Approximately 30% of all American adults are obese, with a
BMI of over 30.
Approximately 60% of all American adults are overweight, with a
BMI of over 25.
These numbers factor in the very small minority of people who through large amounts of muscle mass are technically considered overweight. So clearly, if you fit into this category, you are not alone. For most people being overweight/obese is a psychological burden that affects self-esteem and peer/family relations. And if you don't fit into that category, there are certainly health concerns, particularly at a
BMI of 30 or over.
If you think obesity is completely your fault, due to your eating and exercise patterns, you are wrong.
Body fat content is affected by genetics, your environment, and you. Nutritionists frequently cite a number between 20-30% with regards to the genetic component of obesity. A further 30% is behavioural...it is the ideas/norms/values/habits that you pick up from your parents and siblings. This leaves 40-50% of the equation strictly with you.
However, the good news is that the behavioural component can be adjusted. Sometimes it isn't easy to re-program yourself when it comes to your family (finish your plate) or cultural ideals (can you say the media and McDonalds?). But it can be done.
If you are skeptical about the genetic component, consider studies done on identical twins. Identical twins are essentially genetic clones of one another. When their
weights were compared in adulthood, they were 90% of the time within 10 lbs of one another. These studies also factored out the behavioural component (twins raised together with the same family) and studied those who were reared apart. This negated much of the behavioural aspect of the same family, same siblings and the same peers.
Another study had 12 identical twins eat an extra 1000
calories per day. In the New England Journal of Medicine, they detailed how much weight they gained after 90 days. Some twin pairs gained 9 lbs (each)...some gained as much as 29 lbs each! The most significant part of this is that the
weight gain between the individual twins was quite similar. For every 4
pounds of difference between the pairs (2 vs 2) there was only a one
pound difference between the individual twins.
In other words, a person who is prone to being obese, put into an environment that is high in
calories (esp.
fat) tends to have that genetic propensity expressed. The Pima Indians of Arizona were once of normal weight before modern American culture was introduced to them. Now the combination of a sedentary lifestyle and high
fat foods has brought about an incredible increase in their average
BMI's to above 30. Their biological disposition to obesity is well-expressed.
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Solutions:
Now that it has become clear that this is not a battle on a completely level playing field, it is time to do something about it.
First off, you need to determine your resting metabolic rate. This is for:
Males: 90 + (4.8 x height in centimeters) + (13.4 x weight in
kilograms) – (5.7 x age)
Females: 450 + (3.1 x height in centimeters) + (9.3 x weight in
kilograms) – (4.3 x age)
If you think females are getting the shaft in this equation, you're right. The resting calorie use for females, when sitting doing nothing, is generally less than it is for men. Men are generally bigger and it is reflected in this. Notice that this number is not set in
stone. It varies 20-30% between people of the same gender, weight, height and age. Of this 20-30% difference, 75% of it is due to differences in
fat free mass (muscle, bone, water). For example:
Two women who are 150 cm tall, weigh 70 kg (154 lbs) and are 30 will calculate their resting metabolic rate to be 1437
calories per day. Let's assume they both sat in their chairs for two months straight and they both ate exactly 1437
calories per day. One women loses 3 lbs the other gains 3 lbs. Is this possible? Yes, because the range can be approximately 1200-1700.
a) 25% genetic difference can account for a 100 calorie difference between them
b) 80% difference due to being well-hydrated, big boned, and muscular. A person such as this will likely burn 1700
calories resting comfortably vs. 1200 for someone who doesn't hydrate well, who is small boned and is flabby.
The general advice is: if you are big boned, increase your resting metabolic rate calculation 5%. If you are exceptionally muscular, adjust it another 10%. If you have really small bones, reduce it 5%. If you have literally no muscle and are excessively sedentary, adjust it 10% down. For most people, they should not adjust it at all.
Do not attempt to adjust this due to hydration or genetics. Quite frankly, you are not privy to your genetic profile or your general hydration. Those parts are not that significant, amounting to tens of calories a day. Not a big deal.
