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We all know that moving our bodies is good for us. Exercise benefits heart health, bone health, weight control, mood and emotional health, and much more.

And while not getting enough exercise is the bigger issue for most Americans (a group of cardiologists wrote a review on the topic in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in January 2016), exercising too much can be a problem, too.

RELATED: The Health Benefits of Exercise

Overexercising is counterproductive and can actually be dangerous to your health, says David Miranda, a physical therapist and owner of Excel Rehabilitation Services in Gonzales, Louisiana.

But how do you know if you are pushing too far too fast? Heres what Miranda and other fitness pros say.

Current guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend adults get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity each week, in addition to strength training.

But its important to point out that the guidelines also mention that theres no specific upper limit when exercise benefits cease to exist. And the guidelines dont specify if theres an upper limit when larger amounts of exercise are unsafe.

RELATED: How Much Exercise Do You Really Need?

And many endurance and professional athletes safely perform many more hours of physical activity per week than the guidelines set as the minimum.

There is controversy, however, among sport medicine researchers if there is even a point at which too much exercise ever becomes harmful in ultra-endurance athletes, according to areview published in 2019 in the journal AIMS Public Health. Other research suggests though that there is no upper limit for healthy adults in terms of how much aerobic activity benefits the heart.

So when is too much exercise too much?

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there are primarily two main ways you can overdo it on exercise:

Overtraining is when youre pushing yourself too hard too quickly. Factors such as the intensity, duration, and length of workouts need to be eased into and increased gradually, says Mark Slabaugh, MD, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon with orthopedics and joint replacement at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.

Overtraining usually results from not giving yourself enough rest (or full rest days off from exercise completely) in between workouts, not getting adequate nutrition for the exercise youre doing, not getting enough sleep, exercising too intensely, or not cutting back on workouts when you are sick or faced with too many other stressors.

Nutrition is often a huge factor in overexercising, Dr. Slabaugh adds. Athletes of every level need to get the nutrition they need to sustain their workouts, even if an exercise program is part of a weight loss plan. For those wishing to lose weight and workout, a gradual reduction in calories over time all the while maintaining key nutrients is the key to success, Slabaugh says.

RELATED: What to Eat Before and After Your Workout

Overtraining can also result from trying to ramp up a training program too quickly. A beginner weightlifter, for example, should not be doing multiple types of bench presses five to seven days a week, says Oluseun Olufade, MD, an assistant professor of orthopedics at Emory School of Medicine, explains. It will increase risk of shoulder injury.

Compulsive exercise, according to the NIH, is when exercise no longer feels like an activity you choose to do, but becomes an activity you feel you have to do (or it becomes addictive). People who are compulsive exercisers might notice that exercise is no longer enjoyable or that they feel guilty or anxious if they dont exercise.

Overexercising is typically encountered in people who go from not exercising at all to trying too aggressively to get into shape or lose weight, Slabaugh says. It not necessarily about the total quantity of exercise youre doing its upping the intensity too quickly.

From overtraining to compulsive exercising, there are numerous ways you can overdo it. Individuals who overexercise tend to experience similar signs and symptoms, which include:

RELATED: Post-Workout Muscle Recovery: How to Let Your Muscles Heal and Why

Overexercising is risky because it can lead to numerous short- and long-term health problems.

Overexercising can have significant effects on mood and energy levels. According to NASM, the fatigue and low energy associated with overexercising can cause irritation, anger, problems with sleep, problems with school or work, and lack of enjoyment of your typical interests and hobbies.

One of the biggest red flags that you are doing too much, too fast is an elevated resting heart rate, loss of or change in appetite,or moodchanges, Leada Malek, a doctor of physical therapy in San Francisco, explains. Sleep disturbances can also occur.

You can also increase risk of injuries, like stress fractures, muscle strains, runners knee, joint pain, tendinitis, and bursitis, according to Northwestern Medicine.

When the body doesnt have time to heal, athletes risk getting overuse injuries, like tendonitis, fatigue, or tendon tears, Slabaugh explains. It increases risk of future injuries, too, he says.

RELATED: The Relationship Between Fitness and Mood

Over the longer term, overexercising can cause damage to the kidneys and heart, Dr. Olufade adds.

