Blessed to stay Slim amidst many Obese!

High rates obesity is a global concern today as the numbers have been on rise in the developed and less developed world alike. Despite growing numbers, few people remain slim even when they are living in an obesogenic environment.  

According to a study conducted by Rachel et al, from the Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, which compared two groups consisting individuals that are obesity resistant (ORIs) and obesity susceptible individuals (OSIs). The study found that sensitivity to oral fatty acids remained as the root cause for making certain individuals fat.

In order to prove their argument, the researchers have conducted a test called ‘triplicate triangle’ amongst 50 ORIs and 36 OSIs and have compared the oral fatty acid sensitivity and fat ranking ability between the two groups.  Participants are asked to taste three varieties of milk, one sample with oleic acid and two samples without oleic acids. Individuals that are sensitive to fatty acids picked up Oleic acid in three of the samples and those that are free from the fat acid sensitivity could resist the intake of oleic acid.

Fat ranking test was conducted to examine their ability to differentiate the fat content of custards containing 0%, 2%, 6%, and 10% canola oil (Sunfield, Tasti Products Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand) and the participants were asked to rank the custard samples from the highest to the lowest fat level and scores based on their ability to rank the samples was recorded based on a previous study by Stewart et al.

The study found sufficient support to claim that Hypersensitivity to oral fatty acids among ORIs may influence their dietary fat intake, and thus their body weight regulation. Future larger studies are needed to confirm this. The researchers however maintain that future studies with more number of samples need to be conducted to confirm the fact that sensitivity to Oral Fatty Acids is the main cause to become obese.

Does and Don’ts of the Food and Diet

Wait, wait….! Wait…!

Do you assume this piece of writing as one another article that suggest you what you should eat and what you should not in order to lose weight, grow hair, or gain control over the cholesterol level in your body? Certainly not.  I am not going to list you the food stuff that may bring good eye sight or glow to your skin as I am not a professional dietician. 

I am however going to tell you about how reliable are the topics discussed in the media about food or vitamin or mineral intake as they are several discrepancies as we observe. For example, on a fine day a particular popular newspaper that you might refer on the Internet or as a hard copy might report that Ground nuts, sesame, and sunflower seed extracts as oil are not high in cholesterol hence they can be consumed without hesitation.

The very next day you might come across another source which may quote the disadvantages of consuming the same as they are going to have a heavy toll on your heart. According to a study on the role of the ‘Dietician’ in suggesting the correct diet for the human beings, Helena Jenzar has observed that nutritional food meant for human, unlike the pharmacy we use to fight diseases is very complex with diversified components.

A fruit may be rich in vitamins, fibers, minerals; Omega fats etc and the glucose level it may possess may not be suitable for the diabetic patients.  Dieticians, like academicians must always update their knowledge about the diet that they are going to prescribe as the facts are changing constantly with the new additions to the research in this field every day.

Dieticians should not come to a conclusion about a particular diet based on the research done following surveys as they quote only figures. Diet experts must constantly search for evidences that could prove the validity of a particular diet in laboratories.

For example, societies have been using traditional medicine as a cure for centuries without proper explanation of the components in the past. Pharmacognosy as a science cold dig these facts and documented the reasons why and how a particular herbal extract, collected during a particular season is given as a medicine will be useful to cure a disease if it is executed in proper dose and time.

Such efforts are equally expected and essential from the Nutrition experts. Beware! Do not eat anything and everything simply because it is written somewhere! Dieticians!  Don’t prescribe the diet unless it is scientifically proven and validated.