In Search Of A Personalised Diet BBC Horizon

Posted on by ncfed

Hello all you people who want to lose weight, this is such an important subject that I have written about this on my personal Blog at Deannetalks but also here as well.

I am going to have a lot to say about the Tanya Byron, Susan Jebb and other expert take on weight loss. I will I promise try to make it positive and helpful.

We are now in the dieting months and I’m already sick and tired of all the diet plans I’m seeing. There is the Ice Diet being promoted by Peta Bee in the Times – sorry Peta, bad science. And even a diet called EAT! Which is just another variant on the low carb diets. These diets are one size fits all and take no account of personal genes and nutrient responses. They are designed to fail in the long run, as all fervent followers will discover.

SO…Have we finally found the Holy Grail of weight loss? Is tailoring DIETS to your obesity-type the best way to help you lose weight? We have been searching for tailored programmes for years.  An army of world famous weight loss experts cannot surely be wrong. Can they?

Well let’s see.

A few years ago, the BBC ran a diet trials experiment at the University of Surrey which compared different types of diets for success. There was a clear winner (Conley)  but the take- home message in the long run is that different types of diet suit different people. People who don’t like calorie counting do well with  Atkins or Dukan, while some  people do really well with a group approach. But in the long run it’s pretty much all the same. Failure, that is, for most 18 months down the line.

The BBC have an all-singing-dancing world expert scientific approach that is new. Do people really divide themselves into three obesity types?

The first “cant-stoppers” who are low on gut hormones.

The second “constant cravers” who probably lack a good leptin response (science here) to tell their brains they aren’t hungry.

The third, “comfort eaters” who meet the day to day stress in life by using food as a feel-good drug.

Perhaps. They have all lost weight, HURRAY – but that proves very little; they have also been very unhappy here and there. it was poor research design, and the proof of the obesity pudding must surely be in how well they are able to keep it off. Oh well, it makes good TV but probably very little else.

Professor Susan Jebb is an expert-expert on obesity but has said that losing weight is not a matter of will, but of habits. People have to change their habits for life. I know that, and part of the therapy I do is to help change habits from very deep inside. This is useful for everyone and flexibility training was missing from the treatment given to these subjects.

But I cannot agree with that. There is a whole new science of willpower – known as self-regulation theory – which is available to obesity specialists and which is helping people to use their willpower to change their lives. This can help comfort-eaters, constant-cravers and cant-stoppers too. Why was this ignored?   So what’s going to happen to these happy weight losers? Will they have to stay on their diets for life, an impossible task surely, unless they learn how to exercise their WILL.

I like it when people feel they have done something valuable and positive. Who could fail to be moved when men weep real tears for having help and support. But is this real science when it ignores real psychological strategies that work, like flexibility training and self-regulation training. More than half of the fatties got “CBT” on top of their diets, maybe it was the CBT not the diet that helped them.

And I want to know why the experts have decided the Intermittent Fasting Regime is right approach for constant cravers. MY RESEARCH TELLS ME THAT FASTING WILL MAKE THEIR PREOCCUPATIONS WORSE? Who said this was the right way for them to eat?

So for me the jury is out. Some bits of this interesting programme hold out hope for people who cannot lose weight. It’s good for someone to know that they may be lacking in a gut hormone that helps them to feel full. Its good to suggest that an emotional eater is not just weak-willed and greedy. It may be useful to know that a constant craver might not be feeling leptin in their brain.

This programme is misnamed. It is called finding the right diet for you. It should be named the right mix of strategies for you. Possibly but I am going to write more about this shortly

World experts should know better than to suggest that what they have done is a solution. It is just one of a number of things that must be properly explored in properly designed clinical trials before we can truly discover a personalized solution for obesity. And we experts know better than to think that any single diet can provide a quick fix even when the experts say “genes”.

Chewing And Spitting Food

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One of our readers has asked me if there is such a thing as chewing and spitting disorder. There is no such thing. It’s just a behaviour that is common in people with eating problems.   I had an au pair once whose waste paper basket was full of half chewed candies and chocolates all hidden in tissue paper.  She never knew I knew.

It makes sense. People want tasty food but they are scared to eat it in case it will make them fat. In some cases there is a small craving and in other cases a big craving. They just want the taste of the food to help them feel nice but they don’t want the rest of it. So they spit it out. No calories. Simple.

You can have your cake and eat it too it seems.  But it’s not so simple. It seems that the brain needs something called volatiles in food, substances that the back of the nose can smell. When we get a whiff of  tasty food that is high in volatile compounds like chocolate and ice cream, the brain gets a hit of opioids like dopamine which make us feel good.  Basically, chewing and spitting is like snorting cocaine.  The downside is that you can become addicted to it and what seems like a bad habit becomes a compulsion.

