Steve Yap
This post is on Healthwise
THE World Health Organisation ranks Malaysia as the country with the highest number of obese people in Southeast Asia.
Whatever the reasons for this sad state of affair, obesity promotes numerous chronic metabolic health disorders such as inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction (arterial damage), high blood pressure, abnormal blood fats, insulin resistance (pre-diabetes), hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar), diabetes type 2, and even cancer.
There’re some 3,500 calories in just one pound of body fat. With weight loss, only the size of fat cells is reduced, while the number of fat cells remains the same.
One way to burn off excess calories is to monitor our basal metabolic rate (BMR). This represents the number of calories we burn in 24 hours while at rest.
To calculate BMR for men, take the body weight times 11 while for women is body weight times 10. The higher one’s BMR, the more calories one burns.
BMR may be raised by regular exercise, consuming a ketogenic or higher protein diet, or having regular servings of seaweed while keeping refined carbohydrates/sugar consumption rather slow.
Virgin coconut oil raises BMR while cooking oils such as corn, sunflower or soy may lower it.
Body fats around the abdomen (central obesity) is considered most unhealthy.
Accumulation of triglycerides (stored fats from carbs/sugars/fruits) contributes significantly to the waist circumference, which is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular risk, metabolic syndrome and total mortality than even the widely-used body mass index (BMI).
Most Asian populations have a higher percentage of body fat, and so have a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes type 2, compared to people of European origin with same BMI.
BMI of higher than 27 is generally regarded as being obese since for Southeast Asians and South Chinese, the upper limit for ideal BMI is 23.
BMI is not an accurate measure for muscular athletes and those with significantly different body size frames. It tends to overstate fatty tissues of those with greater lean body mass while understates excess fatty tissues in those with lower lean body mass.
The higher the percentage of body fat, the lower the percentage of body water since water isn’t stored in fat cells.
Healthy adults would have around 60% to 65% water by body weight compared to as low as 40% water in obese adults. Body water in infants is as high as 75%.
The numerous roles water plays include creating saliva, removing metabolic toxins/waste products, regulating blood pressure and heart rate, lubricating joints and cartilages, as well as transporting nutrients and oxygen to cells.
Water is certainly the most important nutrient our body needs. Without adequate water intake, our organs become dysfunctional.
Symptoms of dehydration include dry skin, constipation, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, rapid heartbeat, hypotension, unable to sweat, mood disorder, and feeling ‘heaty’.
Most arterial plaques consist of a higher percentage of oxidised dietary fats compared to modified cholesterol.
Fats in the form of polyunsaturates – such as that from corn oil, sunflower oil, starflower oil, or even soy oil – are most easily oxidised.
Current research suggests that fats glycated by dietary sugar become modified and are acted upon by our immune system which treats them as ‘aliens’ molecules to be attacked leading to chronic low-grade inflammation.
The higher your fat intake, the lower is your body’s ability to cope with sugar or refined starch leading to early onset of diabetes type 2.
Chronic low-grade inflammation is being implicated in almost all major chronic health disorders including heart disease.
Atherosclerosis is now recognised as an inflammatory disorder. The plant flavonoid, luteolin, can lower the IL-6 levels. Its natural sources include chilli padi, green chili, spring onion, bell pepper, celery, artichoke, cabbage, broccoli, thyme, and other spices.
Visceral fats also produce pro-inflammatory chemicals that set the stage for many major metabolic disorders and endocrine dysfunction (hormone imbalance).
Besides sugar/refined carbs, food items high on the inflammatory index include organ meat, farmed salmon, and fatty tissues from farmed livestock/animal.
Surprisingly, many Malaysians avoid seafood with the lowest inflammatory indices such as squids (sotong), scallops, anchovies, oysters, fish roe, clams and mussels, thinking they’re ‘harmful’ to the heart.
Fructose (fruit sugar) is considered more harmful to the heart than table sugar despite its acclaimed lower glycaemic index.
It promotes insulin resistance which is a rather strong independent predictor of cardiovascular disease.
Fructose also lowers body’s production of the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin. This means that habitually eating fruits before main meal can lead to excessive weight (fat) gain.
The most effective natural way to lower triglycerides is with EPA/DHA while maintaining a healthy thyroid function through regular exercise.
EPA/DHA also helps lower fatty liver while zinc citrate reduces oestrogenic effects of obesity.
Other nutrients to help raise lean body mass include soy isolate, creatine, hydroxyl-critic acid, and branched-chain amino acids.
Having adequate sleep and lowering stress can help too.