Its important to consider that there are other serious consequences of overexercising, such as rhabdomyolysis which can occur when you work out too much, Olufade explains and that's in terms of either time or intensity. Rhabdomyolysis is a serious (and potentially fatal) medical condition, whereby damaged muscle tissue releases proteins and electrolytes into the blood, which can damage the heart and kidneys, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).If you think you may have rhabdomyolysis after intense exercise, you should seek medical care urgently.

Women may experience a loss of menstruation or early onset osteoporosis with consistent overexercising. Men, on the other hand, may experience a decreased sex drive as a result.

And over time, overexercising can compromise the immune system, too, according to the NIH particularly when it comes to long-term endurance exercise, like marathon running or intense gym training.

And there is evidence that over time overexercising can contribute to or exacerbate mental health conditions, such as depression, OCD, or anxiety, according to a study published in December 2015in the Journal of Behavioral Addictions.

While overexercising can be problematic, the good news is that you can reverse the effects of overexercising. The first thing you can (and should) do is to rest, Slabaugh says.

Take one to two weeks off training completely, which may be long enough for mood, energy levels, and motivation to return to typical levels for you, according to the NIH. If youre still experiencing symptoms of overtraining after taking that much time off, its a good idea to check in with your doctor to see if you need to take more time off or if theres any underlying problem that needs to be addressed.

After youve taken this time off and as you return to training, make sure youre taking steps to not jump right back into an overexercising routine. Youll want to focus on:

The rest is here:
Overexercising: Signs, Complications, and Outlook - Everyday Health

Chelsea Ritschel wrote this article in The Independent:

High-glycemic foods, otherwise known as "fast carbs," do not make you gain weight more than if you were to eat low-glycemic foods, a new study has confirmed.

The myth that consuming fast carbs, such as white bread or soft drinks, is more likely to lead to weight gain and "promote fat storage and increase risk of obesity" was disproved by scientists in a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal Advances in Nutrition.

To test the commonly-promoted theory, researchers, who noted that the glycemic index (GI) was introduced in 1981 "as a means to classify foods according to their effects on postprandial blood glucose" - or how quickly the body can break down the carbohydrates - analysed data on nearly 2million adults from 43 cohort studies.

Scientists also noted that the popular perception of the "superiority" of low-GI diets for weight loss and obesity prevention had already produced conflicting results in previous studies.

According to the new study, researchers found that, upon analysing prior data, there was "no consistent association between BMI, body mass index, and dietary GI".

The study also found that, similarly, a low-GI diet generally does not support a case for greater weight loss, and that ultimately, "GI, as a measure of carbohydrate quality, appears to be relatively unimportant as a determinant of BMI or diet-induced weight loss".

The findings were determined after 70 per cent of 27 studies analysed showed that individuals had either similar BMIs, or that BMI was lower in the groups with the highest GI, according to the study.

"Contrary to popular belief, those who consume a diet of high-GI foods are no more likely to be obese or gain weight than those who consume a diet of low-GI foods.

Furthermore, they are no less likely to lose weight," Glenn Gaesser, one of the study's co-authors and professor of exercise science at Arizona State University, said.

Ultimately, co-author Julie Miller Jones, a professor at St Catherine University, said that the study's key takeaway is that "carbohydrates, regardless of type, can be part of a healthy diet and have a place on a healthy plate".

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Eating 'Fast Carbs' Does Not Make You Gain Weight More Than 'Slow Carbs', Study Finds - MTV Lebanon

"My 600-Lb Life" has been a hit reality show since it aired in 2012, but certain stars have lost their lives to complications and health-related concerns over the years. Read on to know more about those stars.

While most reality shows are about attractive, funny, charming stars, "My 600-Lb Life" brought a new perspective to showbiz as it focused on the lives of individuals suffering from excessive weight gain and their path to a healthier life.

The TLC show debuted in 2012 and soon became a success with several viewers attached to people's stories but, over the years, some stars have met a tragic end.Here are those stars.

HENRY FOOTS

Henry Foots's story on "My 600-Lb Life" was both inspiring and encouraging as he lost a whopping 440 pounds during his seven-year weight loss journey. But, unfortunately, Foots did not live to enjoy his dreams.

Foots joined the show in its first season, weighing a massive 715 lbs. However, with the help of Dr. Now and an improved diet, Foots was able to experience a healthier life and weighed a stunning 340 lbs.

After gaining his mobility, Foots returned to work as a shuttle bus driver but unfortunately, he was said to have suffered a medical episode and crashed his wheel into the car of another lady who died from her injuries.

