“A weight problem is always preceded by an inflammatory problem.”
The “eat less, exercise more” recommendation for weight loss no longer applies to the majority of individuals suffering with excess weight. This is because weight gain is a complex problem that must be viewed at from all angles. In my honest opinion, weight loss is a condition where functional medicine thrives at improving. This is because a functional medicine approach includes:
Comprehensive testing to understand the root cause of a patient’s weight problem.
A safe and natural approach to removing inflammatory fat and restoring total body health.
A weight problem is essentially an inflammatory problem. This is because humans store inflammation in fat cells, so the more inflamed you are, the higher your body fat percentage. This is why any effective weight loss program involves identifying and removing the underlying triggers to inflammation. The most common triggers to inflammation and excess weight include:
High Blood Sugar
Poor Diet/Lifestyle
Leaky Gut Syndrome
Food Sensitivities
Gut Infections
Environmental Toxins
Autoimmune Disease
In addition to removing inflammatory triggers, it is absolutely essential that the body’s “metabolic set point” is re-established for maintaining a healthy weight. The metabolic set point is the body’s natural healthy weight and is controlled by a gland in the brain known as the hypothalamus. In addition to regulating the metabolic set point, the hypothalamus also regulates the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and sex organs. Any insults to the hypothalamus result in a faulty set point where the body cannot maintain its natural healthy weight. This leads to excessive weight gain and an inability to lose weight. The major insults to the hypothalamus include stress, inflammation, and poor lifestyle habits.
If you have been suffering with a weight problem and have lost hope, I highly encourage you to watch my educational videos on this page. By comprehensive testing, diet/lifestyle changes, and a metabolic reset, patients are able to reach their goal weight and maintain it long term.