Carrying too much weight – the fat versus sugar debate

We are always being advised what to eat and what to avoid, and how to strike the correct nutritional balance of for a healthy lifestyle. Experts all agree that undertaking regular exercise coupled with a sensible diet will give you the best chance of living a long, healthy life, however, some of the information available is rather confusing.

Product labelling tells us that some products are low in fat, fat free, sugar free, no artificial sweeteners…but what really is the biggest threat to our waistline – is it sugar or is it fat? Or is it both?

The biggest risk

It’s often very difficult to establish which foods are better or worse for people as it’s hard to have a “control” (i.e. something to benchmark against that has exactly the same properties as the test subject). Recently the BBC came up with a clever way of getting a control sample – they tested the sugar versus fat debate on identical twins.

The identical twins were brothers who each dieted for one month, hoping to really put the fat versus sugar debate to bed. One brother cut out sugar (and carbs) and the other cut out fat.

After one month, the brother who cut out fat lost the most weight, but the one who cut out sugar/carbs had the most trouble sustaining energy and keeping his brain functioning as efficiently. Interestingly, there wasn’t an easy solution that presented itself. The brothers concluded that cutting out either fat OR sugar wasn’t going to offer the easy solution they were hoping it would.

Their research led them to believe that avoiding processed foods that contain BOTH sugar and fat is the best approach to ensuring you’re consuming a healthy, balanced diet.

A surgical helping hand

Regardless of your eating habits, if you are carrying (or have carried) excess weight for a long time then you may find that this has resulted in an abundance of excess skin that is hard to shed via conventional means. If this is the case then an abdominoplasty (often referred to as a tummy tuck) may be the resolution you’re looking for.

This operation works by tightening loose or flabby skin, giving the appearance of a more toned abdomen. It can sometimes be coupled with a liposuction procedure as well, which can reduce stubborn pockets of fat from underneath the skin.

If you have tried adjusting your diet and exercise regime and are still struggling to achieve the look you’re hoping for, make an appointment to talk to Mr Alan Park about whether an abdominoplasty and/or liposuction may be the most appropriate next step.