A few months later, Foots passed away, butreportshave it that his cause of death is unrelated to his weight or the accident.

SEAN MILLIKEN

In 2016, Sean Milliken was one of the participants who wanted a turnaround in their health. But, unfortunately,Sean died a few years later following complications from an infection. He was 29 at the time of his death.

His father, Matt Milliken, shared the news of his passing on Facebook, noting that he was having difficulties breathing, and after several medical attention, he stopped breathing.

JAMES KING

James King was a popular figure while on the show; he appeared on the show's season 5 but unfortunately died in April 2020. He was marred by a series of health challenges, including complications with his kidney.

King weighed a life-threatening 800 poundswhen he joined the show, and his story was focused on getting him to 600 pounds so he could have life-saving gastric bypass surgery, but until his death, King battled with his weight.

JAMES L.B BONNER

At the age of 30, James L.B Bonner was found dead in his home in 2018. Bonner's determination to succeed and lose weight quickly saw him become a fan favorite, but his depression soon got the best of him.

The cause of his death wasreportedto have been a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Prior to his death, Bonner left a goodbye message on his social media, noting he was going to face his demons.

LISA FLEMING

Lisa Fleming dropped about 200 pounds after appearing on TLC's "My 600-Lb Life," but sadly,her weight loss journey was cut shortafter losing her life to an illness that wasreportedlyunrelated to her weight.

ROBERT BUCHEL

During his first month on the show, Robert Buchel was on a good path of losing some of his excessive 840 pounds and was easily noticed, but all that changed after he was addicted to pain pills.Buchel relapsed in his weight loss journey and died of a heart attack in 2017.

COLIESA MCMILLIAN

For much of her life, Coliesa McMillian suffered health challenges and obesity. By the time she was 39,she had a heart attack.Joining the TLC weight loss show looked like a way out for her, but unfortunately, she died at age 41 following complications from surgery.

GINA MARIE KRASLEY

TV personality Gina Krasley struggled with her weight for most of her life, but sadlyshe died at age 30. She made her debut on the TLC show in 2020 and revealed how she turned to food to cope with her many challenges. Unfortunately, the cause of her death was not stated in her obituary.

REENE BIRAN

Reene Biran was a cast member of season 6 of the show, but sadlyshe passed awayat the age of 56.Her cause of death was not listed on her obituary, but some speculated that her death had something to do with her diagnosis of Guillain-Barr Syndrome.

The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, and images contained on, or available through this NEWS.AMOMAMA.COM is for general information purposes only. NEWS.AMOMAMA.COM does not take responsibility for any action taken as a result of reading this article. Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider.

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'My 600-Lb Life' Sad Stories List of Cast Members Who Have Passed Away - AmoMama

I plead guilty as charged mlud. For the last four decades I have been telling patients who have been losing the battle with waistline spread that its their body's metabolism causing all the problems. This was conventionally believed to start to steadily slow year on year from the mid-30s onwards, meaning it became trickier to shift those stubborn pounds as time went by. It was also assumed that hormonal changes such as occur in pregnancy or the menopause further impacted on how quickly we burnt off calories, all adding to the struggle to keep weight off.

Well, it now seems that, along with the rest of my medical colleagues, I was probably doing those patients a disservice. A landmark international study just published in the journal Science looked at more than 6,000 people from 29 countries over 40 years and found that our metabolism peaks around the age of one, when babies burn calories 50 percent faster than adults. It then gradually declines at a rate of roughly 3 percent a year until the age of 20 and from there, rather than slowly declining as previously thought, it flattens out until about the age of 60. After this age it then starts to slowly decline again by about 1 percent each year, which means that by the time we get to ninety our metabolism is running over a quarter lower than in it was in mid-life.

It only takes a quick glance down any high street in the country to see that being overweight or obese is now commonplace, which raises the question If a slowing metabolism is not to blame for us getting heavier as we get older then what is?

The obvious answer here is that the UK obesity epidemic is being fuelled by excessive food intake were simply eating too much. This is further supported by the study finding that there appeared to be very little difference in total energy expenditure between early adult life and middle age which is when many people start to put on excess weight. Reduced energy expenditure as we get older certainly has an impact on potential weight gain but it now seems that it is excessive calorie intake driving weight gain rather than having a slowing body metabolism.

