MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Holly R. Wyatt, MD
Endocrine Society spokeswoman
Associate Professor, University of Colorado Denver
Medical Director, Anschutz Health and Wellness Center
Medical Director, ABC’s TV series “Extreme Weight Loss”.
MedicalResearch.com Editor’s note: Dr. Wyatt is a nationally known expert on obesity and weight control. Dr. Wyatt is co-founder of ‘The State of Slim’ behavioral weight management program and has been the National Program Director for the Centers for Obesity Research and Education (C.O.R.E.) since 1999. Dr. Wyatt publishes extensively in the obesity and metabolism literature including publications in the NEJM, Obesity, Annals of Internal Medicine, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism and American Journal of Clinical Nutrition among others. Dr. Wyatt kindly answered questions regarding weight loss and maintenance for the MedicalResearch.com audience.
Medical Research: How did you become interested in weight control?
Dr. Wyatt: Basically, because I struggled with my weight all my life. I was always planning on going to medical school and had been interested in learning more about the science of weight gain and metabolism, but at the time the subject was not well studied. When I came to the University of Colorado for my medical residency, I met researchers who were investigating the growing problem of obesity and were passionate about finding effective strategies for weight management. I have been active in clinical practice and obesity research since that time.
Medical Research: Why does weight loss or even weight maintenance become so much harder as we age?
Dr. Wyatt: We don’t know all the reasons for certain, but the problem is most likely multifactorial.
- First, as we age we lose muscle mass. To a large degree, muscle mass determines our metabolic rate so even if our body weight stays stable, our metabolic engine slows down as we lose muscle and it becomes harder to maintain that weight.
- Secondly, there is some role with for hormonal changes, but this role is incompletely understood. With menopause we tend to store weight centrally in our bodies, which may be a hormonal effect.
- Perhaps most importantly, life changes as we get older and our lifestyle and environment evolves. We may not realize how much these changes affect the amount of energy we burn as our environment become more sedentary and obesogenic.
I should also point out that it is harder for everyone in our society to avoid gaining weight, even for children. Increasing numbers of children and adolescents are overweight and fighting obesity.
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