By: ATDOnline

No one wants to be overweight, despite appearances and long-term trends to the contrary. Almost 50% of women and 25% of men are trying to lose weight at any given time. Each year, $30 billion is spent in the weight-loss industry. ¹

However, we have not been successful in fighting fat. Obesity has increased 6% each year for the past 25 years, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). ² Health care professionals call this national increase in weight gain "The Fattening of America." ³

This means 61% of American adults, nearly 108 million people, are overweight. ² And among those who lose weight, 95% regain all of it within three years. As hard as we try, reducing weight seems to be a losing battle. ¹ Recently, however, a nutritional supplement called 7-ketohydroepiandrosterone (7-keto) has been studied for its impressive ability to help win the weight-loss war. ^4-8

Q. Is being overweight really a health problem?

A. If overweight, you're more likely to develop heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, certain types of cancer, gout, and gallbladder disease than people of normal weight. Being overweight also can cause problems such as sleep apnea (interrupted breathing during sleep), infertility in women, and osteoarthritis. ^9-11

The more overweight you are, the more likely you are to have health problems. Of the 61% overweight Americans, half are termed obese. Obesity is a serious and disabling chronic disease. ²

Q. What is the difference between being overweight and being obese?

A. Simply stated, obesity is excessive fat-ness. One of the most accurate methods of determining obesity is to calculate body mass index (BMI). BMI takes into account a person's weight and height to gauge total body fat in adults. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, a condition that carries moderate health risks. A BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese. ⁹ (Click here for a BMI chart.)

Q. How does being overweight or obese harm health?

A. The list of excess weight implications on human health is long and the impact is sobering. The risk of Type II diabetes increases dramatically in overweight and obese individuals. ¹² Diabetes is the leading risk factor in heart disease and stroke, the leading cause of blindness and kidney disease, and a major contributor to leg amputations. ¹³

Obesity also has serious effects on the heart and blood vessels. It causes the heart to work harder and, overtime, can lead to enlargement and heart failure. ¹⁴

Cancer also has been linked to weight gain. Overweight and obese individuals have a higher incidence of rectal, colon, kidney, prostate, breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers. Researchers have determined excess fat changes metabolism in a way that increases abnormal cell growth in these organs. ¹⁵

Being overweight also causes mechanical problems. Osteoarthritis is present in many overweight and nearly all obese individuals. ¹⁶ Obese individuals also are at increased risk of developing gouty arthritis, a distressingly painful disorder. ¹⁷

Some medications are attracted to fat tissue and administration of these drugs in obese persons may present complications. Anesthetic agents given during surgery can be dangerous for overweight and obese individuals. Wound healing is much slower and more difficult when it involves fatty tissue. ¹⁰

Obesity also is the second leading pre-ventable cause of death in the U. S. after cigarette smoking. ² The greater the degree an individual is overweight, the higher his/ her mortality ratio or excess death rate. In a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, death rates for individuals ages 18 to 29 years with a BMI of 40 or higher was 422% higher for men and 379% higher for women than individuals with normal BMIs. ¹⁸

Q. Why are Americans so overweight?

A. In many European countries, there are fewer overweight and very few obese individuals. Europeans have access to and tend to eat a variety of healthful foods. In the Mediterranean, people eat an abundance of fruits, vegetables, fresh fish, lean meats, and olive oil. Studies have shown this diet can result in a long, healthy life. ¹⁹ For example, while the traditional French diet includes high-calorie, high-fat foods, the average French citizen is of normal body weight.

Smaller-size portions are the norm for French dining. ²⁰ Americans, on the other hand, love to "super-size" meals. We also are extremely busy; eating on the run from fast food restaurants is a way of life for many families. Once we are home, we often watch TV and snack on high-calorie, highly processed foods. This sedentary activity adds to our weight woes. American obesity seems to be a grim consequence of western affluence and overconsumption. ²¹

Q. Is putting on excess weight simply the result of overeating?

A. The causes of being overweight and obese are not easily explained. Excessive food intake is not the only factor to blame. As we age, we also experience changes in energy expenditure and metabolism; both of these contribute to fat storage and obesity.

We now know the body has a complex, highly sophisticated system for fat store regulation. When overweight individuals change their eating habits and lose weight, their bodies want to maintain fat stores and try to minimize the discrepancy. This is commonly referred to as the "set point" for body fat. ²²

Q. What is a set point?

A. The set point theory states an individual's metabolism will adjust itself to maintain a weight at which it's comfortable. If calories are restricted, our metabolic rate falls in an attempt to preserve our fat stores. This is nature's way of preventing starvation. Once weight is lost and calories are no longer restricted, the metabolic rate rises once more. Many studies have sought to evaluate if the set point can be altered, and some have gone as far as clinically monitoring the caloric intake and exercise of candidates to find that most overweight individuals can't lose weight permanently. ^23,24

Q. Is the set point mechanism the reason it's so hard to lose weight?

A. Scientists who study obesity recognize losing excess weight is difficult. Indeed, as many as 95% of dieters gain back unwanted weight, getting caught in end-less cycles of yo-yo dieting. ¹ Researchers have concluded the human body has a genetically determined set-point weight that's controlled by metabolic hormones and fat cell enzymes. ³

Q. Is there any way to adjust the set point?

A. Yes. In recent studies 7-keto increased the activity of enzymes associated with metabolism. ^5,6 About 60% to 75% of our total energy needs are met through our basal or resting metabolic rate. ²⁵ Even a minor shift in this rate may have a dramatic impact on calories burned.

