Information on obesity

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There is no denying it; obesity is now a major epidemic in the

United States. In response, researchers have been diligently seeking

the answer three important questions - What makes people fat, why

diets don't work, and what triggers appetite?

The answer to the first question can be answered simplistically.

Obesity is simply the result of eating more calories than are being

burned by the body. However, it is much more complex of an issue

than that. In fact, what modern research has uncovered is that

obesity is not just a matter of overeating. There are sound

physiological reasons why some people can eat very large quantities

of calories and not increase their weight substantially while for

others just the reverse is true. It is beyond the scope of this

article to go into great detail, so I will limit the discussion to

taking a look at some of the interesting aspects of why some people

are prone to obesity and how to effectively promote weight loss by

improving insulin sensitivity and impacting appetite regulating

compounds.

In the beginning

Although there may or may not be a specific " obesity gene, " the

tendency to be overweight is definitely inherited. Also important in

determining the likelihood of developing obesity during pregnancy.

An excess of calories during this stage of development can lead to

the formation of an increased number of fat cells - hyperplastic

obesity While hyperplastic obesity tends to be associated with fewer

serious health effects compared to hypertrophic obesity, it is still

linked to diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other

serious disturbances of metabolism. Usually with hypertrophic

obesity the fat distribution is generally around the waist with a

greater waist to hip circumference.

The " set point " theory

Research with animals and humans has found that each person has a

programmed " set point " weight. The " set point " is the weight that a

body tries to maintain by regulating caloric intake. It has been

postulated that individual fat cells control this set point: when

the fat cell becomes smaller, it sends a powerful message to the

brain to eat. Since the obese individual often has both more and

larger fat cells, the result is an overpowering urge to eat.

The existence of this set point explains why most diets don't work.

While the obese individual can fight off the impulse to eat for a

time, eventually the signal becomes too strong to ignore. The result

is rebound overeating with individuals often exceeding their

previous weight. In addition, their set point is now set at a higher

level making it even more difficult to lose weight. This effect has

been termed the " ratchet effect " and " yo-yo dieting. "

The set point seems to be tied to how sensitive the fat cells are to

insulin. It is well established that obesity leads to insulin

insensitivity and vice versa. When fat cells, particularly those

around the abdomen, become full of fat they secrete a number of

biological products (e.g., resistin, leptin, tumor necrosis factor ,

free fatty acids) that dampen the effect of insulin, impair glucose

utilization in skeletal muscle, and promote glucose production by

the liver. Also important is that as the number and size of fat

cells increase it leads to a reduction in the secretion of compounds

that promote insulin action including a novel protein produced by

fat cells known as adiponectin. Adiponectin not only is associated

with improved insulin sensitivity, it also has anti-inflammatory

activity, lowers triglycerides, and blocks the development of

atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). The net effect of all

of these actions by fat cells is that they severely stress blood

sugar control mechanisms as well as lead to the development of the

major complication of diabetes - atherosclerosis. Because of all of

these newly discovered hormones secreted by fat cells, many experts

now consider the adipose tissue a member of the endocrine system.

Diet-induced thermogenesis

Another physiological difference between obese and thin people is

how much of the food consumed is converted immediately to heat. This

process is known as diet-induced thermogenesis (heat production).

Researchers have found that in lean individuals a meal may stimulate

up to a 40% increase in diet-induced thermogenesis. In contrast,

overweight individuals often display only a 10% or less increase. In

overweight individuals the food energy is stored instead of being

converted to heat like it is in lean individuals.

Just like in a fat cell's set point, a major factor for the

decreased thermogenesis in overweight people is insulin

insensitivity. Therefore, once again the goal is to enhance insulin

sensitivity.

Key triggers of an increased appetite

It could be argued that obese individuals are more sensitive to

internal signals to eat along with being extremely susceptible to

external stimuli (sight, smell, and taste) that can increase the

appetite. Psychological factors undoubtedly play a role in why many

people overeat, but the bottom line is that if we can quell the

physiological triggers most people can overcome their appetite,

cravings, or food addictions.

Appetite reflects a very complex system that has evolved to help

humans deal with food shortages. As a result it is extremely biased

towards weight gain. It makes sense that people who survived famines

were those that were more adept at storing fat than burning it. So,

there is a built in tendency for all of us to overeat even though in

developed countries food is readily available.

To combat the tendency to eat more than we require, we must

accentuate the normal physiological processes that curb the

appetite. A very elaborate system exists that is supposed to tell

the hypothalamus when the body requires more food as well as when

enough food has been consumed. Most of the stronger signals actually

originate from the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to nerve

signals feeding back to the CNS, there is a growing list of gut-

derived hormones and peptides such as neuropeptide Y and analogs,

ghrelin, and cholecystokinin. Undoubtedly, you have heard of the

promising research on at least some of these compounds. For example,

last September the New England Journal of Medicine reported peptide

YY 3-36 (or PYY for short) dramatically reduced appetite in both

obese and normal weight individuals. The subjects consumed about 30

% less at an all you can eat buffet after the infused hormone,

compared with when they were given only saline solution. The

subjects also ate significantly less over the next 24 hours.

