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Blog author, Solai Buchanan is an experienced Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with an MS from Columbia Teachers College. She specializes in treating heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, polycystic ovarian syndrome,and other chronic diseases. She is a provider at a full-service cardiology practice accepting most insurance and staffed with a primary care MD, pediatrician, and cardiologist. Call: 718.894.7907. NYCC is lead by Interventional Cardiologist Sanjeev Palta, MD, FSCAI, FACC. He trained at Cornell-Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and the State University Hospital of Brooklyn. He currently is an Attending Cardiologist at New York Methodist Hospital and Maimonides Medical Center. He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Having performed over 2000 invasive cardiac procedures Dr. Palta’s patients know they are in trusted hands.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

EVEN JUST LOSING 5% OF BODYWEIGHT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES HEALTH

A recent study confirms that weight loss as little as just 5% of bodyweight yields significant health benefits including improvements in multiple risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. In the study, researchers randomly assigned 40 obese individuals – none of whom had diabetes – to different weight loss goals. Half the group was instructed to maintain their body weight, while the other half were asked to lose 5%, 10%, or 15% of bodyweight.  Researchers found that when participants lost 5% of their body weight, their pancreas was able to better produce insulin, cells in the muscle and fat tissue were more sensitive to insulin, and total body fat as well as liver fat decreased.  While insulin production and insulin sensitivity in the muscles continued to improve at 10% bodyweight loss, most health gains were realized at the 5% weight loss mark. 

What to do:  If you’re struggling with obesity, it might feel like you have to radically overhaul your entire body and lose all your excess weight to get healthier.  This is not the case. For example, 5% weight loss for a 200 pound person is only 10 lbs.  The current guidelines for treating obesity recommend a 5-10% weight loss, and individuals often set their sights on much greater losses.   Big weight loss targets usually set us up for failure.  Remember, maintaining just a little weight loss is much better than losing a lot of weight and then regaining it.  Try to practice healthy behaviors that help you slowly lose weight and maintain that weight loss.  

Source:
Magkos  F, Fraterrigo G, Yoshino J, Luecking C, Kirbach K, Kelly SC, de las Fuentes L, He S, Okunade AL, Patterson BW Klein S. Effects of moderate and subsequent progressive weight loss on metabolic function and adipose tissue biology in humans with obesity. Cell Metabolism, published online Feb. 22, 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2016.02.005

Adapted from articles available at:
http://www.sciencealert.com/the-first-5-of-weight-loss-offers-the-greatest-health-benefits-in-obese-people-study-finds
https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/in-obese-patients-5-percent-weight-loss-has-significant-health-benefits/