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By Jeanne Jung
Contributing Writer
Some blame it on frequently working overtime. You don't burn many calories working with your brain and papers all through the night. You might even grab a bag of chips along the way. Of course, all that routine has much to do with putting on extra pounds.
Some lose weight under stress. More often than not, most gain after binge-eating and more often women do. Cortisol the stress-related hormone tends to store fat in the belly, causing central obesity.
Endogenous opiates, the neurotransmitters in the brain that weakly exhilarate our mood, are generated at the sight and aroma of food.
If you love to be a couch potato and get late night snacks, take my word for it. Staying up late after the snack doesn't offset the effect.
A recent U.S. study from Northwestern University fed mice the same diet for two separate groups, in the morning and in the night each.
The latter group was kept awake during the night against the circadian rhythm and vice versa. Weight gain in the latter amounted to twice that of the former group. It suggests that eating and working during night-shifts may cause intractable obesity.
If you are in shape but have once been plump in the past, your body may have adapted to conserving the energy, raising the basic metabolic rate (BMR) and making it difficult for you to go further.
Does obesity affect fertility? It might, if it is a sign of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO). Four to 10 percent of young women of child-bearing age are afflicted and suffer from menstrual irregularity, obesity, diabetes, severe acne and/or infertility.
If you have trouble losing weight and suffer from menstrual problems, please don't hesitate visiting a gynecologist.
A simple blood test and abdominal ultrasound exam can verify and let you deal with these problems. While we are at it, I would like to point out that birth control pills do cause some weight gain, although they are indeed the most effective way to avoid unwanted pregnancy.
Would I trim off my love handle if I smoke? Yes, although I wouldn't prescribe cigarettes in a million years. Nicotine negatively affects the neural circuit that controls appetite. Also a quitter would turn to sugar candies and might even abstain from nightlife or activities. However, researchers have found out that smoking itself raises the basic metabolic rate and inactivates enzymes involved in accumulating fat. Paradoxically, as you lose weight with cigarettes, you are raising your chances of getting ``obesity-related'' diseases, such as atherosclerosis.
If you are tempted to pick up another pack of Virginia Slims, just remember you are not alone and the short-term appetite suppressant can help you go through hardship. Nicotine patches and gum may also come in handy without exposing you to the free radicals and carcinogens in smoke.
Yes, small frequent meals are better than a grandiose luau, given that the total amount is kept the same. Small meals don't load your digestive system. They also don't put you in a hyperinsulinemic state, unless the frequent meals consist of chocolates and cupcakes. Black coffee, green tea and generous amounts of clear water can keep you away from an eating spree.
If you are only locally stout rather than generally obese, medical or surgical options can help you. Excellent candidates are those who have love handles, midriff bulges and fat on their upper thighs.
Your body puts a ``fat shield'' around the baby to protect him or her from outside trauma. The only thing that comes between you and your Calvins (or, if you please, Seven Jeans) is the 70 percent of residual fat that develops around the belly and thighs one year after the postpartum period. Small bags of fat can be effectively treated with phosphatidylcholine (PPC) injections without the burden of surgery. No anesthesia, pressure garments or follow up wound care are required.
If the collections of fat are more than PPC can handle, Smartlipo (laser assisted lipolysis) or liposuction can be your choice. Smartlipo is performed through a couple of small holes punctured around the desired area.
A fine optic fiber is inserted to dissolve the fat tissues and results in minimal swelling. Tumescent Liposuction is safely performed under local anesthesia and requires pressure garments and a few days of surgical wound care.
If you have just given birth, a generous interval of four weeks is recommended before you start light anaerobic exercise, consisting of 15 minutes on the treadmill, three to four times a week. Vigorous exercise before eighth weeks into the postpartum period have passed may lead to uterine prolapse. Liposuction could also be recommended after six to eight weeks.
The writer is a dermatologist who graduated from Yonsei University and was trained at Severance Hospital. After years of experience in cosmetic dermatology, she now works at Hus'Hu skin clinic in Gangnam. For more information on Jung and Hus'Hu clinic, please visit Hus'Hu's Web site at www.hus-hu.com or call 1588-7464 for English speakers and 1588-9467 for Japanese Speakers. |
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