A study released today by Wake Forest University School of Medicine found that the lack of sleep could lead to an increase in fat accumulating around vital organs, resulting in higher rates of metabolic diseases.

The results showed a connection between getting six or fewer hours of sleep and unhealthy visceral fat. The study also showed a connection in those who slept more than eight hours a night, though more slight.

“We put a lot of stock in diet,” said Dr. Kristen Hairston, an assistant professor of endocrinology and metabolism and lead author on the study. “But this study brings up some interesting questions about the way we live.

“We may need to start looking at other behaviors — besides daily food choices — that could be contributing to the obesity epidemic in younger age groups.

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Losing weight is hard. Feelings of deprivation and cravings make it difficult to stick to a “diet.” Missing out on social functions and worrying about every single calorie isn’t any fun either. The hurdles we face and the excuses we make are plentiful: “There’s no time to exercise.” “I’m just big-boned.” “I’ll start tomorrow.” “I’m eating right — most of the time.”

We’ve all been told that weight loss should be easy: Calories in versus calories out. But maybe it’s not so simple. That’s why BH2 takes a different approach. Perhaps it’s not just about calorie calculation. We believe, for many, it’s metabolic and involves hormones, stress, neurotransmitters or even food allergies — hormone imbalance to be exact.

The solution to the struggle to lose weight is not “one size fits all.” At BH2, we run specific diagnostic tests to determine the best course of action for YOU. Your program begins with testing to start formulating your personalized plan. These specialized tests include:

• Neurotransmitter: Just as your fingerprint is your very own, so is your brain chemistry. And when your neurotransmitters (such as serotonin and norepinephrine) are out of balance, you feel it. Balanced brain chemistry is extremely important to weight loss success.
• Biophysical: This is a wide-reaching blood test. Bio-markers linked to obesity and appetite are measured, along with bio-markers for diabetes and insulin resistance. Our staff will explain how these biomarkers can impact your waistline.
• ALCAT: An ALCAT test will look at more than 300 foods, chemicals and nutrients that may be causing weight-loss difficulty — or even weight gain. You may be allergic or sensitive to a food that is making weight loss tough for you and never show any other symptoms or reactions to it.
• Spectracell: This is intracellular, nutrient-level testing. Results from this test help our staff devise a specific regimen of supplements and plan of nutrition to best support your weight-loss efforts.
• Hormones: Progesterone and estrogen are normally the culprits that lead to weight-loss difficulties, but hormone testing will tell us for sure. Other hormones such as insulin, testosterone and cortisol could be placing roadblocks along your journey.

Looking at all these test results together allows our staff to best work with you as you achieve weight-loss success.

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So other than looking at charts, what are your options?

BMI
You’ve probably heard about calculating your Body Mass Index. BMI calculates the amount of fat in your body based on your height and weight alone. When those two factors are entered into the equation, your BMI number will fall into one of four categories:

• Underweight = 18.5 or less
• Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
• Overweight = 25-29.9
• Obesity = 30 or greater

BMI is not considered to be the best measurement of ideal weight by many experts, but it is a starting point.

Waist-Hip Ratio
The waist-hip ratio is a good indicator of the possibility of risk for heart disease and other weight-related problems. Calculating this ratio is simple: Take your waist measurement in inches and divide by your hip circumference in inches.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the following ratios are ideal and considered “safe:”

• For men, a ratio of .90 or less.
• For women, a ratio of .80 or less.

For both men and women, a waist-hip ratio of 1.0 or higher is considered risky.

Now what?
If you’ve used any of the above charts or formulas to calculate your weight and aren’t happy with the numbers are you see, contact us about safe and effective weight loss.

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