When approximately 39% of the world's adult population was classified as overweight or obese in 2014, we it's a severe issue without even a speck of doubt.
Owing to more relaxing lifestyles, we are increasingly experiencing or witnessing weight gain problems. Sometimes we do not realize its potential to harm our daily lives, or even if we do recognize the severity of the situation, we can't muster up the strength or willpower to get to the grind.
Losing weight is not only an essential component of an attractive personality. It's also an integral part of our holistic well-being. Often, being overweight and obese quickly leads the way to many life-threatening conditions or disorders.
Symptomatic of other problems and severe conditions, obesity must be looked at as something severe that needs to be put off then and there.
What is Functional Weight Loss?
Losing weight is not an instant process. It's neither that simple nor that easy, like eating a pill to get rid of fever. It is a time taking healthcare routine that one undertakes for physical and emotional well-being.
Often, it has been witnessed that shedding weight does not become achievable by addressing it as a single-cause problem. Working exclusively on a single aspect doesn't help at all.
Most people facing obesity need a comprehensive approach that strives towards figuring out the root cause of the problem. Several factors such as health history, genetic factors, environmental toxicity or metabolism combine to determine whether we would be able to shed excess fat or not.
This is the core idea of a functional medicine approach to weight loss. This approach enables you to understand the most prominent factor keeping you away from a healthier you.
What are the causes for weight gain?
Though many factors and causes can be attributed to weight gain, it is pertinent to understand the leading reasons that are increasingly resulting in a large part of the global population becoming overweight and obese.
Studies have shown that some people are susceptible to weight gain and obesity due to genetic factors.
The other primary cause seen in many people is eating heavily processed junk foods mixed with additives. These are undoubtedly hard to resist but cause a strain on your body by making you overeat.
The fact that consuming sugar-sweetened, high-fat junk foods makes you gain weight super fast is a no-brainer.
Obesity is also common in people with high insulin levels and insulin resistance. Insulin imbalance increases the susceptibility to gaining weight and then finding it extremely difficult to shed excess fat.
The Conventional Approach to weight loss
The most common remedy people rely on for weight loss is "eat less and exercise more," which is not workable for many.
Going on a low-calorie diet, taking prescriptions, and using the calories in and calories out theory does not work for everyone as we possess unique physiology and metabolism.
Intermittent fasting, also known as the 16:8 or 5:2 diet, is getting ranked up in popularity and hype; however, the German Cancer Research Center has found that intermittent fasting does not address long-term weight regulation. Thus, it has little or no advantage over conventional weight-loss diets.
Adopting the stretching, strength exercise, and flexibility programs prove to be of little help when getting the right weight.
Sometimes, people either tend to give up exercise after a week or two or experience fatigue and exhaustion due to high activity levels. Our busy schedules also ensure that we do not have any time or energy left to exercise.
We know you are nodding!
The Functional Medicine Approach
The functional medicine approach to weight loss recognizes that achieving a healthy fat composition in the body is crucial.
After reaching the root cause of the problem, functional weight loss incorporates a combination of well-balanced nutrition, physical exercise, stress alleviation, and sleep therapies. The intense focus is on providing the proper nutrition, detoxifying the body, striking the perfect hormonal balance, and getting rid of inflammation. Rectification of social and behavioral difficulties is also included in functional medicine weight loss approach.
As soon as the fundamental imbalances and deficiencies have been taken care of, it becomes elementary to get rid of excess body fat. The plus point is that functional medicine weight loss results are more sustainable. Well, that's something worth asking for. Isn't it?
The functional medicine weight loss program includes (but is not only restricted to) adding more amounts of whole, natural, and unprocessed foods to your daily diet. Sugar ( most of us are so fond of it that we end up consuming up to 152 pounds of sugar each year) and gluten are taken care of really well. Gut-supporting probiotic supplements have been shown to produce the desired results.
The Benefits of Functional Medicine Approach
Synchronizing the various aspects of positive health and well-being helps normalize weight as a positive side-effect. Those who have experienced the benefits of the functional medicine approach to weight loss have also become able to sleep better, be more energetic, and be more productive in day-to-day activities leading to an overwhelming flow of feeling better about themselves.
It has been witnessed that diabetes, fatigue, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure problems have also improved due to the all-encompassing effects of the functional medicine approach to weight loss.
Functional medicine and weight loss are also inseparable because it is this holistic approach that considers the intake of anti-inflammatory foods and good sleep hygiene. This goes without saying that it leads you to look at yourself with more self-esteem and confidence, empowering you with all the might and power you need to be the best.
