Obesity & overweight

Talking about weight, in general, is a sensitive topic, whether you are underweight or overweight/obese. Many people think that those who suffer from overweight or obesity only weigh more because they eat more food and move less, but this is not the case. Today we know that the cause is due to several factors where heredity (genetic predisposition) and lifestyle (diet and exercise) are some of the most mentioned.

Many people see dieting as the only alternative to weight loss, but there are many more explanations and strategies for how the body can end up in balance and thus reach its optimal weight, also called the “set-point.” Below we have summarized some of the most crucial areas that affect what we weigh and which may be worth reviewing if you are struggling with obesity or obesity (in this case, a BMI of over 30).

Hormones and overweight
Some of the hormones that control us the most are our sex hormones, digestive hormones, thyroid hormones and the hormones in the adrenal glands. Hormones affect our weight to a very high degree as they act as a signalling system in the body and affect how we feel, what we weigh, where we put fat deposits and much more. Insulin, cortisol, the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone are the hormones that affect our fat storage the most, as well as the growth hormone HGH.

Low levels of testosterone, estrogen and progesterone, for example, stress, certain medications, sleep disorders, menopause, PCOS and much more, will affect our weight.

To sum up, hormones and weight – hormones play a significant role! But we can influence these with the help of what we eat, keep our stress level down, sleep well and move. To gain insight into your hormones, we have created two tests intended for both men and women, where the most crucial hormones are analysed.

Stress and overweight
Any stress on the body that puts our nervous system in a “fight or flight” state is harmful to our weight. When the body is constantly under emotional, psychological, physiological, metabolic or cellular stress, it often leads to low T3 (a thyroid hormone whose function controls our metabolism) and high cortisol. Cortisol affects the metabolism and can lead to fat being stored around the waist, so measuring and balancing cortisol is crucial. So an essential first step in a possible weight loss is to reduce all forms of stress from the environment, the diet we eat, our thoughts and too much physical strain.

The importance of the intestinal flora for the weight
Our diet is crucial for maintaining good gastrointestinal health. Studies have been done on the obese to see if there was a link between good intestinal bacteria and a healthy weight, which turned out to be the case. What has been seen is that those who ate foods high in sugar, low in fibre and processed foods with many additives had a higher risk of developing obesity and type-2 diabetes. On the other hand, those who ate foods that are usually associated with good health – such as fruit, vegetables, yoghurt and fish – had a much more varied and better intestinal flora, which led to a more robust immune system, a healthier weight, better mood and more energy in general.

However, it can be challenging to know if you have a good or less good intestinal flora. Studies have shown that some bacteria play a more significant role in obesity, such as Akkermansia muciniphila. You can measure Akkermansia with the most important bacteria for our intestinal flora.

Genetics and body fat storage
Our genetics also have an impact when it comes to our weight and where our excess fat storage settles on the body. Ie. It differs from person to person if your extra weight accumulates on your arms, waist or thighs depending on how genetically you are. It can also be the case that you have a disadvantageous so-called “nutrition partitioning”, which means that the body chooses to store the energy in the fat cells rather than the muscle cells.

Having a good balance between the fatty acids omega-3 and six is very important, where an imbalance can play a role in, among other things, cardiovascular problems, type 2 diabetes, obesity, asthma, rheumatism, autoimmune diseases, mental disorders and gastrointestinal problems.

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