Do you have a bit of extra weight around your abdomen or know a friend or family member who does?

The epidemic of obesity in America and the world is a startling and disastrous fact. In America, 60% of people are overweight. By 2025, one study suggests that Colorado will be the only state not to have 30% or more of its population overweight; all other states will have sadly passed that mark. Fifty-seven million Americans are prediabetic associated with being overweight, and 24 million are already diabetic. Nearly 100 million people — almost one third of the country — is included in those staggering statistics.

There are many causes to becoming overweight: over-eating, lack of exercise, poor diet with nutrient deficiencies, high carb/sugar/saturated fat diet, imbalanced hormones, environmental pollution and insulin resistance. It's best to have a doctor look into these factors to determine which one(s) resonate with your clinical picture.

Studies Link Food Sensitivities to Obesity

Some of the latest studies are associating being overweight or obese with the higher occurrence of food sensitivities. Food sensitivity testing is something every overweight patient and their doctor should consider investigating. Let's take a closer look.

The May 2009 “Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology,” published a study that discussed that rising childhood obesity may be promoting the increased occurrence of food allergies. The inflammation of obesity can promote the development of food allergy reactions. Obesity was associated with a greater development of atopic disease such as eczema and psoriasis, and a whopping 59% increase in food sensitization. Although this study investigated IgE antibody responses, many doctors find IgG testing to be more efficacious. IgG testing is necessary for uncovering delayed or hidden food allergies which are the most common type of food sensitivity. Doctors who specialize in alternative medicine tend to use labs where IgG testing is performed.

Two other studies associated food sensitivities to being overweight. In the Journal “Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology and Diabetes,” researchers looked at two groups of children. In the normal weight children, inflammatory markers were normal, and there was no increase in IgG antibodies. The overweight children had both elevated levels of an inflammatory marker and IgG antibodies. We are not sure if the delayed reaction food sensitivity antibodies developed as a result of the obesity or caused the obesity, but they are causing significant extra pathology the child doesn't need. It could be a big help and relief to the child's body to discover sensitive foods so they can be removed to help and promote a healthier and leaner body.

Contributing Factors: Leaky Gut and Inflammation

Two etiologic factors for producing dysbiosis — unhealthy gut bacteria environments — were discussed in the July 2007 “Diabetes” journal. They were inflammation and leaky gut. Both a bad diet high in sugar and fat and low in fiber, and many prescription drugs, were found to disturb the gut health causing the dysbiosis. A leaky gut occurs when the small intestine cells are not structurally normal and healthy. This happens due to many reasons, and gut inflammation and dysbiosis are common causes. When a small intestine become leaky, instead of food antigens entering the cell properly, they actually sneak between them into the blood and set off food reactions throughout the body. The leaky gut pathology was also found to increase insulin resistance in the body cells which promoted obesity and poor glucose control. These are debilitating scenarios for any patient. Healing the gut, getting the bacteria health back to normal, eating a healthier diet to decrease inflammation, and removing food allergies may prove very helpful for patients.

Another concern is a worldwide association between obesity and asthma-related diseases. While no one is clear on the exact mechanics of how they are connected, food allergy may be entwined between them, as well as increased inflammatory markers, hormones changes, low nutrition and other possible factors.

An Alternative Way to Lose Weight

Alternative physicians suggest very important ways to enable overweight patients to make changes for safe and effective weight loss and an improved quality of life. These include involving their family in the process; and finding someone to analyze portion control, tidy up the quality of their diet, choose healthier foods, and learn how to shop and where to dine. Daily exercise is also vital for the overweight individual, both aerobic and anaerobic, and must be done with good form and in interesting ways to hold their interest and deliver consistent results.

A doctor needs to determine if hormone testing or environmental toxicity could be a problem. Testing for food allergies in overweight patients can also be a very solid medical idea. It's unknown at this time if food allergies are the cause or result of being overweight, but extra strain on a stressed body does not advance healing. An overweight person with food allergies may struggle to decrease inflammation, eradicate illnesses like asthma and get blood sugar under prompt control. It seems that removing the allergic foods may help reset the body regulation so it can lose weight easier. It may also help promote faster healing for ultimate well being.

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, May 2009, Volume 123, Issue 5, Pages 1163-1169.e4 “Association of obesity with IgE levels and allergy symptoms in children and adolescents: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2006” Authors: C.M. Visness, S.J. London, J.L. Daniels, J.S. Kaufman, K.B. Yeatts, A.-M. Siega-Riz, A.H. Liu, A. Calatroni, D.C. Zeldin

About the Author:

Dr. Mona Morstein has been a naturopathic physician for 21 years. She is currently Chair of Nutrition at Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM) where she teaches three nutrition courses, is the professor for gastroenterology, and clinical supervisor in their out-patient clinic. Dr. Morstein is considered an expert on obesity, prediabetes/insulin resistance, and all types of diabetes. She also treats a great deal of gastrointestinal illnesses, female conditions, and acute and chronic diseases. She has spoken internationally on diabetes, and has been interviewed on CNBC nationally on using alternative medicine to treat Type 2 diabetes. Visit http://www.drmonamorstein.com/ for more information.

About Immuno Laboratories

Immuno Laboratories is widely recognized as one of the leading food and environmental allergy testing facilities in the world. Since 1978, the company has conducted over 29 million tests with 97% of its physicians testing for ten years or more. The Immuno Bloodprint™ test identifies inflammatory reactions to various foods and chemicals which are often the underlying cause of chronic health disorders. Programs are then developed to eliminate the reactive substances for re-introduction at a later date. For more information or to find a qualified local healthcare practitioner for testing, visit immunolabs.com, call (800) 231.9197 or complete the online physician referral form.

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