Obesity, An Overview Into Its Cause and Results

December 13, 2009 | 1 Comment

Obesity is becoming an epidemic. The US trends labels obesity the disease of the decade due to alarming costs, causes and consequences. In 2007, obesity accounted for 280,000 deaths annually with a cost of $77 billion per year in the US. This put this sum in perspective, this sum represents 5-7% of all health care dollars spent annually.

To download a full manuscript prepared by Dr. Ana M. Hernandez, DO/Medical Director of the Youthful Aging Center, download her Natural Weight Loss Alternative Products Fact Sheet in PDF format.

Obesity is a complex disorder that has genetic, behavioral and environmental causes.

In the American Journal of Public Health, 2001 It was published that obesity would soon overtake smoking as the leading preventable cause of death, presenting greater morbidity than smoking, problem drinking and poverty.

Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater.

The BMI is calculated from a person’s weight and height, provides a somewhat reasonable indicator of body fatness and weight categories that may lead to health problems. However, it says nothing as to the quality of this weight, is it lean body mass? Is it excess fat pounds? There are more reliable ways of calculating body composition and determining risk, including body measures, calipers, and bio-impedance testing equipment.

Obesity is a major risk factor for chronic disease in adults.

Obesity increases an adult’s risk of having cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and type 2 diabetes. But we are also seeing these conditions starting to become a health threat for our children and adolescents as well.

Obesity is a growing serious health concern for young children and adolescents.

Data from NHANES surveys (1976–1980 and 2003–2006) show that the prevalence of obesity has increased: for children aged 2–5 years, prevalence increased from 5.0% to 12.4%; for those aged 6–11 years, prevalence increased from 6.5% to 17.0%; and for those aged 12–19 years, prevalence increased from 5.0% to 17.6%.

Obese children and adolescents are at risk for health problems during their youth and early adulthood.

As youths, obese children and adolescents are more likely to have risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes) than are non obese children and adolescents. They are also more likely to become obese adults.

Studies have shown that approximately 80% of children overweight by age 10–15 years become obese adults by age 25.

One study found that approximately 80% of children who were overweight at aged 10–15 years were obese adults at age 25. Another study found that 25% of obese adults were overweight as children, and that that if the overweight condition began before 8 years of age, that obesity in adulthood would likely be more severe.

What Are The Health Consequences As A Result Of Being Obese?

The following are conditions that are closely linked to obesity in Americans:

Heart Disease
Other Vascular Diseases
Stroke
Dementia
Cancers (Breast, Colon and others)
Type 2 Diabetes
Sleep Apnea
Depression
Osteoarthritis
Back Pain
Gallstones
Surgical Complications
Congenital Malformations
Urinary Stress Incontinence
Psychological Problems

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research being obese makes you 25 – 33% more likely to get colon, prostate, esophageal, kidney and post menopausal breast cancers.

Who was Dr. ATW Simeons?

Dr. Simeons was a medical doctor and scientist that made many contributions to medicine during his years of practice. Dr Simeons was born in London in 1900, and graduated ‘Cum Lauda’ in Heidelberg. Dr. Simeons is credited for the discovery of a stain used in laboratories for the detection of malaria, a stain which now also bears his name. He also discovered the antimalarial drug Atebrin which is in use today in the treatment of this disease. He organized the first Leprosy Center in India and was awarded by the Queen of England with the Iron Cross of Merit for his achievements in the field of Medicine.

Dr. Simeons revealed the medical use of hCG to ‘cure’ obesity by resetting the hypothalamus to promote a healthier, more accelerated and robust metabolic rate.

Dr. Simeons is also responsible for the discovery of the medical use of hCG to ‘cure’ obesity by resetting the hypothalamus and promoting a healthier, more accelerated and robust metabolic rate. But for this research, the doctor has been criticized and his work still draws much controversy in the medical community. However, if you examine the medical literature, you will see many inferences and clinical studies pointing to the fact that the diencephalon (hypothalamus) is very much indeed involved in the generation of obesity and the generation of certain types on abnormal fat reserves that are responsible for much of this country’s obesity epidemic.

The American diet industry has grown consistently in the last 40 years from $2 billion/year to well over $40 billion/year.

Obesity treatment is BIG business in this country. Imagine the impact on this system were it to collapse if word gets out that obesity is a curable symptom of hypothalamic dysfunction.

What is most disturbing to many clinicians that are willing to look beyond traditionally accepted standards of care is that almost 3 generations of obese Americans have had to endure with ineffective and costly maintenance of their disease, or have paid for the incredibly costly surgical options because of the greed of this industry.

Dr ATW Simeons postulated that obesity was the symptom of a disorder in the hypothalamic gland, likely due to an imbalance of neuropeptides in the surrounding area. He further hypothesized that due to this dysfunction, the body begins accumulating fat from the over consumption of calories beyond that which it can use on a daily basis. This accumulated (abnormal) fat is metabolically quite active and produces its own hormones, it also acts quite differently to our normal structural fat pads and is far more resistant to diet and exercise.

Laboratory research shows that a destruction of portions of the hypothalamus in laboratory animals produces excessive hunger, high blood insulin levels (which stimulates the storage of fat from the extra calories consumed in the diet), a drop in growth hormone secretion and rapid weight gain leading to obesity until a new plateau in body weight is reached in experimental animals.

A 1993 study revealed results suggesting that obese women with Abdominal Fat Distribution may have hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Pasquali R, Cantobelli S, Capeli M, Bortoluzzi L, Flamia R, Labate AM, Barbara L. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1993 Aug;77(2):341-6

A study done in 1996 concluded that hypothalamic lesions induce overeating and obesity and selectively in the male causes high blood pressure and glomerular (kidney) damage as well as declines in kidney function. ‘Chris Baylis, Lennie Samsell, Lorraine racusen, Wil Gladfelter’ Published in Hypertension Journal, 1996;27:926-932

A study done in 2000 showed that subjects with abdominal obesity are characterized by hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which leads to a condition of ‘functional hypercortisolism’ (high cortisol levels). Pasquali R, Vicennati V. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2000 Jun;24 Suppl 2:S47-49

In 2002, a study showed that many signals acting at several central nervous system sites seem to converge their pathways on the hypothalamus, which contains a large number of peptides and other neurotransmitters that influence food intake. Wilding, JP. Diabet Med. 2002 Aug;19(8):619-27

At the Youthful Aging Center we are prepared to address this dysfunction and help patients to correct their hypothalamic imbalances. We incorporate all of the fundamental instructions that were so well described by the doctor and help our patients achieve incredible results using this safe technique.

If you want more information visit http://YouthfulAgingCenter.com or call us at 866-For-Health. Do yourself a favor, lose the weight and get healthy. We can help.

To download a full manuscript prepared by Dr. Ana M. Hernandez, DO/Medical Director of the Youthful Aging Center, download her Natural Weight Loss Alternative Products Fact Sheet in PDF format by clicking on the PDF file icon below.

Other Youthful Aging Center Pages:
Testosterone for Men
Basic Lab Testing To Assure Longevity and Youthful Aging
Food Allergies and Obesity
Physician Supervised hCG Weight Loss Program
Take The Functional Medicine Questionnaire

Recommended Reading:
The Youthful Aging Center Bookstore

Subscribe to our Medical Tid Bits Newsletter Online