The laws of physics cannot be denied.
If I were to tell you that you could eat all you want, as long as it’s not Food X, and not gain weight it means I’m not very good at math. Hormones are contributors to weight gain, but not because they cause certain foods to stick to your ribs more than others.
It’s because hormones drive behavior.
In other words, your hormones can cause you to desire food that you don’t really need in ways that cause you to overeat. Sometimes simple dietary deficiencies can lead to imbalanced hormones. Magnesium, for instance, can cause all kinds of system crashes, especially for women. This article gives the details.
It’s also very common for us to underestimate our caloric intake. And I mean by a lot: close to 50% for some. And right along with that is the fact that people often overestimate their energy expenditure (how much they’re burning). It’s a myth, by the way, that the overweight have slower metabolisms. It’s actually the opposite. Check out this short Youtube clip of an experiment done with a subject from the UK for a classic example.
Put it all together with the fact that there are more high-density food choices than ever during this time in history where the most people ever sit in front of a computer all day, and you get what we have. The obesity epidemic is now giving way to the diabetes epidemic. Studies show that there are estimates that one in three Americans will be diabetic by 2050. Type 2 diabetes makes one more prone to infection, more prone to have a cardiac “event,” and can destroy your kidneys. If you take a look around Palm Beach County these days, you’ll notice that there’s no shortage of dialysis centers around town. Well, of course there is. Once you get to the point of being on dialysis you’re a three times a week customer.
The answer? Don’t cheat yourself, and don’t estimate. Get serious about tracking everything for at least a few weeks (use myfitnesspal.com to make it easier). Weigh and measure. Record every morsel. It will help you become calorically aware. What you measure you will manage.
I bring up these issues here because the reality is that these health issues are far more life threatening than an episode of back pain, and hey, you guys are important to me.
Dr. Travis Lamperski is a Board Certified Chiropractic Physician. Dr. Lamperski opened Palm Beach Chiropractic & Rehabilitation in 2016. The conditions treated range from orthopedic injuries such as lumbar disc herniations and shoulder rotator cuff tendinitis to Personal Injury cases. Reach the office at 561-708-5700 and at ChiroPalmBeach.com.
