Obesity Epidemic: Can Intermittent Fasting Help?
Written by Gabriella Jarosz on November 4, 2021
It is common in the United States that people avoid discussing politics and economics since they are perceived as tough subjects to discuss. Because we have lived up to the preconceptions that have been placed on us, the United States and its people are viewed as a comedy by the majority of individuals living outside of the country in this day and age.
This is due to the quick and simple availability of low-cost food outlets such as McDonald’s, Burger King, and other related businesses. They do not walk because they have everything at their fingertips and because the community (as a whole) believes that they have no time for anything and that convenience is the most important thing, they do not take the time to walk anyplace. The availability of processed foods high in high fructose corn syrup and other sugars, the size of the fast food and soft drink industries, a widespread lack of understanding of how to eat in a healthy manner, and a general lack of education about obesity-related issues are all factors contributing to the epidemic of obesity.
According to IPS, and Jomo Kwame Sundaram. “How the US Government Subsidizes Obesity.” HEALTH, 2007, p. 1., almost three-quarters of the population of the United States is considered overweight or obese. Americans consume more calories from junk food than any other country, with sweet desserts, bread and pizza topping a list of the worst culprits. These foods are mostly derived from seven food categories that have received significant government subsidies in the United States, namely corn, wheat, rice, soy, sugar, milk, and meat. As a result, such foods are inexpensive and plentiful. According to a recent study, those who consume the greatest amount of government-subsidized goods have a 37 percent higher risk of becoming obese. They were substantially more likely than the general population to have abdominal obesity, abnormal cholesterol, and high blood sugar levels. While the study was unable to prove cause and effect, the considerable link between subsidized foods and bad health is consistent with prior research suggesting that diets high in subsidized foods are of lower quality and more hazardous to health.
Although obesity and overweight are widely acknowledged to be major public health concerns in the United States, understanding the scope of the problem requires more than a cursory examination. It is the foundation of the entire food industry to persuade people to eat more, spend more, and obtain “value” for their money by providing them with more choices (which often means getting multiple times the amount of something that would be a reasonable serving). With corn being heavily subsidized, it is present in so many products, as well as the usage of harmful high fructose corn syrup in place of cane sugar, helps to explain why corn is found in so many commodities. The fact that corn is fed to farm animals rather than grass or other forage means that the animals’ fat content is increased as a result of this practice. Additionally, meat and dairy products receive considerable government subsidies. I believe that if these subsidies were eliminated, people would consume more plant-based diets, which are less likely to contribute to obesity in the first place. Subsidies to agriculture in general make high-calorie meals highly affordable, which may help explain why low-income people are more prone than others to be overweight or obese.
However, despite the fact that obesity is a global problem, there are steps that can be taken to begin the process of developing a healthy lifestyle; one of these stages is education. Children should become familiar with concepts such as the “nutrition pyramid” and “what a healthy plate should look like” at some time during their lives. Young people will be empowered and given the opportunity to develop their own healthy habits as a result of its inclusion in the school curriculum, which is especially important when their parents do not lead an active lifestyle. Food education, including what fuels the body and how to eat in moderation, are essential to the future of our society. All things in moderation are OK, including sweets and physical activity. The teaching of “healthy food” in schools must also include the teaching of calorie consumption. In order to be healthy, you need a combination of good habits/diet as well as a mindset that allows you to limit your caloric intake in a reasonable amount of time. Food overindulgence is a serious problem, and it is the most difficult habit to quit, whether you overindulge on carrots or donuts past the point of feeling “satiated.”
In P. Dunleavy, Brian and UPI. “CDC: Schools Aren’t Doing Enough to Teach Kids About Nutrition” Health News, 5 Dec. 2019, p. 1., “obesity affects 14 million children and adolescents, or 18.5 percent of the entire population in these age categories”, according to CDC data. Notably, the prevalence of obesity among children from low-income families is considerably higher, with nearly “20 percent of children from families earning just above the federal poverty level — $25,750 per year for a family of four — or less fulfilling the criteria for obesity.” The evidence suggests that these increased rates of obesity may be due to deficiencies in diet and nutrition instruction, with some institutions offering courses in these subjects but not all requiring students to take them.
Obesity will not be resolved as a public health concern unless fundamental nutrition teaching is taught in schools, according to experts.
If you are struggling with weight loss, you are well aware that there are no quick fixes. One of the most important weight-loss strategies is to burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight. As straightforward as this appears to be, it is not always the case. Choose to be healthy means more than just finding the time to exercise or choosing the salad over the hamburger; it means making the decision to care about your health on a daily basis, regardless of the ups and downs of your life.
A lot of diets are focused on what to eat, and unfortunately, when people decide to go on a diet, they automatically feel like they are depriving themselves and their bodies of the foods they crave. Our appetite increases dramatically, our cravings become more intense, and our metabolism slows significantly as a result of the need to conserve energy. When you eat certain foods (for example, low-fat, high-carbohydrate, or sugary foods), you can actually increase your hunger while simultaneously slowing your metabolism. Binge eating can occur as a result of a weight-loss attempt on rare occasions, but it should be avoided. In particular, when people attempt to lose weight by engaging in unhealthy eating habits, this is true. According to Andrea Zuellig’s book “Dieting: The Gateway Drug to Binge Eating,” the majority of people claim that their eating disorder began as a result of a restrictive diet. A diet can be defined as any type of restriction on one’s food intake. The greater the degree to which people restrict their food intake, the greater the likelihood that they will binge. And the more they overindulge, the more likely it is that they will gain weight as a result of their overindulgence. As a result, there is increased pressure to restrict, which feeds back into the vicious cycle of restriction.
