If you’re trying to shed pounds, it’s possible that certain hidden factors might be messing with your weight loss efforts. Take a look at several problems shown to thwart weight loss and the natural approaches that could serve as your solutions. Also, find out which natural remedies and therapies are most promising for weight loss.
Key Points
As Weight Loss Approaches
- Hidden Factors That Can Prevent Weight Loss– Here’s a look at several hidden factors shown to prevent weight loss and a few natural approaches that could help.
- Reduce Belly Fat Naturally: Research suggests that certain natural solutions may help reduce belly fat. Here’s a look at several study findings.
- Inflammation and Weight Gain: In recent years, a number of studies have shown that weight gain may be linked to chronic inflammation. Here are natural approaches that may reduce inflammation while supporting weight loss.
- Natural Support for Obesity Prevention: Certain alternative therapies may also be beneficial when it comes to obesity prevention.
Supplements
- Bitter Orange: Bitter orange is purported to help treat constipation, indigestion, heartburn, loss of appetite, and nasal congestion, as well as promote weight loss.
- Capsaicin: Capsaicin, a natural substance sourced from chilli peppers, is said to speed up metabolism and reduce fat tissue, as well as curb overeating by taming appetite.
- Chia-Find out whether chia — yes, the same sprouts found in your Chia Pet — can help you slim down and stay healthy.
- Often marketed as a natural weight loss aid, chitosan is a dietary supplement made from the shells of crustaceans (such as crabs, shrimp, and lobster).
- CLA: Proponents claim that CLA can reduce fat while building muscle, as well as keep cholesterol in check.
- DHEA: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a steroid hormone that’s produced by the adrenal glands.
- Fucoxanthin-Fucoxanthin is a type of carotenoid found naturally in edible brown seaweed such as wakame and hijiki, which are used widely in Asian cuisine. It is also found in much smaller amounts in red seaweed.
- Much of hoodia’s popularity stems from claims that the San Bushmen of the Kalahari desert in Africa relied on hoodia for thousands of years to ward off hunger and thirst during long hunting trips.
- Hydroxycut: Find out why this weight-loss supplement may not be safe.
- By consuming these live microorganisms, proponents claim, overweight people can correct bacterial imbalances thought to contribute to weight gain.
- Psyllium—One popular natural remedy for weight loss is psyllium, a plant that produces seeds rich in fiber.
- Spirulina: Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae available in dietary supplement form.
- Triphala: A blend of three botanicals, triphala is a popular remedy in ayurveda (the traditional medicine in India).
- Vitamin D: Some research suggests that running low on vitamin D might increase your risk of obesity, while taking vitamin D supplements may help promote weight loss and weight maintenance.
Diets and food
- Green Tea: If weight loss is one of your top health goals, green tea may help.
- Oolong Tea: Several studies indicate that oolong tea may help promote weight loss.
- Shirataki Noodles – What are shirataki noodles? I’ve heard they’re the latest diet food but find it hard to believe that eating noodles could help with weight loss. Isn’t it counter-intuitive?
Therapies
- Acupuncture: Some proponents of acupuncture suggest that the needle-based alternative therapy can help promote weight loss.
- Hypnosis: Hypnosis is a mind-body technique often purported to promote weight loss.
- In the quest for weight loss, many people turn to yoga (an age-old mind-body practise that combines physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation).
What is Obesity?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, obesity is defined as “the condition of an excessively high amount of body fat or adipose tissue in relation to lean body mass.” A more commonly-known definition of obesity is that of an individual’s weight being 30% or more above what is considered normal as defined by a standardly-accepted height and weight chart (e.g., The National Center for Health Statistics or Metropolitan Life Insurance Company). Overweight and obesity are also commonly determined by calculating an individual’s body mass index.
Morbid obesity occurs when an individual weighs 50 to 100 percent more than their normal weight or is more than 100 pounds overweight.Morbid obesity literally means that the amount of weight a person is carrying is life-threatening due to its related health risks. Morbid obesity also often significantly hinders or prevents an individual from accomplishing many day-to-day functions.
Surgical procedures like gastric bypass are often seriously considered as a weight control option for those who are morbidly obese.
Why should obesity be taken seriously?
Obese individuals have a 50 to 100% increased risk of death from all causes as compared to normal-weight individuals.
What is the difference between being overweight and being obese?
The CDC defines overweight as referring to increased body weight in relation to height as determined by comparison to a standard height-weight chart. People who are considered overweight have not reached a high enough weight to qualify as being obese. As a rule of thumb, the medical community usually considers someone to be overweight rather than obese if their weight is 10% higher than normal as defined by height/weight charts.