Next, you must add in your physical activity. If you are not currently exercising (and perhaps you do not wish to exercise) this is another 300-800
calories a day. How to you figure this out? If you run around the house all day chasing kids, doing hard housework (scrubbing/vacuuming/mowing lawns....not doing dishes or supervising teenagers) and fidget constantly...youll be at the upper extreme of 700-800. If you sit on the couch most of the day and work at a job where you sit at a desk and talk on the phone, youll be at the bottom around 300-350. For guys: if you work construction or a physical labour job, this addition is hard to predict. If you have a specific question about a specific occupation,
PM me or ask me here and ill ballpark it for you. Try not to predict an extreme number here. Consider your week as a whole and realize that most people are between 400-600.
Add the resting metabolic rate to this physical activity rate, and from that point on, you must attempt to consume less
calories per day than this number. These are the basics of combating obesity. I repeat, the most singular important issue is bringing in fewer
calories a day than this number. If you consistently eat 500
calories less than this number a day, over a week, you'll lose 1
pound. There are 3500
calories in a
pound of
fat.
Now for some Q&A: #1: I've dieted before and follow a strict plan but my weight fluctuates. Why?
The biggest hurdle people face when they weigh themselves frequently are fluctuations. This is a water issue. Water will fluctuate people's
weights anywhere from 3-7 lbs depending on activity levels. Weigh yourself consistently at the same time once a week and preferrably when you are a bit dehydrated. You'll get more accurate results.
#2: Some people say "a calorie is a calorie" and some people say "your choice of the percentage of carbohydrates/fats/proteins, even if given equal calories, can impact your gains/losses. Which is true?"
They both are true. In the real world, a calorie is a calorie, and worrying about eating specific calorie types be it carbs or fats is trivial. That being said, there is a difference. If you provide a subject with an extra 500
calories of
fat in a test setting, only 15
calories of that is used to create
body fat. Thus you retain 485 of it (assume you previously had enough
energy to maintain your basic calorie needs). If you eat an extra 500
calories of carbohydrates, it takes around 120
calories to convert it to
fat. This leaves 380
calories of
fat stored in your
body.
However, in the real world? Diets don't work this way. People generally aren't 'full' of glycogen (what carbs are stored as first) so it isn't pragmatic at all.
#3: I heard that 1200 calories a day or lower is 'starvation mode' and it ruins my metabolism in the long term. Is this true?
It would be very easy to say there is no such thing as
starvation mode. However, I think the research shows pretty conclusively that there is a low calorie point where the change in resting metabolic rate doesn't follow the formula. That is, the lost weight does not account for the decreases in resting calorie expenditure.
For example: If you go on a
diet where you lose 30 kg, the formula provided above (male) says that they would naturally and normally burn 425
calories less per day. Their resting metabolic rate would lower. Studies have shown that if this weight was lost in a manner less drastic (let's say a 1500 calorie a day
diet) their resting metabolic rate will fall in line with the formula provided above. If they lost this weight on an 800 calorie a day
diet, their resting metabolic rate will likely to be 15%-20% lower than what you would expect from the formula provided above. You can consider this "starvation mode".
The good news? It is not permanent. Bringing up your caloric intake to maintenance levels removes this condition. Even super low calorie regimens of 450-600
calories a day result in metabolic normalcy within the month. It appears the cutoff to reach this point (in the research) is 800
calories a day for women who are not exercising, and 1200
calories a day for men who are not exercising.
OVERALL CONCLUSION
If you use this formula, you can figure out relatively accurately how many
calories a day you burn. To lose weight, you need to consistently be below this. There are no magic formulas for playing with this formula. If you have trouble eating less than this number, your only realistic solution is to increase what you burn daily by incorporating exercise.
This is strictly
weight loss advice. If you are more concerned about your overall physical aesthetic appearance, resistance exercise that brings about muscle growth is vitally important.
Michael
Linear Mode