For another thing, we do take in lots of calories when we chew food and spit it out. We can get a hefty dose of sugar and fat that clings to the tongue and unwittingly passes into our digestive system. If you chew and spit a box of chocolates you will absorb about a third of it.  Better to eat three whole chocolates and put away the rest.  But when you have an eating problem, once you start it feels impossible to stop. You are possessed.

Chewing and spitting is particularly common in people with anorexia who struggle with cravings and it is an almost bulimic sort of thing to do. I have found high levels of anxiety and shame in people who do this. They often wonder what people would think of them for spitting out food, they often think they are the only one who does it.

How do we help people to stop?  There is a list of things that might help.

  •  Good nutrition helps reduce cravings and make it less likely that a person will buy and start chomping on food they are afraid to eat.
  • Building forbidden food into a normal meal plan, like having some chocolate as part of a meal makes it less forbidden and less desired.
  • Teaching someone to eat mindfully, being very present and eating slowly will help stop the habit.
  • Helping someone to manage their emotions better will reduce the anxiety that leads to chewing food and spitting it out.
  • When someone is spitting something out I often wonder what it is that they are spitting out really. Quite often it is something that they want to say to someone but they are afraid of the consequences. Or they feel they may feel that they do not deserve to have an opinion.  Find out what the spitting out might really mean? What are they really rejecting.
  • Finally make sure that the person knows that they aren’t the only person spitting food out. And before you rush to try and stop the behaviour, find out what it is doing for the person.  Chewing and spitting is sometimes the only way someone knows to get rid of tension and anxiety. Help them to find other ways to do this and the behaviour will eventually stop.

Eating Disorders in Pregnancy

Posted on by ncfed

This is a guest post contributed by Hari Malhi of Meds4All UK

Having an eating disorder while pregnant can be particularly difficult due to all the hormonal changes in the body. A research study carried out in the UK found that about 7% of pregnant women were experiencing an eating disorder. This number is likely to actually be higher as some women either hide the signs of their disorder or deny having it to begin with. Additionally, common symptoms associated with pregnancy such as vomiting and weight gain can also disguise the presence of an eating disorder.

 The results from a recent study

According to a study led by a team of researchers at the UCL Institute of Child Health, eating disorders are quite common among pregnant women. The study, which included over 700 women, found that 25% of them were extremely concerned about their weight and body image. However, only a very small percentage of them tried extreme behaviours to lose weight, such as over exercising, skipping meals and induced vomiting.

One in 12 pregnant women said their eating habits were out of control at least twice a week. They reported episodes of binge eating and not being able to maintain a strict diet. In the final analysis, one in 14 were deemed to have an eating disorder.

The researchers recommended the following: pregnant women need to be assessed for an eating disorder when they attend their antenatal check up, as pregnancy can be a time of increased risk for the mother and developing baby.

What are the risks?

Pregnancy will often heighten some of the symptoms of an eating disorder, meaning if patients have bulimia nervosa, they’re likely to experience more dehydration and an increased level of chemical imbalances in their digestive system. Women struggling with bulimia often have increased rates of postpartum depression, which in turn leads to more difficulties with breastfeeding. Furthermore, it’s not safe for pregnant women to take too many laxatives and diuretics as these could cause harm to the baby. These types of medication take away fluids and nutrients before they can nourish the baby.

If a woman has anorexia nervosa she may not be able to put on enough weight while pregnant. Therefore, she carries the risk of conceiving a baby with an extremely low birth weight. The majority of anorexic women do not have regular periods due to their low calorie intakes and/or high levels of stress. An irregular period makes it more challenging for those who are trying to get pregnant in the first place.

Other health complications

If a woman has an eating disorder while pregnant, there are several other potential health complications involved including:

  • Higher risk of a caesarean birth
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Severe depression
  • Miscarriage

Since the growing baby gets all its nourishment from the mother, it’s all the more important for pregnant women to eat a nutritious diet and sustain a healthy body weight for many months before and after giving birth.

Do you need to seek help?

Help is available from NCFED and other qualified healthcare professionals if you are concerned about eating disorders. (please ask for our top tips document on choosing a therapist). One to one counselling may be helpful in allowing you to deal with issues you may have regarding body image, food and weight gain. It could also be helpful to get advice from a nutritionist who has a history of helping patients with eating disorders.

Taming Tiger Parents

Posted on by ncfed

Girls at risk of eating disorders? Absolutely. Instagram, social networking, pressure at school non-stop? Sexy selfies?  Oh my god aren’t I glad that this passed me by when I was an adolescent.

But our girls, what defence do they have against this onslaught of pressure which is attacking their peace of mind and their self esteem? What defence does the ordinary child have to keep their body image intact?