If these study findings are confirmed with subsequent investigations (and the data is unprecedented), this has important implications for both public health and the diseases of old age. If middle age, pregnancy, and the menopause dont change our ability to burn calories it means that calorie restriction and regular physical activity are even more crucial in preventing weight gain than we previously thought - we can no longer say its harder to lose weight as we get older because were not burning as many calories as used to. It is also almost certainly not a coincidence that we start to see the impact of common diseases rising after our metabolism starts to decline again in older age. This may also have an impact on how our bodies metabolize drugs, and even how quickly cancerous cell changes may occur in some people.

Even with this change in message we now have to give to people, the fundamentals of weight loss remain familiar. Putting more calories into your body than you use up will cause a net gain in weight, with the type of food we eat heavily impacting on this. Eat healthily and exercise each day is the mantra.

Having recently turned 60, it would appear that now might be a good time for me to upgrade my treadmill.

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The myth of the middle-aged spread - Spectator.co.uk

New Delhi:We all know that milk has many health benefits. However, did you know drinking one glass of milk everyday can also help you lose weight? Dont believe us? Scroll down to know more.Also Read - Tips to Fight Obesity: 5 Lifestyle Modifications For Weight Management And Overall Wellbeing

Drinking One Glass of Milk Daily Can Help You Shed Those Extra Kilos

Well, the nutrient-rich food that milk is, it is a rich source of protein, with just one cup containing 8 grams, according to the healthline. Plus, according to the site, its a natural alternative to highly processed protein drinks marketed toward post-workout recovery, which also keeps you feeling full for a long time. Not only this, consumption of milk also increases the levels of appetite-reducing hormones such as GLP-1, PYY and CCK, while reducing the level of ghrelin (the hunger hormone), which causes a person to consume fewer calories and lose weight eventually. Also Read - Weight Loss: 5 Fancy Street Food Items You Can Eat Without Worrying About Gaining Extra Kilos

According to Varun Katyal, Nutritionist and Wellness Expert, as quoted by Hindustan, drinking a glass of warm milk before going to bed helps to get a good amount of sleep. In fact, milk contains many nutrients like tryptophan, magnesium and melatonin which help to overcome all the sleep-related problems. Also Read - Farhan Akhtars Incredible Body Transformation: From Hardcore Training To Perfecting Boxing For Toofaan, Fans Are All Stun

Also, since milk is replete with protein, it aids in quick metabolism thus helping in burning those calories fast. Not only protein, but milk also contains calcium, vitamin D, and conjugated linolenic acid that help in losing those extra kilos by speeding up metabolism.

If you start your day with a glass of warm milk, it will not only help in muscle building as it contains protein, but will also fill you up with loads of energy keeping you active all day.

Did you know consuming low-fat milk every day will help you in keeping that hypertension at bay? Try it!

Experts believe that drinking a glass of warm milk before going to bed will give you a good nights sleep. Try this and thank us later!

Well, if ever you feel constipated, try drinking a glass of warm milk. It will relieve you of your symptoms quickly.

Disclaimer: Please note, if you are allergic or have any other health-related concern, it is advised to contact your healthcare professional immediately.

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Drink One Glass of Milk Daily to Lose Weight Fast | Read What Expert Says - India.com

The body happens to lose weight when one consumes fewer calories than they burn per day. In contrast, weight gain occurs when you consume more calories than you expend. The calorie-containing meal or beverage you consume contributes to your total calorie consumption. However, the quantity of calories you burn each day, also known as energy expenditure or calorie expenditure, is a little more tricky.

But most importantly you need to remember that in order to maintain your body weight, the number of calories you consume equals the number of calories you burn. If you want to lose weight, you must either consume fewer calories than you burn or raise your activity level to burn more calories.

The three major components of calorie expenditure are as follows:

Resting metabolic rate

This is the amount of calories your body requires to perform basic physical activities like breathing and blood circulation.

Thermic effect of food

This refers to the calories expended in the digestion, absorption, and metabolization of food.

Thermic effect of activity

These are the calories burned during physical activity. It can also include non-exercise activity thermogenesis, which accounts for calories consumed through activities such as yard maintenance and fidgeting.

Also See: How To Lose Weight | Weight Loss Exercises

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How long does it take for a person to start losing weight - Times of India

A viewer asked if its possible to lose 20 pounds in a month. Health expert Lynch Hunt says it can be done, but on average most people lose 1 to 2 pounds a week.

GREENSBORO, N.C. Fast-tracked weight loss, who doesn't want that? It's a goal that most people go after at some point.

