Obesity, Healthy Eating and Exercise

Obesity, Healthy Eating and Exercise

Fatty Liver Disease

Liver disease is on the rise. Since 1970, deaths due to liver disease have increased by 400%.  Every day, over 40 people die from liver disease in the UK. This is in stark contrast to other major killer diseases, such as heart disease and cancer, in which the number of deaths have either remained stable or decreased.

• Liver disease is the third leading cause of premature death in the UK
• 90% of liver disease is preventable
• Three quarters of people are currently diagnosed at a late stage when it is too late for lifestyle changes or intervention

NAFLD

• 63% of UK adults are now classed as obese and overweight, and it’s estimated that 1 in 3 have early-stage non-alcohol related fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
• Despite there being good evidence to show that losing 10% of body weight improves liver function in those with
  NAFLD/NASH, there is a reluctance
  amongst some GPs to discuss weight
  with their patients
• Experts predict that over the next decade, NAFLD will become the leading cause of end stage liver disease and liver transplantation
• 5% of adults in the UK have NASH, which is the more advanced form of NAFLD where the liver already has some scarring

What is prediabetes?

Prediabetes is the term used to describe elevated blood sugar (glucose) that has not yet reached the threshold of a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Consider pre-diabetes a warning sign that it is time to take your health more seriously. 

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)

• Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measures the average blood sugar (glucose) over the last 3 months. It is a measure of how much sugar is attached to your red blood cells.
• A pre-diabetes level is 5.7% and 6.4%.
• An HbA1c > 6.5% is considered a diabetes glucose level.

What is the treatment for prediabetes?

Prediabetes is best treated with a proactive, renewed commitment to getting healthier, and making healthier choices every day. It can, and usually is, treated with diet and exercise alone

Intermittent Fasting Helps You Reduce Calories and Lose Weight

The main reason that intermittent fasting works for weight loss, is that it helps you eat fewer calories. All of the different protocols involve skipping meals during the fasting periods. Unless you compensate by eating much more during the eating periods, then you will be taking in fewer calories. According to a recent 2014 review study, intermittent fasting can lead to significant weight loss. In this review, intermittent fasting was found to reduce body weight by 3-8% over a period of 3-24 weeks. When examining the rate of weight loss, people lost about 0.55 pounds (0.25 kg) per week with intermittent fasting, but 1.65 pounds (0.75 kg) per week with alternate-day fasting. People also lost 4-7% of their waist circumference, indicating that they lost belly fat. These results are very impressive, and they do show that intermittent fasting can be a useful weight loss aid. All that being said, the benefits of intermittent fasting go way beyond just weight loss. It also has numerous benefits for metabolic health, and may even help prevent chronic disease and expand lifespan. Although calorie counting is generally not required when doing intermittent fasting, the weight loss is mostly mediated by an overall reduction in calorie intake. Studies comparing intermittent fasting and continuous calorie restriction show no difference in weight loss if calories are matched between groups.

The Client

In January 2020, the client had visited his GP for a routine blood test (a male early 40’s) and was diagnosed with the following health concerns:

• Fatty Liver Disease (NAFL)
• Pre-diabetic (Hba1C)
• High Cholesterol
• High Blood Pressure
• BMI 32

The client was advised by his GP that if he carried on the way he currently was there would be a good chance he could die over the next ten years. This was a shock and the client was prescribed a psychological skills intervention, nutrition and health & fitness plan

January 2020 Statistics (Pre-Lockdown)

Fitness Data

September  2020 Statistics (Post-Lockdown)

Pre-Post Lockdown results