I’ve written on my books page about two well-researched books written by Tanith Carey a journalist and friend. The first, Where Has My Little Girl Gone?   The second more recent Taming the Tiger Parents.  In her books Tanith counts the cost of todays pressures and insults on girls and boys which result in unhappiness, eating disorders body hatred and other forms of self harm.

In her book Taming the Tiger Parent, Tanith offers parents practical, realistic solutions that will give parents permission to take their foot off the gas and reclaim a more relaxed family life. Packed with insights, experts’ tips, real experiences and resources, this book is a timely guide to safeguarding a child’s well-being in a competitive world – so they can grow into the happy, emotionally balanced people they really need to be.

 

How To Find A Good Eating Disorder Therapist

Posted on by ncfed

I have just read three accounts of eating disorder suffering and recovery. Two people suffered for years and sort of recovered. One person is still struggling with a horrible eating disorder. All of these people have encountered poor therapy from people with good general  skills and incomplete and faulty methods for working with eating disorders. I have felt very sad about their pain and cross about their experiences.

What makes a good eating disorder therapist? NO! its not having had a problem yourself and thinking you are an expert. NO! it’s not having one way of working which is a one size fits all approach. NO! it’s not having someone who insists that they have had years of experience working with eating disordered sufferers. NO it’s not someone who smiles nicely to you and gives you a nice cup of tea.NO! it’s not someone who tells you its not about food so we dont have to talk about it,

Reading how these people have been “treated” has sent shivers down my spine. If you have an eating disorder you need to know how to sort out the rubbish from the  guardian angels. There are thousands of therapists out there who claim to belong to eating disorder associations and dont know what they are doing,

I will shortly publish my ten top tips for knowing how to pick the therapist who knows what they are doing. You will have questions to ask them and if they dont give you the right answer RUN AWAY AND FIND SOMEONE ELSE.

If you want a personal copy of my TEN TOP TIPS I will send one to you by email. Just contact us on admin@ncfed.com. I don’t  care which therapist you find, one of ours or someone else. Just find one who really knows what they are doing.

Does TV Make You Fat?

Posted on by ncfed
I’m not the only person who enjoys watching TV. However recent research has pointed to the risk of it making us fatter.

Experiments done by Professor Jane Wardle at the University of Surrey has proved that people who eat while watching TV increase snack eating subsequently by a significant amount

Two identical families (2 adults 2 children) were given identical meals before testing computer games. One family ate on their knees in front of the TV and the other family ate at a table. The TV family ate 3 times more snack food (crisps and sweets) than the family who ate at table.

Conversely…

Dolly Mittal and her team reporting in The Psychologist in 2014 have shown that snacking while watching TV, as opposed to snacking while not watching TV, lead women in particular to eat more later on, partly because the effect of the TV is to affect the memory for how much we snacked on earlier.

32 women of unexceptional weight spent 20 minutes eating snack food, half while watching TV and the others while sitting quietly. Later at lunchtime, the TV watchers ate twice as much food as did the women who had snacked while watching TV.  In a follow up study, the researchers investigated the types of TV, from comedy to a boring documentary. The same TV-overeating occurred, and it seemed that the type of programme watched made no difference at all.

Since it is proved that obesity in childhood  is directly related to the number of hours of TV watched per week, it may be useful to take your TV out of the kitchen and stop eating in front of the telly as much as possible, and for life.

I await with interest research on Facebook making us fat… perhaps.

Intermittent Fasting Our Version

Posted on by ncfed

From our of our counsellors, Harriet Frew

IF you can keep your head when all about you  Are photo-shopping and measuring thigh gaps too

IF you can trust your body when others doubt it, And be understanding of their doubting too If you can be respectful of your body And take care with kindness and appreciation everyday You will achieve more peace and satisfaction. I think it really is the only way.

IF you can feel your feelings and emotions;   IF you can think your thoughts and stay in tune Not blocking them or using dissociation;

But treating them as friends to have at home.

IF you can bear to trust your inner instincts Than twist yourself to be what others want So speaking truth and being your own person

Even when it’s hard to bear the brunt. IF you can love your food and enjoy eating  And turn away from having to have control And listen to your body and it’s needing Ruled no more by weight or size as goals. If you can really listen to your body And wonder what it really does desire So no food ever is forbidden No need to fight or indulge in body war.

IF you can work with change and keep your patience:   It does take time; keep hopeful and go on.

Hope, desire and willingness for action. Little steps and victories one by one.

IF you understand that life’s a journey With ups and downs and blips along the way

Perfection keeps you locked within a prison: Get up, fall down, embrace the shades of grey.