WFMY News 2 viewer Debra Martin wanted to know and posted on Facebook:

"I have a birthday in August & would love to drop 20 pounds by then. Is that possible?"

It's a great question for our health expert and life coach Lynch Hunt.

"Losing 20 pounds is a major challenge for anyone. It can be done quickly and safely, but realistically it will take longer than most people think," said Hunt.

"Whether you lose weight fast or slow you still have to make a bunch of simple changes to your diet and your lifestyle. The keyword here is simple because simple isn't always easy."

According to the CDC, it is safe to lose 1 to 2 pounds of weight per week or 4 to 8 pounds a month.

"So we gotta really turn it up and do about 3 to 4 times the amount of work. In short, weight loss happens when you use more calories than you take in, either by reducing your intake or increasing your physical activity, and since we want to lose a lot of weight in a little bit of time we have to do both," Hunt said.

Hunt said in order to lose weight, you have to reduce your calorie intake drastically.

"We gotta double down on our cardio to keep us in a major caloric deficit. We gotta mix up our training to help increase our metabolism and to burn more calories throughout the day. Ramp up your protein and water to promote feelings of fullness which helps to reduce calorie intake preserve our muscles and ensure we have the fuel so we are not counterproductive. On top of it all off we need lots of accountability."

That can include weighing yourself daily, keeping a food journal, and pairing up with friends and coaches to enhance the process.

Lastly, Hunt said you need to be honest about why you're doing this and how to make it last.

"Motivation like your birthday or an event will get you started but your habits will ultimately keep you going so you can make it a way of life," said Hunt.

See more here:
Motivation Monday: Is there a safe, fast track to weight loss? - WFMYNews2.com

Researchers have found that too much visceral fat is linked to high blood pressure, sleep apnea, diabetes , stroke, and heart disease.

But what is visceral fat, and why is it so dangerous to your health? More importantly, how do you get rid of visceral fat if you're carrying too much?

This article discusses how to tell if you have too much visceral fat, how to get rid of it, and why it's a good idea to put in the extra effort to do so.

Visceral fat is just one of four types of fat you store on and in your body. What differentiates visceral fat from other types is mainly location and how unhealthy it is for you:

The reason excessive visceral fat can increase the risk of heart disease , cancer, and type 2 diabetes is because of how close it is to a major vein called the portal vein that heads to your liver.

Excess fat produces fatty acids (or lipids) that hitch a ride through the portal vein to the liver where they can cause issues with insulin and cholesterol. This, in turn, can cause or exacerbate cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Moreover, belly fat is thought to manipulate some of the hormones, like leptin, that control our hunger. And people who are obese have been found to have elevated levels of leptin, subsequently causing them to feel hungry more often, which could lead to more weight gain in the long run.

Visceral fat is located under your muscles, so you can neither see nor feel it. Therefore, to tell if you have too much visceral fat you can either calculate your BMI or check your waist circumference.

Note: BMI isn't always a clear indicator of how much excess body fat you're carrying. It's important to consider your waist circumference and ask a physician whether or not you have too much visceral fat.

According to Harvard Medical School, you're at high risk of excess visceral fat if you're a man with a waist circumference of over 40 inches or a woman with a waist circumference over 35 inches or more.

It can be tricky to tell if you're losing visceral fat since you'll likely be losing subcutaneous fat too. According to Michael Russo, MD, a bariatric surgeon at MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center, keeping track of your BMI and waist circumference are the best ways to tell if you are losing visceral fat.

The best way to tackle visceral fat is to make long-term and sustainable lifestyle changes that focus on improving your diet and adding in exercise.

"Diet is about 80% of the equation. Exercise is also very important getting your heart rate up for 30 minutes a day, every day," says Russo.

The type of exercise isn't as important as focusing on just getting your heart rate up and working up a sweat. Strength training, cardio, and other forms of exercise will do the trick.

Quick tip: If you find yourself having trouble exercising regularly, start by taking long walks around your neighborhood to work yourself up to more rigorous exercise.

As for diet, long-term lifestyle changes like adding in more veggies daily, watching sodium intake, and moderating the amount of processed foods and sugar you eat, can help you lose and keep visceral fat off.

Outside of following a diet, individuals can monitor total calorie intake, limit refined sugar, and increase the number of lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables they consume.

With these changes, it is possible to lose visceral fat at a reasonable pace. Though how your body may lose fat depends on factors such as genetics.

