Hot Health Tips

New Science on Weight Loss
By Dr. Craig Bentham

By now you've heard us say numerous times that "INSULIN is the major culprit in our Nation's obesity epidemic." In fact, in the past 10 years, the majority of health advocates and diet gurus have pointed the finger at the high consumption of sugar and simple carbohydrates, which leads to high levels of insulin, and therefore increased fat storage. We at CurvesHealthClub are always striving to bring our readers the most up-to-date information on nutrition and weight loss. Therefore, we would like to thank Dr. Ron Rosdale who is responsible for the insulin research, and for now introducing the concept of leptin theory. We would also like to thank Dr. Joseph Mercola for his ability to successfully get this important information to the medical community. For our Curves readers, you've heard it from us first. "There appears to be another major hormonal factor affecting weight gain, and it's a hormone called LEPTIN!" Yes, it appears that insulin is not a 'stand-alone' hormonal culprit in weight gain, but that it has an ally called leptin. We suggest that you write this word down and put it to memory, because we guarantee that you'll be hearing about it in the next few years, and you can tell your friends that you've known about it for some time.

What is leptin?

We will try to keep this explanation as simple and easy to grasp as possible, but please understand that leptin has a complex function, and this article will not be able to give a comprehensive look at the effect of this hormone on the human body. Now, leptin does not affect cells individually, the way insulin does; leptin affects the brain (hypothalamus) directly. What was surprising to us as we researched this information is that leptin is not secreted from a specific gland or organ, but actually from the cells we tend to despise; our fat cells . This hormone plays a major role in our metabolism, as it tells the brain whether or not we should be hungry. Our 'western diet' is to blame for the imbalances of our leptin and insulin hormones, which is directly correlated with the weight gain epidemic.

The hormone leptin controls the level of energy storage (fat and glycogen) and the body's ability to utilize these fuels at a cellular level. Leptin allows the body to communicate with the brain about how much energy (fat) has been stored throughout the body. A simple analogy would be like having your car engine oil running low and a message is sent from the sensory computer to the interface on your dash board letting you know that the oil reserve is low. In your body the hormone leptin influences the brain, which therefore determines whether your body needs more fat, or should burn some off. Thus, leptin helps control the 'hunger-signal' which inevitably controls energy storage. We all know how powerful the feeling of hunger can be, and if we're driven by it long enough, we will inevitably consume and store more energy. In other words, if we have an excess of leptin in our bloodstream we will be driven to overeat.

How do people become leptin-resistant?

According to Dr. Rosdale, "This is the subject of much research. I believe people become leptin-resistant by the same general mechanism that people become insulin-resistant: by overexposure to high levels of the hormone. High blood glucose levels cause repeated surges in insulin and this leads to cells becoming "insulin-resistant" which stimulates even higher levels of insulin, and eventually diabetes. Just like anything in nature, if we overuse or abuse something, it will burn out, unless we remove the insulting factor. I believe the same happens with leptin. It has been shown that as sugar gets metabolized in fat cells, fat cells release surges in leptin, and I believe that those surges result in leptin-resistance just as it results in insulin-resistance ." What should this mean to our readers? Well, if there is a high level of the hormone leptin circulating your body, what do you think it is telling your brain? That you need to eat more!

So what can we do about it?

We highly recommend that you stick to the nutritional recommendations we've discussed in the past. Please feel free to check out our archived articles at www.curveshealthclub.com. You can also speak to your Curves staff as they're sufficiently trained to discuss your dietary needs. Essentially, it is important to lower your sugars and simple carbohydrates (non-fiber forms of carbohydrates). These foods readily turn into sugar in our bloodstream, and stimulate not only the release of insulin, but leptin as well. We need to also stress the importance of good nutritional fat in your diet, especially omega-3 fatty acids, in addition to the avoidance of trans-fats.

If you're not seeing the results that you were hoping for at Curves, or have reached a plateau with your weight loss, it's time to seriously consider making changes to your nutrition program. In order to achieve dramatic and lasting results, you must combine an effective exercise program with proper nutrition. Ask a Curves staff member to get you started on the right track. Now is the perfect time!