News Taffy

Does the body work against us sometimes, especially when it comes to weight loss? It would seem so, according to a new study published in the October 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. My husband is so good to point out articles he knows I will be interested in and this study on “hunger hormones” definitely caught my attention. It truly is very difficult to take the weight off and keep it off but why? It seems that the body is more oriented towards protecting the body in times of starvation than in times of abundance.

The study basically confirms other studies that show our hormones push us to regain any weight lost. In the study, scientists measured 9 different hormone levels at the beginning and end of the diet period and again a year later. When dieting, hormones that stimulate the appetite increase and those that suppress appetite, go down. These hormones did not return to a normal level even after a year. Therefore, you can’t relax when trying to get to and remain at a normal weight. You can never lose the weight and revert back to your old habits of overeating and not exercising that got you into problems in the first place.

Many of us, including me, suffer from food addictions. I love carbs. I never met bread or pasta I didn’t love, and when I was pregnant, mashed potatoes and gravy seemed like a perfect dessert. The problem with food addictions is that it is really a signal that your diet is lacking in nutrition and your body is crying for help. Serotonin is the body’s feel good hormone and when you are tired, have low blood sugar or low serotonin, you will crave simple carbs. Having a donut, for example, will make you feel better in the short run, but the effect wears off, leaving you craving more simple sugar or carbs. Eating a low fat, high carb diet makes this problem worse. Over time, you can become insulin resistant. Insulin regulates blood sugar by telling cells when to absorb glucose (sugar) from the blood. Being insulin resistant means your body has stopped responding to insulin properly and instead grabs calories and deposits them as fat. This becomes a vicious cycle as it leads to more cravings and starts the whole process over again. Insulin resistance leads directly to obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

This is all very complicated but the solution is good nutrition. I have a friend who is celebrating a year of regaining control of her health. Last November, she was 100 pounds overweight and had Type 2 diabetes among other health problems. She began to eat a healthier diet and exercise. Today she has been able to stop many of her medications and feels better than she has in years.

For those of you who are already at a good weight, start now to take care of yourself. Don’t ever think it won’t happen to you. I always preach that prevention is so much better than the cure, but go for the cure if you need to!