7-keto is a safe DHEA metabolite and has been the subject of research and clinical study. Researchers believe 7-keto, like DHEA, plays a role in many body functions, including immune response, memory, skin integrity, and weight management. ^4-8

Interest in the possible role of DHEA and its derivatives (e. g., 7-keto) in body weight regulation dates back more than 30 years. In some experiments, DHEA caused laboratory animals to eat more, yet suppressed their weight gain. ²⁶ In one study without DHEA, a 50% reduction in food intake was necessary to achieve the same degree of body weight changes seen in the rats that were given DHEA but didn't change their food intake. ²⁷

Q. Why not use DHEA for weight loss?

A. Unfortunately, DHEA's conversion to the sex hormones has been a cause for concern. Elevated DHEA levels can cause a build-up of testosterone and estrogen in men and women, increasing their risk for reproductive cancers, such breast and prostate cancers. ⁵

Q. Is there a safe alternative?

A. Yes. Based on the work of Dr. Henry Lardy of the University of Wisconsin Department of Biochemistry, we know 7-keto offers many of DHEA's benefits without conversion into the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone. As for weight loss, Dr. Lardy's research shows 7-keto is even more potent than DHEA for stimu-lating enzymes in the liver responsible for thermogenesis (burning calories). ^5-8 Dr. Lardy was awarded a U. S. patent on 7-keto as a method for promoting weight control by treating a subject without affecting appetite or inducing the syn-thesis of sex hormones. ²⁸

In recent studies, 7-keto increased the activity of enzymes associated with metabolism. Even a minor shift in this rate may have a dramatic impact on calories burned.

7-keto jump starts weight loss, making the hard work of dieting and exercise a little easier by boosting metabolism and lowering the body weight set point. ²

Q. What scientific evidence supports 7-keto as an effective weight-loss aid?

A. A clinical trial, designed to evaluate 7-keto's effect on weight loss in healthy human subjects, was conducted by an independent clinical research group. ⁴ Two groups of 15 subjects, average age of 44.5 years, were given either 7-keto or a placebo. Participants exercised three times a week for 45 minutes per session. Each subject was assigned an 1,800-calorie diet. Each subject in the treatment group received 100 mg of 7-keto twice daily.

Study results at four and eight weeks indicated a statistically significant decrease in body weight and body fat in the 7-keto group and no similar effect in the placebo group. By the eighth week, the group receiving 7-keto lost an aver-age of 6.34 pounds and experienced a 1.8% drop in body fat percentage.

Not only was this significantly greater than the placebo group, but these results were equal to or greater than those obtained from many other so-called natural and medical weight-loss remedies. Equally important, 7-keto was well tolerated. While the participants who used 7-keto experienced a statistically significant increase in T3 thyroid hormone activity, there was no effect on T3 thyroid hormone in the placebo group. Additionally, T3 was not increased outside of acceptable normal ranges.

Q. What is it about T3 thyroid hormone that aids in weight loss?

A. The T3 thyroid hormone is a potent metabolic stimulator. This degree of eleva-tion probably increased the metabolic rate of these subjects. It should be noted this significant yet safe increase in T3 activity is one of the reasons people using 7-keto lost weight. Their metabolism and set point had been reset at a higher rate.

Q. Can people take 7-keto on its own and expect to lose weight?

A. There are no magic bullets in weight loss. 7-keto cannot produce weight loss without a healthful diet and regular exercise. However, 7-keto jump starts weight loss, making the hard work of dieting and exercise a little easier by boosting metabolism and lowering the body weight set point.

Q. What is the recommended dosage for 7-keto, and is it safe for long-term use?

A. Participants in the weight-loss study took 100 mg of 7-keto twice daily. Both experimental and clinical trials indicate 7-keto is safe for long-term use. Toxicology studies using 7-keto found no adverse effects even in doses that would equal 140,000 mg in an average-sized adult. Blood chemistry and liver function remained normal. ^7,8

What's more, 7-keto's impact on T3 thyroid hormone facilitates a shift in one's weight set point, helping to keep pounds off now and in the future. ^4-6 After individuals lose weight, they can reduce the amount of 7-keto used, or rely upon regular exercise to support increased metabolism. If body weight begins to increase, 7-keto can be used again as needed to support metabolic rate.

Conclusion

Americans like immediate results. Instant weight loss, for now, is an impossibility. But what is possible, how-ever, is a steady and successful weight-loss program. Even weight losses of 10 or 20 pounds can be extremely beneficial for our health. ²⁹ To accomplish this, however, we need to make some changes. We need to choose from the abundant supply of nutritious foods to make our daily meals; walk, bike, jog, or participate in another aerobic activity at least five times a week; drink at least 64 ounces of water every day; and commit to a more healthful lifestyle. Using 7-keto as a dietary supplement to boost our metabolism and lower our set point is such an affirmation.

This Body Mass Index (BMI) chart allows men and women to determine their BMI based on their height and weight. For example, a woman who is 5'5" and weighs 126 pounds has a BMI of 21. The chart also indicates which BMIs indicate a minimal, low, moderate, or high risk of excessive fatness and the associated health risks.

Click To Enlarge!

About The Doctor

Dr. Marcus Laux is a licensed naturopathic physician. He received his doctorate from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM) in Portland, where he currently serves on staff as a clinical professor. Dr. Laux is the co-author of "Natural Woman, Natural Meno-pause" (Harper Collins, 1997), a complete plan for staying naturally well through menopause and beyond. He has been seen by millions on his network television series "The Natural Health Show" in Europe, "Wellness Watch," a daily news segment in Canada, and cur-rently on Fox News' "MD TV" in the United States.

References

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