Losing weight if obese not wise: study

[Oskuro]

Going a little back to the "losing weight is dangerous" issue... Well, I'm obese, and wanting to lose weight for health reasons... Although I'm not too informed on the more technical details, I was told to seek medical assitance while losing weight for several reasons, chief among them to have someone control my progress, but also because there is a health risk.

This risk, apparently, comes from accumulated toxins on the body fat. As you eat, you take in small amounts of toxins that your body can handle, and some of these stay in the fat reserves. The issue is that, when losing weight, this fat is reabsorbed by the body. If this is done too quickly, you could be absorbing too many toxins and thus incur in health risks.

Again, I don't have much technical reference, but it sounds quite plausible. Still, it is no justification for not losing weight. Our body is "designed" for an specific weight, going above or beyond that puts stress on the system, and can lead to trouble.

[Darth Wong]

The most common problem associated with weight-loss is not toxin release, but ill-advised diets that are not properly balanced and end up leaving you deficient in certain nutrients.

[DrkHelmet]

Well, I am trying to lose weight (again), but going at it with a different attitude. Before my goal was always to lose weight, this time my goal is to get healthy.

To that end, instead of going with a 200 calorie a day diet (exaggerated, you get the principle), I am eating a healthy reasonable amount of various kinds of food and excercising daily. So far I haven't lost any weight (gained 1lb), but overall I feel better than I have in years.

I am certain if I stopped eating altogether, that would help me lose weight faster, but then you risk all the health effects that this "study" about losing weight shows. Balance > stupidity

[Oskuro]

The most common problem associated with weight-loss is not toxin release, but ill-advised diets that are not properly balanced and end up leaving you deficient in certain nutrients.

Indeed they are, the toxin release is, of course, secondary, but it is a nice example of health risks often ignored by most people.

I belive the most dangerous problem is ignorance about how the body really works. I think that <sarcasm> now that most people know where babies come from </sarcasm> maybe we could get some extra education about nutrition.

Some efforts towards educating children about nutrition are sometimes spotted on the news... But I don't think McBurgerFriedHut will like it


Also, losing weight is often seen as simply reducing your intake, and maybe increasing your consume. Partially wrong. Doing that will get you thin, but if you go back to your previous routine afterwards, you'll recover your weight. Losing weight is more often than not changing your habits and your lifestyle. If done incorrectly, it can be very dangerous... Specially if you keep stressing your body with diet after diet, and afterwards you recover all the weight you have lost.


Sorry if I got a little carried over with the post... This is a subject I constantly have in mind...

[PainRack]

There is political bullshit on both sides of the divide with this issue.

BMI is basically a height/weight chart, that's it. And for some people, such as dedicated athletes, it pegs them as overweight or even mildly obese when they are among the fittest of people. It also makes no allowances for natural body type. We don't expect a draft horse and a riding horse of the same height to maintain the same healthy body weight, why do we expect all people to be alike?

As an example, I have always tended to be at the upper end of the height/wieght range. If I lost enough weight to reach the bottom of my category I would be unhealthy - although technically a "healthy" weight, for me it would be underweight, leaving me weak, easily tired, and more prone to illness than if I carried a few "extra" pounds that for me aren't so extra. Not to mention I'd look like utter crap. I know this because I have had the misfortune to lose that much weight. I do better with the extra pounds.

And that's yet another way these statistics skew - There are people who, due to body build, should be on the low end of the range for their height, and those who should be on the "heavy" side.

There is a reason why fitness instructors are taught to measure body fat via waist/hip ratio, and muscle mass. You really can't get past that. BMI is just a handy way of calculating whether you may have too much body fat that may be dangerous, based on the assumption that you are a "normal" person, whatever normality means.

I mean, which one of us is going to be able to have those vernier calipers and measuring tape available to do that kind of measuring anyway?
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[SylasGaunt]

A little exercise can go a surprisingly long way. Even with breaking my diet and eating some things I've really decided I didn't I still managed to drop 10 lbs. since the last time I weighed (which wa a while ago.. oh, thanks to the Aussies who's government gave us the cash that bought our pool-heater.. you made it possible ).


Personally I can see too great a weight loose being unhealthy, or weight loss of the wrong kind.. but I somehow find the idea that shedding excess poundage being bad for my body to be a bit of a stretch.