A person is considered obese if their weight is twenty percent over the normal weight for their age, sex, build and height.  Unfortunately 80 million North Americans fall into this category.  Many medical conditions are brought on or worsened by excess weight.

They include: joint problems caused by the need to bear excess weight, circulatory disturbances, depression, diabetes, gallbladder disease, heart disease, hernias, hypertension, infertility, kidney disease, sleep apnea and skin infections.

Yo-yo dieting also leads to obesity by making the body more efficient at storing fat and altering normal appetite signals.  Emotional factors, such as grief or stress, can contribute to obesity by the use of food as a coping mechanism.

Medical conditions that lead to obesity include hypothyroidism, diabetes, hypoglycemia, and candida.  The use of medications, such as antidepressants, cortisone and oral contraceptives, may cause obesity by increasing appetite or decreasing metabolism.  Pregnancy causes weight gain in order to provide nourishment for the fetus and nutrient stores for breastfeeding.  It is normal and should not be limited as long as the woman is eating a well-balanced diet.  Genetics also plays a role in determining your body type and metabolic rate.

Dietary advice with regard to weight loss is plentiful; just go into your local bookstore.  The caloric theory states that: If you take in more calories than your body requires it will store them as fat, if you take in less calories than your body requires it will metabolize energy stores to make up the difference.  The key is to alter your caloric intake by only small amounts and increase your metabolism. Skipping meals or starving yourself actually slows the metabolism by telling the body that food is scarce.  Exercise is essential in order to stimulate the body to burn fat and build lean tissue.

Other theories believe that you can eat as much as you want as long as the food contains less fat and no simple sugars.  The diet should also contain vitamins and minerals that are necessary for fat burning such as vitamin B5, vitamin B6, vitamin E, lecithin and essential fatty acids.

Another theory believes that hidden food allergies can lead to obesity.  Irritating food proteins cause small amounts of inflammation, as the body attempts to neutralize the irritants, and can down-regulate metabolism.  Eliminating the most common food allergens, milk, wheat, corn, eggs, chocolate, soy and yeast, can be an important part of weight maintenance in some individuals.

Water is a very important nutrient because it flushes waste products from the body and prevents dehydration.  Drink 2L of filtered water or herbal teas daily.  A large part of your food intake should be whole grains and vegetables because they are rich in nutrients, and enzymes, and help to stabilize the blood sugar.  Increase your consumption of tofu, legumes, nuts and seeds.  Vegetable protein is lower in saturated fat than animal protein.  Nuts and seeds are good protein source and contain essential fatty acids.  These fats actually increase the metabolism of stored fats.  Use unrefined, cold-pressed nut and seed oils made from flax seed, walnut, hemp seed and pumpkin seed.  Water-soluble fibre, like pectin, psyllium and inulin, are found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.   Fibre is an appetite suppressant and binds bile to prevent the reabsorption of fats in the intestine.

Healthy eating involves avoiding lots of food that is easily available in our society.  Limit your intake of white flour products, processed foods, junk foods, candies, fried foods, hydrogenated fats, simple sugars and alcohol.

The following is a list of some of the many supplements used for obesity.  Adult doses are given. (CLICK SUPPLEMENT NAME FOR PRODUCTS).