Weight Restoration: Guest Blog

Posted on by ncfed

I just love your thoughts and contributions to our website. Here is one from Hannah Brown celebrating her recovery from anorexia. I hope that this will help some of our readers and is offered with love. Here it is…

Weight Restoration Vs. Weight gain- the importance of semantics.

As anybody knows the crux of the journey back from the depths of anorexia is to restore weight after what will have probably been quite a dramatic loss.

Previously, weight gain has been the concept favoured by professionals. ‘Gaining weight’…the one thing that sufferers have been trying to desperately avoid in previous years- now suddenly gaining weight is the only option.

In my latest admission however the concept has changed to WEIGHT RESTORATION. A one word difference, surely it can’t make that much difference?

Consider for a moment the art of restoring a stately home, restoring it to it’s former glory. Bringing life back into a shell, giving it a personality and a purpose.

For me I know the importance of gaining weight, not only for the physical benefits but I know that my cognitive abilities will greatly improve once I have weight restored. My brain, is after all a muscle, it needs fuel and energy to work and for someone who works hard academically, my brain is possibly my most important muscle so I need it to be switched on and ready.

Fighting Anorexia is incredibly difficult but by WEIGHT RESTORING  I believe that I am restoring my frame to it’s former glory. It is more than simply gaining weight, it is so much more than watching the figure on the scale go up every week.

In todays society weight has become an obsession, and this is echoed in recovery. Often I feel that I might as well walk around the ward with my weight tattooed on my forehead.

I am weight restoring, but this process means that I am restoring myself to my former glory. I am bringing life into my once tiny frame, and giving myself the sparkle of life. My eyes are shining, my hair is glowing and my skin is healing. I have strength and power and am restoring my personality. The segments of my life are falling back into place, piece by piece. Just like the house being restored to a home. I am gaining character and wellbeing.

Day by day,

Hour by Hour

The process of restoration, of a home or of ones self requires many actors. Builders, architects and designers… Similarly in restoring myself I need the support and help of many:  Doctors, parents, friends and Partners. Weight gain implies something quite independent and almost simplifies the process… Restoration is a project, a long term dedication. It requires hard work and is quite frankly exhausting. Often the process can take  months, years even and very often there are huge hurdles to climb, obstacles to negotiate and the unexpected to face.

But is it worth it?  At the end of the house restoration you are left with a beautiful home, tailored to your needs and your creative ideals. It is your home and your sanctuary.

Ones body is exactly the same, it deserves the love and passion necessary to restore it back to its full potential. To give it life, colour and vibrancy.

It is definitely worth it, so, so worth it.

Anorexia In Men. Ryan The Brave

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Ryan has posted an inspirational video on YouTube about his recovery from anorexia and his quest to raise money to complete his studies so that he can go out into the world and help other men to escape from the deadly clutches of eating disorders.

You can look at Ryan’s video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQwWOFpVQQs&feature=youtu.be

It will bring tears to your eyes. If anyone want to help Ryan to realise his dream, you know what to do.

 

 

Obesity And NICE

Posted on by ncfed

Obesity!  There has been a lot in the press about obesity this week with the publication of NICE guidelines for obesity treatment, information that our girls are the fattest in Europe and publication of research associating sleep in the light with obesity. Even I have had my say, see me on the BBC website

In the London Times today an article shows us that low fat custard has more calories than ordinary custard (thanks, Asda).

Fat is on my mind as well because I am about to train a group of 70 obesity professionals from all over the world.

Oh dear, do I really think that the NHS should be spending billions on 12 weeks of free attendance at slimming clubs?  Do I really think that 3% weight loss will save the NHS a lot of money on medical problems associated with obesity?   Well I don’t think I do.

The chances of people maintaining a 3% weight loss I think are nil. That’s based on evidence. It’s not going to cure diabetes or liver disease. It isn’t going to make fat people feel better or even look better which is why they try to lose weight in the first place.  How did these idiots come up with such a stupid idea.

Ah I think I know why …. lobbying pressure from the slimming club industry!  Money!  If only I had shares in a commercial weight loss company!

On the other hand, lots of people are fat because they are ignorant about what a healthy diet really is. Do we believe, as the food industry would have us do, that sugar coated frosties are better than no breakfast at all?

Do we think, as they would have us think, that low fat yoghurt full of sugar is better than normal yoghurt (which is a low fat food).

People need to wake up and get real about what is in the food we eat. Its right to correct ignorance which the slimming clubs might do. But I think that many of the so-called army of helpers are also ignorant and improperly trained. Perhaps the Government should invest in properly trained obesity specialists who can do the same job in the community, like practice nurses. These people won’t just give out diet sheets, they will understand motivation and proper nutritional wisdoms, and they will know what kinds of activity really can help – not just “going to the gym”.

FAT CHANCE!