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Metabolism Measure: New Weight Loss Tool |
Metabolism Measure – New Weight Loss ToolWhen the number of pounds increases as a person ages, many cite a slow or faulty metabolism, an anatomical engine that may need a tune up to run better. Yet, most have only a vague concept of how metabolism works and how it impacts your weight. The truth of the matter is metabolism can be the culprit and also the remedy when it comes to achieving and maintaining one’s goal weight. Now, a new test helps physicians and individuals get a look at how well their metabolism is functioning, important information when trying to lose weight. Metabolism actually is the term that describes the chemical reactions in the cells of your body that convert food to the energy needed to think, to move and to grow. It is an essential component of every living organism. It is also a fairly complicated balancing act inside the body between the process of building up body tissues and energy stores (fat) and breaking them down to provide the fuel the body needs to function. “Metabolism may be adversely affected by yo-yo dieting and poor diet habits. When you lose weight and then gain it back, the pounds you regain are not always the same as the pounds lost. It’s possible to lose muscle and then regain it back as fat. When this happens, it is often more difficult to lose those same pounds the next time around.” said Dr. Mathew Draelos of the Draelos Metabolic Center in Edmond. Draelos is a physician board certified in metabolism, endocrinology and diabetes. He explained that for many, overweight and obesity are chronic, life-long issues often rooted in strong, underlying genetic and metabolic conditions. “That’s why we find a strong correlation between overweight and obesity and such chronic conditions as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease,” he said. Draelos believes it is important to combine scientific answers to the metabolic dilemma with practical solutions to help patients successfully lose weight and keep it off. So he’s brought one of the newest high tech weapons in the weight loss arsenal - the Metabolic Indirect Calorimetry test – to his practice in Edmond. The Metabolic Indirect Calorimetry test measures a patient’s resting energy expenditure and oxygen consumption to determine the body’s energy metabolism and caloric needs. It’s technologically advanced equipment, but relatively simple in its use for patients. During the in-office test, you simply breathe into the device while relaxing for about 20 minutes. The equipment does the rest. Room air is inhaled and carbon dioxide is exhaled into the metabolic analyzer and it calculates your target caloric zones, then prints them out in an easy-to-read format, showing how to use metabolism to actually help you lose weight. To get a successful reading, however, Draelos stressed no food or caffeine containing beverages may be consumed for the four hours preceding the test. “Every patient is going to have different results,” he said. “Obviously, you need to burn more calories than you eat to lose weight. This test shows why and how. The beauty of Metabolic Indirect Calorimetry is that we can use the data to tailor individual weight loss programs that work. We know what is burned in the body and how much would need to be eaten to help people take off unwanted pounds.” Draelos added that exercise is also an important component when it comes to weight loss and metabolism. “Metabolism represents energy in and energy out,” Draelos explained. “We are now learning that weight-bearing exercise, which helps build or sustain muscle, also plays a critical role in both metabolism and weight loss.” Yet, he cautioned that the metabolic test is but one part of any successful weight loss equation. A thorough health history review and physical examination by a physician is equally important. Draelos and his team also utilize Body Impedance Analysis (BIA) to pinpoint fat, muscle and water weight in a patient’s initial visit to the center. “We follow a holistic approach in helping patients attain their weight loss goals,” Draelos said. “That’s why I put together a team of professionals with expertise in all the disciplines that address weight and metabolism. This ensures that those who visit the center can reach their weight loss goals and find the tools to help them keep the pounds off.” Gratifying results keep happy losers in physician-supervised maintenance programs, as the case with Edmond resident Lori Jones, 41, who needed to lose 25 to 30 pounds and just wasn’t having any luck doing it. A busy mom with three children, ages 12, 9, and 6, Jones decided it was time to do something about those troublesome pounds. “I was at a place with my weight that I just didn’t want to be,” Jones said. “I’d met Dr. Draelos and his wife at our church and she suggested that I make an appointment to see him so I went in at the end of summer, in August.” Jones said her visit to the Draelos Metabolic Center was definitely the right decision. “My blood pressure was high and I told the dietician that I just couldn’t seem to lose weight. She put me on a carb-controlled diet. It wasn’t easy, but I kept at it; and she kept me encouraged and motivated throughout. I reached my goal weight right before Thanksgiving and am now maintaining my weight with techniques that work. A splurge once in a while doesn’t have to become a daily habit.” * * * * * * * |
