels fall, pancreatic fitness is lost and disease risk sets in.  The moral of the story:  being fat will eventually catch up with anyone.  Lose weight, keep it off, and stay healthy.  Learn to master leptin.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Leptin Problems are Very Serious

Mastering leptin is unquestionably the key to healthy weight loss.  Significant leptin problems are signified in individuals who gain weight and then struggle to lose it or who fall into a pattern of yo-yo dieting.  New animal research is showing that once the brain loses its leptin function, leptin function throughout the body is concurrently traumatized.  This is actually very bad news for dieters.  It highlights the importance of following the Five Rules and may indicate that any person who truly wants to recover may need quite a lot of exercise on a regular basis, far more than is currently being recommended.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Leptin Problems Precede Serious Health Problems

Changes in leptin levels precede the onset of health conditions that cause disease.  It is well established that leptin resistance causes insulin resistance and leads to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.  Two new studies document that changes in blood leptin set the stage for disease onset.

In one study, the perception that a person was under stress was linked to higher levels of leptin.  This study demonstrates a scientific link between a psychological perception and the onset of weight and other health problems.

Another study showed that people with sleep apnea and no other disease had significantly elevated leptin and insulin, demonstrating that sleep apnea is a marker for the onset of diabetes and heart disease.  It also means that managing leptin and insulin will reduce this risk dramatically.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Obesity Causes Asthma

There are a variety of factors that contribute to the excessive inflammatory cascade that is causing an epidemic of asthma.  Some irritants are obvious, like dust.  Others are less promoted, like the use of antibiotics before age one or a grandmother’s cigarette smoking during pregnancy.  It has been observed for some time that obesity oftentimes precedes the onset of asthma.  Recent animal research shows that the inflammation generated from immune cells residing in the excess pounds of fat induces systemic inflammation that can easily predispose a person to developing asthma.  Central to this issue is the problem of leptin resistance.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Fat Bones Cause Bone Loss

The accumulation of fat cells in bone marrow is a major problem for healthy bones.  These extra fat cells are clearly associated with osteoporosis risk, the fat acting to get in the way of normal bone building activity.  A recent study on this topic shows that it is critical for the brain to get a proper leptin signal, at which point the brain prevents the excess accumulation of fat cells in bones.  Just because a person is overweight doesn’t mean they have fatty bones.  In fact, individuals who crash diet or eat too little are also at risk for developing bone loss due in part to leptin malfunction.  Individuals must learn how to eat in harmony with leptin to prevent bone loss.  This is fully explained in my book, Mastering Leptin. 

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Too Much Food is Poison

Food is vital for survival.  Eating too much food works against survival and speeds the onset of deterioration and the diseases of aging.  Calorie restriction is known to improve longevity.  In this monkey study, eating less resulted in significantly reduced changes in brain chemistry that lead to Alzheimer’s.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Obesity Doubles the Risk for Loss of Vision

A later life consequence of obesity is loss of sight.  Those who are obese are doubling their risk for losing their vision through an increase in various sight-related problems including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts. 

This new study points out that eyes are just one more body part taking a hit from the inflammatory burned of obesity.  Excessive sugar cross-links proteins within the eye, cementing them into a state of disease.  Fat clogs circulation in and out of the eye.  And the extra inflammation generated free-radical damage that adds to the natural demand of processing light.  The handwriting is on the wall, as long as the wall can be viewed.

Friday, September 15, 2006

Bush Cuts Exercise Spending

One in five US teenagers is headed for obesity and a consequent life of disease.  An effective advertising campaign, VERB, was dismantled by Bush administration budget cuts after it was proven to be successful!  Our government’s bland message of eating less and exercising more tends to fall on deaf ears, especially in younger people.  Ads that made exercise cool were actually turning the tide. 

Since the government money was not headed for Big Pharma and success of the program would reduce future Big Pharma profits by producing healthier Americans, it simply had to be stopped.  Meanwhile, billions of dollars in anti-psychotic drugs that make children fat and diabetic are pushed on our children to control their moods, even though they have never been approved for use in any person under the age of 18.  Our government forces taxpayers and insurance companies to foot the bill for billions of dollars in obesity-producing medication bent on mind control.  Politicians can say anything they want.  Follow the money and you understand the true priorities of government.

The Evil Soda

Soda, sugar-sweetened or artificially flavored, is amongst the most health-destructive substance any person can consume.  New science is proving that soda is a major contributing factor to obesity.  Elimination of all forms of soda is mandatory for any person struggling with body weight.  Americans are literally addicted to sweet tastes, altering brain wiring and leptin receptors on the tongue.  Soon there will be a twelve step program for soda addicts.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Longevity Tied to Lifestyle, Not Money and Meds

A new study, widely reported in the media, is sending a message loud and clear that modern medicine is not the reason for a longer life.  In fact, those who eat in moderation, due to lower income, are likely to live longer.  This is especially true in Northern states, where active farm lives lead to more physical activity and less weight gain.  Lower income individuals in Southern states, eating very high fat diets and living in a region of the country known for its selenium deficiency, have the shortest lifespan.

This information helps people to know that being more active over the course of a lifetime, combined with home cooked meals, is a recipe for health.  It confirms the earlier observation that Italians eating the traditional Mediterranean diet lived to be old and healthy with far fewer medicines than are available today.  Those looking for a quick-fix pill to compensate for their poor lifestyle and eating habits will find nothing but a life of sickness management and poor health.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Children Need Vigorous Exercise to Combat Obesity

European research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition proves that children need at least 40 minutes of vigorous exercise per day to help promote cardiovascular fitness and less body fat.  Intensity of activity showed a clear advantage over general physical activity. 

Intensity conditions the release of adrenaline to perform physical function.  Adrenaline is in synergistic balance with the hormone leptin, which determines how much fat should be stored.  Moderate physical activity, while better than being a couch potato, does not condition the fitness in this important metabolic system. 

The moral of the story for children is to take advantage of youth, exercise vigorously, and help prevent a lifetime of metabolic sluggishness with increased risk for disease.  These same principles apply to adults as well; however, intensity must be modulated by the ability to perform.  Slowly increasing intensity or mixing some intensity into a milder pace of exercise will help older individuals to get back on track.