Losing Weight, One Drop at a Time

This is a paper I wrote for my Preventative Health Care class over 2 years ago. It may be a dry read for many, but definitely informative. I thought it to be helpful for our Marvelous Me Project - January!

                                        Weight loss products continue to fly off the shelves of both pharmacies and health food stores across the globe. Scientists continue to do countless years of research in hopes of making fortunes with the creation of that ‘magic pill’ that promises to shed those extra pounds without diet or exercise. And over weight consumers continue to be persuaded by clever marketing tactics, throwing away their hard earned dollars only to be disappointed by the broken promises of these drug companies and the rising numbers on their bathroom scales. If only they knew that this ‘magic pill’, has been not only in front of their eyes all along, but is completely free with no side effects. All it takes is a twist of a tap.

                                       It sounds too good to be true. Something as simple as water to help one lose weight, however according to Your Body’s Many Cries for Water by Dr. Batmanghelidj, it’s the truth. Dr. Batmanghelidj believes that much of the cause for obesity is that individual’s cannot distinguish the difference between hunger pains and thirst pains. If one could tell the difference, they would reach for that glass of water instead of that bag of potato chips. And many of these poor food choices contribute to more dehydration, causing more thirst pains being mistaken for hunger pains, signaling one to eat more. And the cycle continues.

                            

                                        Water contributes to weight loss in several different ways. In the simplest context, it acts as an appetite suppressant. When consumed, it distends in the stomach, signaling the sensation of satiety. This is much similar to what occurs when consuming fiber. Fiber, when combined with water, expands in the stomach giving the feeling of fullness. Also, evidence has shown that if one consumes 1 glass of cold water 15 minutes before meals, this will prevent one from over consuming when eating. Water of approximately 3-4 degrees celsius causes the pyloric sphincter to shut, trapping the water inside the stomach. Now less food is needed to fill the stomach chamber. Only once the water has warmed to 37 degrees celsius will the pyloric sphincter open and release the water.

                             

                                        Aside from over-eating, weight gain can also be a result of fluid retention and constipation. Many people associate excess water with excess weight, however fluid retention is not caused by the over-consumption of water. On the contrary, water retention is actually a result of dehydration. The body views dehydration as an emergency state and must act accordingly. To reverse this state, the body kicks into survival mode by holding onto and storing every drop of fluid possible. Only once the body is well hydrated will it release the stored water. Many individuals may not even realize they were retaining fluid until they were able to shed excess weight from areas they struggled with for so long. Diuretics can offer some temporary relief by forcing out the stored water, however nutrients are lost as well with this method, creating more of an ‘emergency state’, causing the body to retain more fluids. Therefore, water consumption is the best remedy for water retention and weight gain due to retention. Constipation can be treated the same way. In a dehydrated state, the body will obtain water from wherever possible and the colon is a primary source for this. A dehydrated colon cannot function properly and results in constipation. If one cannot rid of their food properly and develops a back up of waste, naturally they will gain weight. Keeping the body well hydrated will refrain the body from storing or pulling water from internal sources and contributing to complications.

                             

                                        Like all organs in the body, proper kidney function depends on adequate water consumption. The kidneys’ work to cleanse and filter the blood, and rely on water to accurately do this. If the kidneys’ are in a state of dehydration and unable to carry out their responsibilities, the liver must now compensate to assist with the kidney’s duties. This puts burden on an already over-worked liver, causing a chain-reaction and inhibiting the liver to perform properly. The liver’s main function is to metabolize stored fat into usable energy by use of enzymes. If the liver is over burdened, it will metabolize less fat, causing more fat to be stored, resulting in weight gain.

                               

                                        Many people share the complaint of not being thirsty and use this as the reason for not drinking adequate quantities of water. The human body is very intelligent and has learned to adapt to various situations and environments over the last million years. If thirst signals are continually ignored, the body will attempt a different approach for notifying one of their dehydrated state (i.e water retention, kidney failure etc.). However, once supplying the body with the proper amounts of water, thirst signals will ‘turn back on’, notifying when it is in need. The key is to listen to these signals and not misinterpret them for something else. According to The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine by Michael Murray, the body needs 32 to 48 oz of water/day. The quality of water is of great importance, however according to Dr. Batmanghelidj, quantity still remains the priority. Although many drinks may contain large quantities of water, many contain diuretics and dehydrating contents that will only worsen ones’ state. For maximum weight loss and prevention of obesity, amongst copious other health conditions, water must be drunk in its purest form.

                                

                                       As the waistlines’ grow, so does the population of obese people creating what some may even call an epidemic. Obesity does not only affect adults but even the un-born due to the rate of obese mothers, creating children with life-long struggles with excess weight and illness. According to the National Institutes of Health, and estimated 300,000 deaths per year are due to obesity. These numbers are ludicrous considering the simplicity of treatment for this disease. Who would have thought that the answer for obesity came from something used everyday. A tool we have come to rely on to do our dirty laundry, clean our dishes, wash our bodies, cook our food, help create our food, provide us with electricity, transport our ships, but for some reason is not multifaceted to heal our wounds. Instead of searching for that ‘magic pill’, realize the magic that flows from your tap.