Unlike PYY, the stomach-derived hormone Ghrelin increases appetite.

Ghrelin levels are highest when the stomach is empty and during

calorie restriction. Obese individuals tend to have elevated ghrelin

levels, when they try to lose weight ghrelin levels increase even

higher. Part of the success of gastroplasty in producing permanent

weight loss is thought to be the result of significantly reduced

ghrelin levels. For example, while a diet-induced weight loss of 17

% of initial body weight was associated with a 24% increase in the

area under the curve (AUC) for the 24-hour ghrelin profile, despite

a 36% weight loss after gastric bypass, the AUC for the ghrelin

profile in the gastric-bypass group was 77 % lower than in normal-

weight controls and 72 % lower than in matched obese controls.

While using various appetite regulators as therapeutic agents in

human obesity is possible, preliminary studies seem to indicate that

in humans compensatory actions may negate the effect. The perfect

drug or natural product to impact appetite must possess an ability

to increase insulin sensitivity and to produce a targeted effect of

reducing those factors which increase appetite while simultaneously

increasing those factors that decrease appetite. I believe that part

of the answer in helping people lose weight safely, effectively, and

permanently is PGX™ - a unique blend of selected, highly viscous

soluble fibers that act synergistically to develop a higher level of

viscosity and expansion with water than with the same quantity of

any other fiber alone.

Utilizing PGX™ to improve insulin sensitivity and control appetite

The development of PGX™ began as a solution to obesity, diabetes,

and heart disease began with intense scientific research at the

University of Toronto. What Dr. Vuksan and his colleagues discovered

was that by combining various soluble fibers in specific ratios, the

viscosity of the fiber is amplified greatly. This enhanced viscosity

is paramount to its effects, as the viscosity of soluble fiber is

directly related to its physiological effects and ultimately its

overall health benefits in humans.

Beginning in 2002, Lyon, M.D., of the Canadian Center for

Functional Medicine began working cooperatively with the University

of Toronto researchers, modifying their formulation for better

stability through the digestive tract and improving upon its

characteristics as a food ingredient. Through Dr. Lyon's work

significant improvements were made. For example, the fiber blend in

PGX™ was improved so that it has a modest viscosity when first

mixed, but the viscosity increases greatly once it reaches the

stomach and intestine. This makes PGX™ easy to mix in the blender,

but once it hits the stomach it forms a very large gelatinous mass.

The viscosity and physical properties of PGX™ make it completely

unique amongst all other water soluble fibers and fiber blends. Its

appetite suppressing and blood sugar stabilizing properties continue

for hours after each administration.

Clinical studies conducted by Dr. Vuksan and his colleagues have

repeatedly shown that after-meal blood sugar levels decrease as

soluble fiber viscosity increases.8-10 As a result, PGX™ produces

benefit unlike any other fiber source. This relationship with

viscosity has also been shown to hold true for the other

physiological benefits produced by soluble fibers including

increased insulin sensitivity, diminished appetite, significant

weight control, improved bowel movements, and decreased serum

cholesterol.

PGX™ lowers after meal blood sugar levels by approximately 20 to 40%

and also lowers insulin secretion by approximately 40% producing a

whole body insulin sensitivity index improvement of nearly 50% - a

phenomenal accomplishment that is unequalled by any drug or natural

health product. PGX™ is particularly well-suited for syndrome X - a

collection of metabolic abnormalities including impaired glucose

tolerance, high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high

blood pressure, and upper body (abdominal) obesity. On top of that,

the Canadian Center for Functional Medicine as well as the

University of Toronto researchers have recently found that higher

doses of PGX™ can diminish appetite to such an extent that even the

heaviest individuals have a dramatic and sustainable reduction in

appetite. It basically acts in a similar fashion to stomach stapling

to reduce food intake.

In addition to curbing appetite by improving insulin sensitivity,

preliminary evidence indicates that PGX™ has powerful effects on

reducing regulatory compounds that stimulate appetite like ghrellin

while at the same time increasing the levels of regulatory compounds

that block the appetite like PYY, CCK, and adiponectin. Further

studies being conducted by Dr. Vuksan will likely show that PGX™

exerts powerful effects on these appetite regulators.

Clinically Proven Effects of PGX™ Reduces postprandial blood glucose

levels

Reduces appetite and promotes effective weight loss

Increases insulin sensitivity

Improves diabetes control

Lowers blood cholesterol

Summary

With a greater understanding of human physiology and appetite

regulation there are emerging approaches to long term weight

management that are producing effective answers. While

pharmaceutical companies continue to furiously race to discover the

perfect pill to control hunger (most of the diet drugs discovered so

far are ineffective and dangerous), the real answer may be a unique

blend of selected, highly viscous soluble fibers that act

synergistically to develop a higher level of viscosity and expansion

with water than with the same quantity of any other fiber alone. In

addition to its effects on blood sugar levels and improving insulin

sensitivity, we believe that one of the key reasons why people lose

weight almost effortlessly with PGX™ is that it greatly reduces

appetite.