Unlike dieting, intermittent fasting is all about when you eat. Another important reason why losing weight when intermittent fasting can be so straightforward is the reduced amount of time that you have to eat. One of the most difficult aspects of dieting or calorie counting is that we are compelled to watch what we eat, to keep track of our portions, or to eliminate items that we enjoy completely. When we fast, we naturally establish a shorter eating window, which will allow us to eat a little less without having to engage in any restricted eating behavior, which is beneficial. Fasting allows you to obtain a better awareness of your eating habits and puts you back in control of your eating habits and lifestyle. The overpowering feeling of having to scrutinize everything you eat fades away, and you become more intuitively aware of your body’s requirements. As you get more adept at interpreting your body’s signals and messages, it becomes crystal evident whether you’re full or hungry, and you become the object of your body’s desire.
Fasting allows us to go through a self-healing process called autophagy. Autophagy is when our cells start to process themselves. Old- cell components and so- called misfolded proteins are recycled during this phase and can be reused. The cells are completely renewed. We are then left with more efficient cells that can improve our quality of life. As we fast, our insulin levels decrease. Insulin is a hormone responsible for the absorption of glucose from the bloodstream and unto our liver, muscles, and fat. When we fast for 12 hours or more, our insulin levels are very low and glucose is nowhere in sight, as we have not eaten. Our bodies see this and summon glucagon which starts rounding up stored glucose in the body and releasing it into the bloodstream, keeping our blood sugar level, and in turn, insulin levels, stable.
Insulin goes down, glucagon goes up, and vice versa. It’s this increase in glucagon that stimulates autophagy. It’s all about finding what works for you. Balance is key, and so is enjoying a flexible schedule.
As I just mentioned, it’s all about the balance. Like with most things in life, there can also be too much of a good thing. Intermittent fasting does bring about the wonderful health benefits of autophagy. However, fasting for too long can becoming draining or even dangerous.
In the “Studies from University Indonesia Yield New Data on Obesity (Effect of intermittent fasting on fat mass and fat free mass among obese adult: A literature review)”, intermittent fasting is considered to be an effective and optimal method of improving nutritional status while avoiding the occurrence of undesirable side effects. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of intermittent fasting on fat mass and fat free mass in obese adults. “(…) Consuming calorie only in a certain time frame per day for 4-12 months put the body into a fast metabolism which influence the reduction of fat mass from 0.03-16.4% intervention and increasing of fat free mass for around 0.64 to 0.86% (…) ‘Conclusion: intermittent fasting may reduce fat mass and increase fat free mass in obese adult through the reduction of energy intake (fasting) and the benefit to adipose tissue, liver, pancreas, skeletal muscle, and the brain.’ “
Of course, any diet ‘works’ as long as your caloric maintenance is in a deficit. You lose weight when you are eating less than your body needs to maintain weight, this is basic physics, it is indisputable. As your body becomes accustomed to being in a fasted state you will find it easier to not eat and almost forget that you’re hungry, thus, in theory, you will overall feel like you are eating more calories during the day, but in actuality, you are eating in a deficit and losing weight. Theoretical, yes, but the results and the hype of intermittent fasting seem to clearly show that something is working. Intermittent fasting and conventional dieting do appear to be identical for fat loss. The evidence suggests intermittent fasting provides some advantages that traditional dieting doesn’t, this includes anti-aging properties, overall hormonal health. Also, it is generally a lifestyle which provides convenience for busy people.
When obese people structured their schedules so that they fasted for 16 hours a day but were free to eat whatever they wanted during the other eight hours — a method known as the 16:8 diet, or time-restricted feeding — they experienced modest weight loss and blood pressure reduction after 12 weeks of following the regimen. According to the researchers, this is the first study to examine the impact of time-restricted meals on obese individuals. In the end, the participants consumed 350 less calories each day compared to a control group simply because they were unable to fit in their typical food intake between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., the study’s mandated eating window. Between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., they were free to eat whatever they pleased in whatever quantity. However, they were only permitted to consume water, black tea or coffee, and diet drinks outside that timeframe. After 12 weeks, they had shed around 3% of their body weight and had significantly reduced their systolic blood pressure (by seven points), respectively. Those were only minor declines, but they were encouraging. A number of other studies have demonstrated that intermittent fasting diets are helpful in reducing body weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, and fat. With 40 percent of adults in the United States now considered obese, specialists are looking for weight-loss strategies that people can easily adhere to, and this may be one option.
Obesity management will continue to be a difficult task in primary care settings. For overweight and obese patients, we have a limited number of viable treatment alternatives to offer them, many of whom have probably already tried calorie-restricted diets. Because of the heterogeneity of the present research, it is difficult to compare IF to other weight-loss regimens. The use of intermittent fasting as a primary care intervention for obesity appears to be promising, but little is known regarding its long-term sustainability and health consequences. Longer-term research are required to further understand how intermittent fasting (IF) can contribute to effective weight-loss techniques.
America is facing a dietary crisis that will necessitate a public health solution requiring some form of government intervention in the near future (across several systems including: healthcare, agriculture, and education as well as obesity is easier prevented than cured and kids not getting enough fresh, nutritious foods are a part of the problem). Over the last 20 years, food portions in American restaurants have doubled or tripled, which is a significant contributor in the potentially devastating rise in obesity among children and adults in the United States. Obesity affects 19 percent of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years, as well as 40 percent of adults in the United States, putting them at risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain malignancies. In a study exploring the effect of time-restricted eating on weight loss in obese persons, researchers discovered that daily fasting may be an efficient tool for weight loss without the need for calorie tracking, and it may also help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
WORK CITED:
http://www.ipsnews.net/2016/12/how-the-us-government-subsidizes-obesity/
https://www.healthpartners.com/blog/dieting-and-binge-eating/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7021351/
This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.
