DAY 243 - Are Your Allergies Making You Fat?

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Hang on! This could be a bumpy ride!

“In August 2010, researchers from Yale University published a study in the journal Obesity finding that people who took antihistamines regularly were heavier than people who didn't take them at all. The study's authors used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2006 to compare the body weight of 867 adults and their prescription antihistamine use. The two drugs most common in the study were ... Zyrtec, and ... Allegra, and the effect was more pronounced in men. The researchers warned that this was an observational study, and couldn't demonstrate whether antihistamines actually caused the weight gain or if obesity predisposes people to allergies.”

“[I]n a separate study, published in 2009 in the Journal of Clinical Allergy and Immunology ... [u]sing data from the same CDC survey, researchers found that obese children were more likely to suffer from allergies, specifically food allergies, than normal-weight children. "It wasn't clear to us if that really meant that the obesity was the cause of that allergic propensity or not," says Cynthia Visness, PhD, the study's lead author and a research scientist at Rho Inc., the research firm that conducted the study.”

“There isn't much literature available on the link between obesity and allergies, so possible explanations for the associations seen in these two studies are simply theories at this point, Visness says. In her study, she suggested that inflammation could play a role. Fat cells release cytokines, chemicals that promote inflammation, and an allergic reaction triggers inflammation as well.”

Here’s the bumpy part. The title of the Rodale Press article that I have quoted above, asks if allergies can make you fat. The Yale study suggests that the excess weight may be due to allergy medications. Dr. Visness of Rho Inc states that she isn’t sure whether obesity causes allergy, but concludes that obesity might be a contributor to the increased prevalence of allergic disease in children, particularly food allergy, and that systemic inflammation might play a role in the development of allergic disease.

Here is the way I see it; the dominant pathway is allergy leading to inflammation, which leads to excess body fat. From my experience treating overweight and allergic patients in the last 28 years, and from the findings of current medical science, I believe that inflammation is the central issue, with much of that inflammation arising from allergic reactions. Many individuals, including infants and young children have food allergy/reactions, inducing inflammation. Those same individuals often have diets rich in sugar and refined starch; and low in, or devoid of fresh vegetables and fruits, the effect of which additionally induces inflammation in the body. The combination of food allergy/reactions plus a nutrient-poor diet, often result in low energy and a resultant lack of physical exercise, which also increases inflammation. If that weren’t enough, the emotional stress of being overweight can also produce inflammatory chemicals.

One powerful therapy for halting this cycle of inflammation and weight gain is to determine and remove food allergens. In my experience, and in the experience of Mark Hyman, MD, a published expert in health restoration and weight loss, dairy products are one of the most common food allergens that induce weight gain. Taking a week to 2 weeks off of dairy can facilitate weight loss for some. There are those who will not respond quickly and obviously, and they will need the guidance of an experienced healthcare practitioner.

DAY 45 – Sugar Makes for a Lousy Gift

I just wanted to dash this off to you cuz I know that we are already deep into the “Holiday Season”.

Don’t think it is lost on me that the word “holiday” comes from “holy”, and that “holy” means “sacred”; but it is more than apparent that in America, holidays are mostly about gifts. You didn’t ask for my advice, but you don’t have to read this either, and I am speaking to the universal “you” anyway; so here goes. Sugar is a lousy gift.

Let me count the ways:

First off, don’t you want to give something unique and possibly personalized? Sugar is not unique; it is ubiquitous! No matter the form or the flavor, it is still just sugar; and folks eat that every single day; hardly special.

Many people admit to being addicted to sugar. Many of those same people say that they really want to stay away from the stuff. Do you give booze to your alcoholic family and friends? Me neither.

Sugar makes people sick; that’s not a hypothesis, it’s a fact. Consider a few of the major diseases that disable and kill Americans and that are known to be fueled by excessive sugar: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, obesity, and dementia. Obviously you aren’t wishing any of those on your loved-ones. But, are you facilitating them?

Obesity and overweight are talked about so much in our culture, that most of us are numb to the real meaning. The real meaning is that 2/3 of American adults (age 20-74) are either overweight or obese and are therefore seriously, or significantly unwell. Sugar plays a powerful role in this dangerous condition of our citizenry and of our Country. Disease and danger are not gifts.

It is both common, and understandable, that many people feel that to give sugar on a “special occasion” is perfectly reasonable. In fact, to question sugar gifts on “special occasions”, while historically would have been considered un-American, in today’s social climate, might now be considered terrorism. But back to the point; given that adults stop for sugared drinks each day on their way to work, and kids start their days with Pop Tarts, there is no way to imagine sugar being consumed just on “special occasions”. We are actually not far from a continuous IV drip (intravenous).

Your one little sugar gift does make a difference. Millions are giving one or more little sugar gifts.

It is not my intent to make your “holidays” more difficult than they may already be. I sincerely hope that the opportunity to consider the clear and present danger of sugar is a gift for you during this beautiful time of year.

PS – My wonderful wife suggests that I include the disclaimer/clarifier that I eat sugar. She’s right!   

Additionally, I am not judging those who give or eat sugar gifts. I am simply trying to address critical issues of our time in the hope of reducing suffering. It’s a tricky, if not scary job for me.

DAY 18 – I Can Help Your Kids Lose Weight (part 1)

It’s true; I can help your kids lose weight.

It is also true that YOU can help your kids lose weight when you know what to do, and when you are ready to make change to protect and improve their lives.

First, let’s be clear that your kids don’t need to lose weight. They need to lose fat. We are really talking about improving body composition; the balance or ratio of non-fat tissues (muscle, bone and organs) to stored fat. Some weight loss programs actually result in just that; a loss of weight, including both fat and muscle. We want to selectively lose fat, not muscle.

You, and everybody else in the country know that excessive fat is a strong predictor of serious, if not lethal, disease ahead for your children. I do not want to scare you.  I do want to catch your attention because both you and your children will suffer if we don’t do something about their body composition. Conversely, when we do improve your children’s body composition, we improve their health and stack the deck for happy and productive lives.

Let’s face it, most Americans have no idea what to do to lose fat themselves, and therefore are in no position to help their children. Additionally most Americans have lost touch with, or never had a grip on what a healthy body composition looks like. We have become so accustomed to seeing our fellow countrypeople with quite a bit of stored fat in and on their bodies, that we often sense that a slender person is unwell or near starvation. As a culture, we need to re-remember what healthy body composition looks like. And we need to consider the risks of explaining away our child’s excess fat by saying, “he is a big boy”. Big boys have more heart attacks.

In America we have taught ourselves that people with excessive fat can’t win. Scientific studies have shown that while most people who are over-weight (more accurately over-fat) may temporarily lose some fat, most all will ultimately regain that fat, and add more. The studies may well reflect what occurs in the life of an average person who is over-fat, but that is only part of the story. Keep in mind that when the lock won’t open, you may be using the wrong key, or the lock may require more than one key. We have not been using the appropriate keys for fat loss.  And lest you think that because we were able to put a man on the moon that we are using space-age technology to help people lose fat and achieve optimal body composition, think again!

Tomorrow I will give you some specifics so that you can get to work protecting your children and creating some calm in your own life knowing that they are safer.