The Diet Industry Is a Lie - Part 2
The ‘Diet Industry’ Approach to Weight Loss Is Fundamentally Flawed.
Obesity and associated illnesses are now one of the most serious epidemics in the developed world. Despite the very bold marketing and claims of this $60-billion-dollar industry, obesity rates are dangerously increasing.
Why?
This is because most weight loss plans fail to address the most fundamental factors which eventually cause diets to fail.
In reality, the timeline of healthy and successful weight loss doesn’t lie in a ‘7-day detox cleanse’, a shake diet, or anything that advocates a ridiculously low caloric intake; some going as low as 700 calories a day! This ultimately starves the body of nutrients and triggers a series of metabolic adaptions which almost always make the consumer end up where they started, if not worse – and out of pocket.
‘Metabolic adaptation’ refers changes in the body which allow it to utilise energy effectively and efficiently. Extreme low calorie (Hypocaloric) diets induce a number of adaptations that serve to prevent further weight loss in order to conserve energy. This ultimately stalls fat loss and primes the body to regain body fat post-diet.
These adaptions are common with many popular diets. Combined, this series metabolic adaptions make it extremely hard and almost impossible to lose weight and keep it off in the long term. This is the reason 80-90% of people rapidly regain weight post-diet.
Extreme or crash dieting can lead to the following:
Decreased Metabolism - Extreme dieting reduces thyroid hormone production and metabolic rate. The purpose of your thyroid gland is to make, store, and release thyroid hormones into the blood stream. These hormones, which are also referred to as T3 (Liothyronine) and T4 (Levothyroxine) affect almost every cell in your body, and help control your body's functions.
Entering ‘starvation’ mode - Your body will become more efficient at storing fat or calories consumed. Starvation mode is a state in which the body is responding to prolonged periods of low caloric intake. During short periods of reduced calorie intake, the human body will burn primarily free fatty acids from body fat stores, along with small amounts of muscle tissue to provide the required glucose for brain function.
Increased Hunger Hormones - An increase in the hunger hormone Ghrelin which sends signals to your brain to eat more and increases hunger. Basically, your body will want you to eat more in order to re-gain the weight.
Decrease in Weight Controlling Hormones - A decrease in the satiety hormone Leptin. In contrast to Ghrelin, this can help you regulate your weight, tell you when to stop eating and limit calorie intake.
Anabolic Hormones - Key anabolic hormones such as testosterone and oestrogen will down regulate. For males this can lead to deficient testosterone levels, linked to muscle loss, fat storage and serious disease. For females, this can adversely effect the menstrual cycle. Regardless of gender, you will become weaker, physical performance will decrease and strength will decline.
All of these issues combined put you in ‘fat storage’ mode and ultimately contribute to dietary failure.
As I’ve stated in a previous article…
‘A great enterprise and industry has arisen on the grounds of diet and exercise, filled with unscrupulous businesses that aren’t interested in your ability to get stronger and healthier, but everything about your ability to pay your way and/or buy products.’
Fat loss is a product of a lifestyle that includes sound and consistent nutritional habits that nourish you and support an active lifestyle. Concentrate on your actions and habits, not the scales. A healthy lifestyle isn’t about ‘extreme’ or ‘rapid’ measures, peaks and troughs and continual failures. It’s about knowledge and practice.
Stop buying into the marketing. Countless businesses and sales reps will attempt to target sales and profitability by targeting insecurity. See the fads, gimmicks and celebrity advertising for the marketing tactics they are. Read what you can that will give you the necessary information and use your own logic and decide what works best for you. Focus on your actions - believe in yourself - not the sales pitch!
