The "Fat Blue Marble"
Insulin resistance is at the core of the global obesity epidemic.
by James J. Gormley
There is a growing recognition of
the fact that there are 95 million
Americans with some degree of insulin
resistance, 102 million adults at risk for cardiovascular
disease (CVD) and 108 million
people who are overweight. M.C. Montague
from Howard University recently reiterated
the sobering statistic that "obesity is associated
with approximately 300,000 deaths a
year in this country."
In a 2003 review article, researchers from
Australia blame the new "Fat Blue Marble"
on a modern Western diet that is not suited
to our genes. They write: "The adoption of a
sedentary Western lifestyle and the case of
obtaining [high-calorie foods] imposed
upon a thrifty genotype have resulted in the
current global epidemic of obesity, type II
diabetes and metabolic syndrome."
Little People, Big Problems
In June 2001 I went to China as a U.S. delegate
at an international conference that
focused on the rising tide of worldwide obesity
and on developing new dietary guidelines
for the world. Since many young people
in China are adopting "American" culture at
an astonishing rate, it was clear to me that
fast food eateries are opening up like wildfire
there. What was an "American problem" has
now reached Asia, too, making childhood
obesity a problem of pandemic proportions.
Over the last 25 years, the number of
children in the U.S. who are overweight has
tripled—22 percent of kids are overweight.
Specifically, 13 percent of children aged 6 to
11 and 14 percent of kids aged 12 to 19 are
obese. Unfortunately, according to doctors
from Scotland’s Royal Hospital for Sick
Children in a September 2003 journal
article, "there remains a widespread perception
among health professionals that childhood
obesity is a largely cosmetic problem,
with minor clinical effects"—nothing could
be further from the truth.
In fact, 60 percent of overweight children
aged 5 to 10 have at least one risk factor for
cardiovascular disease; 25 percent have over
two risk factors. Tied to obesity, sugarpacked
diets and physical inactivity, type II
diabetes in children is now the "new children’s
epidemic," a disease which used to
develop almost exclusively in adulthood.
Syndrome X
Insulin resistance is at the core of the
diabetes, prediabetes and a host of related
diseases. According to the American
Association of Endocrinologists (AACE),
metabolic syndrome (also called Syndrome
X) is an epidemic condition that is estimated
to affect one in three Americans.
Syndrome X is a metabolic disorder that
underlies some of the most serious, chronic and
costly diseases in the U.S. First identified by
researchers at Stanford University, Syndrome X
is a constellation of metabolic disorders
brought on by insulin resistance. Symptoms of
this disorder include visceral obesity, dyslipidemia,
hypertension and glucose intolerance.
Although most people with insulin resistance
can, in the early stages, usually produce
enough insulin to mask outright symptoms
of poor insulin and glucose control, some
will eventually develop type II diabetes. The
majority of these people are still at significantly
increased risk for heart attack, stroke
and other diseases.
Some of the complications from diabetes
include: diabetic retinopathy, which causes
blindness or severe vision impairment in
about two percent and 10 percent of
patients, respectively; diabetic neuropathy, a
condition that assails about 50 percent of
people with diabetes, causing sensory loss
and damage to the limbs, in addition to impotence; diabetic foot disease, which can
lead to amputation of a lower limb; heart disease,
which accounts for about 50 percent of
all deaths among people with diabetes;
stroke; kidney failure and dental disease.
Where Does Chromium Fit In?
Chromium is a trace mineral required by our
body’s master metabolic hormone, insulin.
Since the body can’t manufacture this mineral,
we have to obtain it through diet or supplementation
in order to achieve healthy
blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Unfortunately, chromium isn’t found in
optimal amounts in foods; whatever is there
is compromised by modern food processing
and cooking at high temperatures.
In addition, in 1985 Richard A. Anderson,
Ph.D., reported that not getting optimal
chromium from foods is common in the U.S.
and nutritional chromium is not well
absorbed from the diet. Even worse, highfiber
diets and the use of certain medications
(such as aspirin and antacids) further interfere
with chromium absorption. Even aging
itself is associated with a 25 to 40 percent
drop in tissue levels of chromium.
Research has shown that when we have
diets low in chromium, this negatively affects
glucose tolerance and insulin in people who
already have mildly impaired glucose tolerance.
It has been suggested that large losses of
chromium over time, may contribute to
insulin resistance and make things worse in
those who already have type II diabetes.
Chromax® Chromium Picolinate
The branded ingredient, Chromax chromium
picolinate, is considered by many experts to be
better absorbed and more usable by the body
than other forms of chromium. In fact, in a
1998 review, Anderson wrote: "Essentially all
the studies employing the more bioavailable
chromium picolinate have reported positive
effects, with greater effects reported at 1,000
mcg/day than at 200 mcg/day.
THE ANSWER? DIET AND EXERCISE
The latest research makes it abundantly clear that the best foundation for responsible, sustained weight loss is vigorous, regular exercise and a nutrient-rich diet. The following tips will be helpful to those with obesity, insulin resistance or both:
- Avoid refined carbohydrates, including white flour, white rice, white sugar and other caloric sweeteners.
- Eat foods in as natural and fresh a state as possible.
- Emphasize non-starchy vegetables (such as salad greens, asparagus, broccoli and green beans) as your primary sources of carbs.
- Avoid soft drinks, fruit juices, alcohol and other highly processed drinks.
- Choose high-quality omega-6 oils: safflower, sunflower, borage, black currant seed, evening primrose and one specific omega-9 oil: first cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil.
- Choose high-quality omega-3 oils: flaxseed, hemp, pumpkin seed and marine oils (DHA).
- Avoid fats rich in palmitic acid, such as coconut and palm oils. Steer clear of transfatty acids found in deep-fried foods, traditional tub margarine and foods that contain partially hydrogenated oils.
- Consider daily supplementation with Chromax® chromium picolinate (www.chromax.com), at a nutritional dosage of 600 to 1,000 mcg per day.
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In seven clinical research studies from 1989
to 2002, Chromax chromium picolinate safely
improved weight loss and body composition
(the percentage and distribution of fat and
muscle). In fact, in a 1998 study led by Dr.
Gilbert R. Kaats of San Antonio’s Health and
Medical Research Foundation, clinically obese
patients who received 400 mcg per day of
Chromax lost significantly more body weight
and fat than did people who took the placebo
(or dummy) capsules; also, participants who
took Chromax were able to maintain lean
muscle while the others were not. TH
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