In general, visceral fat has been found to drop off more quickly with diet and exercise than other types of fat. According to Harvard Health, this is because it "metabolizes" more quickly into acids that the body can then discard (either through pee or sweat).

Important: Most doctors recommend that a healthy weight loss timeline works out to about 1-2 pounds a week.

Weight loss is individualized. It will depend on how much visceral fat you have to lose and how your body loses fat. However, according to the Mayo Clinic, cutting calories and exercising at least 30 minutes a day is the best way to approach losing visceral body fat.

Overall, by sticking to a healthy diet and regular exercise, you should begin to notice a difference within a few months' time.

If someone isn't losing visceral fat with lifestyle changes, surgery is another option.

"The most effective way to reduce visceral fat if someone is carrying a large amount of it is bariatric or weight loss surgery, which alters you hormonally to a more normal hormonal profile, so your body doesn't want to carry excess fat anymore. It's like turning down the thermostat," says Russo.

Other surgical options that aren't quite as effective as bariatric surgery , include balloon-based therapies, which can help limit the amount of food you eat by making you fuller faster.

Losing visceral fat takes time and effort. A low-carb diet and moderate exercise will help you shed any excess fat around your midsection.

Actively working towards losing visceral fat and living a more active lifestyle will benefit you in the long run. Everyone has some visceral fat and having some abdominal fat is not necessarily a sign that you need to lose weight.

However, an excess of belly fat can cause long-term adverse health effects. It's best to consult your physician to see if your belly fat is putting you at risk for heart disease or other health problems.

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What is visceral fat? Why it poses health risks and how to get rid of it - Insider

A drug that can help obese people safely cut an average of 15% of their body weight sounds like a miracle for those who cant keep pounds off with diet and exercise alone.

Wegovy, a Novo Nordisk A/S drug that the Food and Drug Administration approved in early June, appears to do exactly that. It helps people lose substantially more weight than with existing drugs and showed sustained benefit with limited side effects in clinical trials. Despite that exciting data, its not clear that many of those who could use the drug will end up taking it because of uncertain insurance coverage and the baffling values of the U.S. health-care system.

It would be a mistake to let those barriers get in the way of a rare opportunity to address a significant personal and public health problem.

The prevalence of adult obesity in the U.S. jumped from 30.5% to 42.4% between 1999 and 2018, a concerning rise in a significant driver of ailments like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. A Milken Institute report released last year pegged the direct health-care costs of chronic conditions driven by excess weight at $480.7 billion in 2016 and indirect costs including lost productivity at more than $1 trillion.

While Wegovy certainly cant fix the problem on its own, it is a potential difference-maker. The drug can cut enough weight to have a real health impact, and Novo Nordisk trials also found that it can reverse or prevent prediabetes. That seems like something worth paying for. The drug, which is a weekly injection, costs $1,350 a month.

The history of obesity drugs doesnt offer much encouragement, however. Total U.S. sales were only $853 million last year because of limited insurance coverage and uptake, even as Americans spent billions to lose weight. Wegovy works much better than other weight-loss treatments, and the same drug has safely helped diabetics control blood sugar under the name Ozempic since 2017. It should be able to change the market.

But robust data cant always fix structural issues. The U.S. health-care system spends enormous sums when people get acutely ill but often neglects forward-looking efforts. About half of Americans obtain private insurance from an employer, and those plans tend to be focused on annual costs rather than long-term health because people switch jobs. Even if paying for Wegovy helps prevent someone from developing diabetes, the savings could go to someone else.

Drugs that target large populations get a lot of pushback from health plans. When many people take a medicine, even a modest price adds up quickly. Yet insurers routinely pay six-digit sums for cancer drugs with little resistance even when there isnt evidence they extend life because relatively few people in any given plan develop cancer each year. The result is a lot more spending on medicines to treat cancer than those that might prevent it.

Many drugs end up on the wrong side of this dynamic. Wegovy is particularly exposed because there are over 100 million obese people in the U.S. It will take some effort and compromise to make sure it reaches as many of those patients as it should.

Value-based contracts, in which drugmakers provide discounts to health plans if a medicine doesnt deliver expected outcomes, could ease concerns about cost and real-world effectiveness. These contracts have obvious appeal but are hard to design in a way that makes both sides happy. Novo Nordisk will have to make real concessions on price, and insurers must accept some risk.

