Obesity is a major problem and getting worse. Being so overweight has many health implications from the mild to potentially fatal.
When you are fat a lack of energy and increased tiredness are common. Everyday activities are harder. Sleep is poor often with snoring. More seriously problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are commoner. They all shorten life so are best avoided.
Many struggle to lose weight and are attracted by very low calorie diets. These typically allow no more than 600 calories a day for weeeks and even months. But are they healthy?
A study at Newcastle put overweight patients on a very low calorie diet for 8 weeks. The results were impressive. Not only did they all lose plenty of weight, their health markedly improved.
Blood pressure levels dropped significantly and amazingly type 2 diabetes was not only far better controlled but medications were able to be reduced. It seemed the body reset itself and started to correct the insulin problems that cause type 2 diabetes.
So perhaps a short sharp low calorie diet followed by healthy eating at normal calorie levels will become the treatments of choice for obesity and its' complications.
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