Comment: TED Talk on the obesity crisis

Comment.

Peter Attia is a surgeon and has treated many patients suffering from cancer, diabetes and obesity.

In his TED Talk he explains how compassion is a key value for any surgeons and yet when he had to amputate an overweight patient’s foot because of diabetes.

Peter himself developed metabolic syndrome despite exercising three hours a day and eating healthily; in other words he developed insulin resistance so insulin becomes inefficient at regulating blood sugar levels.

Is obesity the cause of insulin resistance? Or is it the other way round? Obesity could be the just tip of the iceberg, the coping mechanism of a complex metabolic process. Could it be that it is insulin resistance that causes obesity?

6 billion lean people in the US have metabolic syndrome, so how can we help them?

The culprit is glucose or blood sugar; so a likely cause of insulin resistance is consumption of refined sugar and starches and not necessarily overeating.

Peter is committed to solve the obesity problem. He advocates more rigorous science and research to address this issue. How are foods impacting our metabolism? Can we make changes in our diet to ensure we don’t become insulin resistant? How can we change our behaviour to ensure we always choose the right foods?

Here at Weightmatters we can help you make the behavioural changes necessary to embrace a healthier lifestyle.

Source: http://www.ted.com/talks/peter_attia_what_if_we_re_wrong_about_diabetes.html