The Debate: Is Being Fat a Choice?

This debate started popping up in my social media and news feeds a few months ago, and it surprised me: Is being overweight a choice? There were at least five longform videos and a handful of articles floating around about this topic, and I consumed each one. The common threads among them were that there was very little science, but the opinions of a mixed panel of fitness professionals and enthusiasts alongside body positivity advocates and individuals who struggled with obesity.

Overwhelmingly, the majority of the individuals on these panels felt that being overweight was a deliberate choice. The fitness-minded individuals tended to focus on the axiom of "calories in, calories out" as their irrefutable evidence (in their minds), while some of the body positivity advocates similarly shared anecdotes about times when they did manage to lose weight, and cited those short-term successes as evidence that their obesity must be entirely their choice. This does tend to match my own experiences when I hear people talk about their struggles with weight gain. They tend to cite poor willpower and personal failure when we talk about this topic.

Well, the science does not match up to any of these opinions. Multiple studies show us that the single greatest factor that determines whether someone will be obese is their genetics. The next largest factor was the body composition of the person's parents AT THE TIME OF CONCEPTION. What that means that if an individual was conceived by obese parents, they were significantly more likely to be overweight as a child, all the way into adulthood. Finally, multiple studies over the past 30 years have disproven the adages of willpower being the determining factor for weight loss, and that if you're failing it's because you must lack willpower. Previous and current environment, metabolism, gut microbiome, and the cognitive processing of things like hunger cues are all much greater factors for why our bodies look the way that they do, despite our diet and exercise attempts.

In a lot of ways, part of your destiny was determined by your parents. They aren't the villains of your story by any means; they did their best, and usually repeated what they were exposed to or what was socially acceptable when they raised you. Unless they force-fed you like human foie gras, we cannot blame them for having any sort of malicious intent for how we turned out. The education and information simply was not there! Compare it to parents with kids in school today. Those kids are learning "common core" mathematics principles that their parents never learned. How is the parent expected to automatically reinforce those common core principles if they weren't taught those principles in the first place? The same thing applies to food science and exercise science for wellness and fitness. I can distinctly remember a time in the late 90s, watching the evening news, when a news anchor said that eggs were bad for us one night, and then said eggs were good for us the following night! Several foods were demonized one week and exalted the next week, depending on who was paying for the "research".

That being said, our circumstances are one thing. Our deliberate decisions are another thing. While we aren't always fully responsible for our current circumstances, to include how we were raised and how prepared we were for life when we left home, we can choose to take control of our future. We can educate ourselves on the most effective ways to reach our goals. We can seek expert assistance and guidance, helping us to stay accountable to ourselves. Most of all, we can engage with one another from a place of empathy and not judge someone for their circumstances. You never know their whole story!

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So, I gave Ozempic a shot.

You read that right. Let me be more specific: I gave Ozempic a shot at being transparent about how they achieve weight loss for the patients who use their product. I gave them a shot, whether in their commercials or their press releases, to be more open about how much of that weight loss is fat, and how much of that weight loss was precious muscle. I gave them a shot to be open about the fact that Ozempic, or semaglutide, was essentially training your body to become anorexic. As you can imagine, I'm still waiting for the transparency and probably should stop holding my breath!

The bottom line is that yes, semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist used to treat type-2 diabetes, can be effective in weight loss. It does this by altering an individual's appetite regulation and altering how an individual absorbs nutrients from their food. The massive downside is that the lost weight is typically upwards of 40% muscle mass, not fat. Muscle becomes more precious the older we get, and taking something that causes you to lose large amounts of lean muscle mass is not a winning formula for long-term success. Muscle mass is critical for a healthy metabolism, strength, and your ability to ward off diseases and illnesses. Dehydration and excessive diarrhea can also occur, which disrupts balances in electrolytes -- elements that are critical for total body health and functionality. Some patients have also suffered from acute kidney injury. Typically, those individuals were already at-risk for poor kidney function, but the outcome is still worth noting. I judge no one for trying Ozempic/semaglutide, but be sure to be on a balanced diet before you begin, and engage in regular, consistent resistance training or weight training to build muscle! Your overall health DEPENDS on it.

John,

the Everyday J.O.E.

The World's Best Supplement Just Got Better - the Benefits of Using Creatine

In the quest for better physical and mental well-being, one supplement has stood the test of time and continues to prove its efficacy - creatine. Widely known in the fitness world for its muscle-building properties, creatine offers plenty of benefits that extend beyond the realm of just strength/resistance training. So, what exactly is creatine and how can it enhance not only your physical performance but also your mental acuity? Let's dive into the world of creatine and explore the top reasons why incorporating this supplement into your routine can be a game-changer.

Understanding Creatine: A Brief Overview

Before we delve into the benefits, let's first understand what creatine is. Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in small quantities in animal products like meat and fish. It plays a crucial role in the production of energy during high-intensity, short-duration activities like weightlifting or sprinting. When taken as a supplement, creatine monohydrate is the most common form and is known for its ability to rapidly increase your body's stores of phosphocreatine, a precursor to ATP, the primary energy source for muscle contractions. Individuals who experience some bloating with creatine monohydrate can switch to creatine hydrochloride (creatine HCl) to get the same benefits.

Now that we have a basic understanding of creatine, let's explore exactly what those benefits are:

1. Enhanced Muscle Growth and Strength

One of the key reasons why creatine is a staple in the fitness community is its ability to enhance muscle growth and strength. By increasing the availability of phosphocreatine in the muscles, creatine allows for a greater production of ATP, leading to improved performance during intense workouts. This means more reps, more weight lifted, and ultimately, more muscle gains over time.

2. Improved Anaerobic Capacity

Creatine not only boosts muscle strength but also enhances anaerobic capacity. This means that your body can perform better during short, intense bursts of activity without relying solely on oxygen for energy. As a result, athletes and fitness enthusiasts often experience increased speed, power, and explosiveness, especially in activities like sprints or weightlifting.

3. Faster Muscle Recovery

In addition to its performance-enhancing effects, creatine has been shown to aid in faster muscle recovery post-exercise. By reducing muscle cell damage and inflammation, creatine supplementation can help you bounce back quicker from tough workouts, allowing you to train more frequently and with greater intensity.

4. Cognitive Benefits and Brain Health

While creatine is renowned for its physical benefits, its positive impact on cognitive function and brain health should not be overlooked. Some of the latest research suggests that creatine plays a vital role in brain energy metabolism, potentially leading to improved memory, cognitive processing, and overall mental clarity. This dual-action supplement not only fuels your body but also supports your mind.

5. Management of Neurological Conditions

Beyond the realm of fitness, creatine shows promise in the management of certain neurological conditions. Recent studies have explored its potential benefits in conditions like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, and even depression. While more research is needed in this area, the neuroprotective properties of creatine offer exciting possibilities for the future of mental health treatment.

In Conclusion...

The benefits of using creatine regularly extend far beyond the weight room. From enhancing muscle growth and strength to improving anaerobic capacity and supporting cognitive function, creatine proves to be a versatile and effective supplement for individuals of all ages looking to optimize both their physical and mental performance. Whether you're a seasoned athlete, a weekend warrior, or simply someone striving for overall well-being, incorporating creatine into your routine could be the missing piece in your quest for peak performance.

So, if you're ready to take your workouts to the next level and unlock a new realm of physical and mental benefits, consider adding creatine to your supplement stack. Your body and mind will thank you for it, Everyday J.O.E.s!