Do you know someone who has tried every diet and quick weight loss program in the world, only to find that they either don’t work or they work for a short while, only to leave the dieter weighing more than before beginning the diet? Researchers in weight management have begun to pinpoint some of the specific factors that cause people to lose and gain weight in such a yo-yo fashion.
While there is much argument and opinion about which diets work and which ones don’t, authorities almost universally agree that "quick weight loss," "overnight wonder," and other such "miracle" programs are not recommended and can often be harmful to the individual’s overall health status.
Weight that has been gained over a period of years simply cannot be lost in short periods of time with lasting effects, according to Dr. Morris Mitsunaga, a nationally recognized weight management consulting physician. He also points the finger at carbohydrates as a frequent culprit contributing to weight problems rather than simply too many calories. He explains that "often a patient will have what has become termed a carbohydrate addiction, a condition, probably genetically linked, in which the individual’s body simply does not properly metabolize carbohydrates," mainly starches, snack foods and sweets.
The condition is characterized by continuous cravings for sweets and starches and an insatiable appetite for these food substances. The victim has a compelling urge or craving to eat and eat - only to feel hungrier after consuming these foods. This pattern evolves into a continual cycle of eating and gaining weight. This person will often attempt diet after diet targeted at calories and fats when the real culprit is an addiction to carbohydrates. Carbohydrates may include, among other foods, potatoes, potato chips, breads, rice, pasta, ice cream, chocolate, pies, cookies, popcorn, pretzels and even fruit and fruit juices.
According to Dr. Anthony Gilkey, a U.S. public health diabetic eye researcher, "Most diabetics in our programs are overweight. People relate diabetes to an insulin deficiency; however, diabetes is really an inability of the body to properly utilize carbohydrates. Insulin is supplemented to treat diabetes, but the underlying problem centers around carbohydrates."
He cites that often patients will attempt diets that target fat and calorie intake with no attention whatsoever to managing carbohydrates. The diet is doomed to fail because it’s addressing the wrong problem. Dr. Gilkey elaborates, "If your right eye has a problem, I can treat your left foot with all the best known medicine there is. I will not solve the eye problem because I am treating the wrong thing. Granted, your foot may feel and even look better but I will have done nothing to solve your eye problem. Carbohydrate-addicted patients are constant victims of diets ‘good for the wrong thing’ and are inevitably unsuccessful, disappointed, disillusioned - and in the long run, still overweight."
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, one in three American adults is overweight. Research now indicates that many, if not most, of these individuals are not simply overweight but are suffering from a carbohydrate addiction. America is already overweight as a nation, and the numbers are growing at an alarming (if not epidemic) rate. In spite of all the nationwide proliferation, popularity, and promotion of health and fitness today, it has become exceedingly clear that Americans still need a great deal of help with weight loss and weight management.
Carbohydrate addiction is a condition that must be accurately diagnosed before it can be effectively treated. On the brighter side, programs that address this specific problem are developing across the country; and very effective carbohydrate addict’s diets and regimens have developed from these programs. With increasing health education and information about this addiction and ways to treat it, there is hope for the carbohydrate addict.
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