Zakariya Waqar-Uddin: why is weight loss so difficult

A well-publicised three-year study enrolled just under 18,000 participants, aged 45 and over, falling into the overweight or obese category, and already diagnosed with heart disease but not diabetes.Those taking the drug were less likely to suffer further cardiovascular events (heart attack and heart failure) compared to subjects taking the placebo.

They were also less likely to die from COVID, despite having the same chance of catching it as those taking the dummy pills.

While this sounds groundbreaking, the results are perhaps not surprising.

We know that being overweight or obese is linked with increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, joint and muscle issues, mental ill health, and a staggering eight different cancers. The last figure may be a conservative estimate.

What may make for more interesting reading is why we struggle to lose weight, and what if anything can be done about it.

Obesity is a recognised medical condition, now an epidemic, with the millions suffering spend billions, often without any real benefit.

Many will abandon attempts at weight loss early due to unrealistic expectations. For most of us, after thirty, muscle mass is lost and fat is gained, mostly round our waists.

Our metabolic rate slows down with age, and this coupled with more sedentary lifestyles create the perfect storm for weight gain.

When trying to reduce weight, our body recognises this and tries to conserve energy, further hindering our goals.

Yet weight does not accumulate overnight, rather after several years. Hence any attempts at weight loss must be seen as a lifestyle overhaul rather than something to be followed for a specified time.

Many will struggle to lose weight by diet or exercise alone. A common misconception is that you can continue to eat and drink what you want, if you work out. However, the average gym session burns between three to five hundred calories, not a huge amount.

A healthy diet, rich in natural foods, with a limited number of processed items or refined sugars will benefit you on multiple levels

However, even healthy food will not help you to lose weight, if your portion sizes are too large.

The effect of alcohol on weight loss is perhaps underestimated. Alcohol is literally dead calories, with zero health benefits. For those who advocate switching to spirits and calorie free tonics, one might ask, is this going to improve any aspect of your health? All recognised health bodies now agree that there is no lower limit of safe consumption, so if you are struggling to lose weight, perhaps even a short break from alcohol may help.

Factors which are perhaps less well highlighted are the effects of stress as well as sleeping patterns.

Not only is stress bad for our overall health, it reduces our motivation to keep going with healthy behaviours. Many will abandon their physical exercise and healthy eating when going through difficult episodes, yet these positive behaviours may be the exact things we need to keep going during tough times.

The average person needs roughly 7-8 hours good quality sleep a night. Even one night’s poor sleep has been shown to interfere with our metabolic processes and insulin production. Long term poor sleep is linked with multiple physical and mental health problems, obesity being one of them.

Being too hard on ourselves is another reason why we fail to keep going. You are allowed a treat day every so often, after all life is for living. If you do fall off the wagon, so to speak, it is important to be kind to yourself. Merely resume your good intentions the next day.

Naturally there will be health conditions that make weight loss very difficult. An underactive thyroid and polycystic ovary syndrome are two of the most common. Similarly, many women will gain weight around the time of the menopause.

If you are struggling to lose weight despite several months of committed effort, and the issue is starting to affect you, it is important not to ignore how you feel.

Consultations around weight are very common and your general practitioner will be very keen to help you. Blood tests can look for common issues that may be holding you back. In addition, there are many NHS clinics specifically designed to treat obesity, with several programmes that do not automatically mean weight loss surgery.

Obesity is a recognised medical condition, now an epidemic, with the millions suffering spend billions, often without any real benefit.

All recognised health bodies now agree that there is no lower limit of safe consumption, so if you are struggling to lose weight, perhaps even a short break from alcohol may help.

Naturally there will be health conditions that make weight loss very difficult. An underactive thyroid and polycystic ovary syndrome are two of the most common

Useful Websites

https://www.obesityuk.org.uk/

https://allaboutobesity.org/

https://www.nutrition.org.uk/health-conditions/obesity-healthy-weight-loss-and-nutrition/

Dr. Zakariya Waqar-Uddin, General Practitioner