If you’ve been reading this blog, you know many of the dangers of being overweight or obese (if you need a refresher course, search for the term “obesity” on this blog). One of the most interesting facts that always raise some eyebrows at our lectures is that almost all overweight and obese people are malnourished. ‘How can that be?’ you may ask. The answer lies in the quality of food most people eat.
The average American consumes about 2700 calories/day, but is deficient in at least 6-10 key vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, vitamin B6, vitamin D, vitamin A, and vitamin C. That’s because the foods most people choose to eat are deficient in those nutrients.
In addition, most medications cause nutritional depletions; with the average American taking over 11 prescription medications, the probability of serious nutritional deficiencies is quite high.
Nutritional deficiencies can result in numerous disorders and diseases. Obesity increases the risk of illness from about 30 serious health conditions. Putting these two pieces together greatly increases a person’s risk of developing or exacerbating many conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, inflammatory joint and muscle disorders, depression, anxiety and even cancer.
The first step to correction is awareness. Determining your exact nutritional imbalances is now possible and will be covered in a future post.