The function of the hypothalamus is critical for body weight regulation. Research with rats has shown that damage to the hypothalamus can have serious consequences. Damage to the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) is associated with hyperphagia (over-eating), decreased thermogenesis and spontaneous aotrvity, and elevated insulin levels. Obesity is almost an inevitable result! On the other hand, [...]
Repeated cycles of dieting may actually increase the body’s metabolic efficiency and make it even harder to lose weight. Such cycles may also change the way fat is deposited, with more fat being laid down in the stomach region. There are certain factors that can modify the set point weight to some degree. Exercise has [...]
Stephanie Caviness wanted to slim down. But the 33-year-old Jersey City, New Jersey, woman had a hard time sticking with an exercise routine. So she turned to her computer for help, and she ended up losing 23 pounds. For Stephanie, exercise was nothing new. She had tried it several times in the past as a [...]
Ah, food! We can’t live without it, but sometimes it seems like we can’t live with it, either. It can make us fat, it can encourage cancer, it can promote heart disease. We can become obsessed with it, and yet we have to eat, for our bodies need a wide variety of nutrients every day [...]
Thin shouldn’t be confused with healthy. I treat many very thin models—women who weigh between 95 and 110 pounds. They’re thin, but at the same time some of them are significantly “overfat!” Of course you don’t ever know it by looking at them. Still, body weight is accounted for by a combination of lean body [...]
Research studies conducted under ideal conditions are one thing, but I always want to know how well something works in the real world, where conditions are not always perfect. Fortunately, my patients have enjoyed excellent results with this amazing yet simple substance. I’ve used Chitosan for years. One of my early Chitosan patients was Joan, [...]
There is no doubt that the risk of coronary heart disease rises as the cholesterol increases. Conversely, the risk drops as cholesterol falls. Although the American Heart Association recommends that the total cholesterol be 200 or less, I feel that this is too high. It may be average, but being average in this country is [...]
Claire, a 48-year-old, 200-pound nurse whom I’ve known for many years, recently showed me her computerized “diet database.” “Look at this, Dr. Fox,” she said proudly, pointing to the computer screen. “Here’s a list of the diets I’ve been on, arranged alphabetically.” It looked like there were 30 or 40 diets on the screen, from [...]