Overweight/obese individuals

In this context, it must be emphasized that not all overweight/obese individuals are insulin resistant and at increased risk to develop the adverse consequences associated with the defect in insulin action. Prospective studies from our research group have indicated that the upper-third of an apparently healthy population is sufficiently insulin resistant to develop the adverse cUnical syndromes of the IRS, whereas those in the lower-third are at much less risk... 

How to Identify Overweight/Obese Individuals Who Will Benefit the Most From Weight Loss... 

Benefits of Weight Loss in Insulin-Resistant, Overweight/Obese Individuals... 

In overweight adults, a diabetic metabolic condition may develop (type II or non-insuUn-dependent diabetes) when there is a relative insulin deficiency-enhanced demand cannot be met by a diminishing insulin secretion. The cause of increased insulin requirement is a loss of insulin receptors or an impairment of the signal cascade activated by the insulin receptor. Accordingly, insulin sensitivity of cells declines. This can be illustrated by comparing concentration-binding curves in cells from normal and obese individuals... 

The randomized clinical trial is the most reliable method for assessing the efficacy of diet or drug therapy. A number of systematic reviews have been conducted on randomized clinical trials that investigated low-fat diets versus other weight-reducing diets in overweight or obese individuals (Willett, 2002 Kris-Etherton et al., 2002 Pirozzo et al., 2003 Sanders, 2003). 

In a study at the University of North Carolina involving about nine thousand men and women over a period of 11.6 years, the rate of cardiovascular disease increased significantly as blood pressure levels increased. Compared with patients who had optimal blood pressure levels, those with high-normal measurements had two and a half times the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. That statistic took into consideration other factors involved in the disease. Most of the risk was in the form of a stroke. The risk was greatest for African Americans, diabetics, overweight and obese individuals, and people with high levels of LDL cholesterol. 

The statistical links between weight and cardiovascular disease are flat-out scary. One of the most definitive studies began in 1967. Data were collected until 2002. During those years, subjects were classified as normal weight, overweight, or obese. The risk of being hospitalized for heart problems quadrupled in men and women after age sixty-five in the obese group. Obese individuals were also more likely to die from heart attacks and strokes than thinner persons were. 

Chitosan may be considered as a dietary supplement for reducing body weight in humans. Industrial production of chitosan tablets (Muzzarelli et al., 2000) and chitosan dietary fibers (Hughes, 2002) has occurred. Furthermore, Schiller et al. (2001) reported that a rapidly soluble chitosan (LipoSan Ultra that has a higher density and solubility than chitosan itself) facilitated weight loss and reduced body fat. This effect was due to the fact that this chitosan was able to prevent dietary fat absorption in overweight and mildly obese individuals that consumed a high-fat diet. 

Schiller, R.N., Barrager, E., Schauss, A.G., and Nichols, E.J. 2001. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study examining the effects of a rabidly soluble chitosan dietary supplement on weight loss and body composition in overweight and mildly obese individuals. Am. Nutr. Assoc. 4, 34—41. 

McLaughlin T, Alhson G, Abbasi F, et al. Prevalence of insulin resistance and associated cardiovascular disease risk factors among normal weight, overweight, and obese individuals. Metabolism 2004 53 495 99. 

C.N. Mhurchu, C. Dunshea-Mooij, D. Bennett, A. Rodgers, Effect of chitosan on weight loss in overweight and obese individuals a systematic review of randomized controlled trials, Obes. Rev. 6 (1) (2005) 35-42. 

In the United States, obesity is now considered to be a national problem. Many adults are overweight, obese, or even morbidly obese. Even more concerning is the increase in adolescent obesity. The concern with obesity is not an issue of vanity, but rather is an issue of health. Obesity is directly or indirectly linked to a wide array of serious negative health conditions that impact not only the health of individuals, but also the health of our society as a whole. 

Most people believe someone is obese if they look fat. This is not true. Health-care professionals and scientists have developed specific definitions for the words overweight and obese. Overweight and obesity are not determined solely by an individual s weight, but are defined in terms of a person s weight relative to his or her height. Doctors and researchers use a special set of measurements and mathematical formulas to determine whether a person is overweight or obese. 

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