On the public side, Medicare limits coverage of obesity drugs, and Medicaid policy varies by state. Both programs cover many obese people for long periods, and its worth relaxing these restrictions to give Wegovy a chance. The government could limit costs and downside by paying for the drug as part of a limited research study at first, helping provide access while examining the best ways to use it.

Fixing bad incentives around preventative care will take more extensive work. But for now, making sure the most powerful obesity drug developed so far isnt a niche product will do.

Max Nisen is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering biotech, pharma and health care. He previously wrote about management and corporate strategy for Quartz and Business Insider.

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Weight-loss drug could help millions. Will they get it? - Daily Union

Our bodies get their energy from 3 types of macronutrients. These are proteins, fats (lipids), and carbohydrates (sugars). Each nutrient type has its place in our diet. The goal of low-carb diets which reduce the consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods is to reduce weight and body fat. Restricting the consumption of sugars causes the distribution of macronutrients to become unbalanced.

Losing Weight

Low-carb means fewer carbohydrates in other words a low-sugar diet.

There are two types of carbohydrates:

The main goal of this diet is weight loss. The goal is to deny the body starchy (slow sugars) and fruits and sweet foods (fast sugars) and force the body to get its energy from elsewhere. When we reduce our carbohydrate intake, we increase our fat and protein intake.

This diet favors the increase in consumption of the following types of foods:

This diet meets its objectives, as this type of diet often leads to very rapid weight loss.

In addition, this diet significantly reduces the consumption of sugary products. This is a positive aspect since their consumption is becoming increasingly important nowadays and our intake of quick sugars is increasing exponentially compared to our low requirements.

Abstaining from sugar also breaks the vicious cycle of sugar: the more you eat, the more you crave it. So these uncontrollable cravings can, in some cases, be greatly reduced.

In addition, the unrestricted consumption of other foods rich in fats and proteins means that you are full and do not feel hungry between meals.

Slow sugars, mainly from starchy foods, are our main source of energy. They are our fuel and on average should cover half of our energy needs. The need for fast sugars is relatively small and accounts for 5-10% of our total energy intake. A balanced diet with 2-3 servings of fruit per day and 2 dairy products meets this need by providing about 50 g of sugar.

Starchy foods and fruits are sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber, in addition to energy.

Limiting them may initially cause problems with transit, digestion, sleep and fatigue. But most of all, by restricting these foods our energy needs will no longer be met and the distribution of nutrients which should be 50% carbohydrates, 35% fats, and 15% proteins, will be completely out of balance. As a result, our intake of fats and proteins will exceed our needs.

As with all restrictive diets, where food intake is severely restricted, this can limit social and family life. The diet may also have little variety and therefore be rather monotonous. Denying oneself this or that food often leads to frustration, deprivation and craving, and is therefore very difficult to maintain in the long run. The perfectly normal fact that one is unable to do this can cause feelings of guilt and affects ones image and self-esteem.

Weight loss after carbohydrate restriction is often very rapid. The initial weight loss is mostly due to water loss which is not for the long term. After the initial water loss, the bodys search for fat and protein can lead to a loss of muscle mass.

This causes the basal metabolism to be unbalanced and lowered. As a result, our bodies start to burn fewer calories and slow down. This can lead to a cessation of weight loss and sometimes even to a much greater weight gain.

You should be very careful before starting this carbohydrate-free diet. It is not suitable for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, athletes or women with high physical activity, the elderly, and people with special needs.

A low-carb diet does not meet the needs of a balanced diet. The fact that carbohydrates are not consumed or are greatly reduced means that the bodys nutritional needs are not being met. This can lead to a number of complications: weight gain, nutritional deficiencies, fatigue, eating disorders, and much more.

Everyone is different and has different needs. This type of carbohydrate-free diet may be appropriate for some people within a certain framework and for a certain period of time. It is effective in the short term. However, in the long run, it is more complex and can lead to eating disorders. To achieve good and sustainable weight loss, it is important that you meet your nutritional needs which vary according to a number of factors. All food sources are important. None of them will make you gain weight and none of them will make you lose weight. Its all a matter of balance, and everyone has their own balance. In most cases, it is not advisable to skip one food group and eat too much of another. If you want to lose weight, you should consult a health professional who can give you individual and appropriate advice.

Have you tried a Low-carb diet before? Could you share your experience with our Gilmore Health community in the comments area below!

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Low-Carb Diets Latest facts: The Pros and The Cons - Gilmore Health News

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