By Steve Blechman

A new study published December 29, 2021 by Cleveland Clinic researchers reported in the prestigious journal jama Surgery, “Substantial Weight Loss Can Reduce Risk of Severe COVID-19 Complications.”

“Substantial weight loss can reduce risk of severe COVID-19 complications, study finds: Successful weight-loss intervention before infection associated with 60 percent lower risk of severe disease in patients with obesity.” (ScienceDaily, 29 December 2021)

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) said that just being overweight, not obese, can result in severe illness and even death from the coronavirus! Over 70 percent of Americans are overweight! That is very concerning for so many with COVID-19 and potential health risks. Research has recently found that with covid, the coronavirus gets into fat cells, and it may contribute to what’s called “long covid” and further long-term side effects in obese and overweight individuals.

Scientists have discovered the key to burning fat and calories – a major fat-loss breakthrough! The study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism on August 4, 2020 was reported by ScienceDaily on August 5, 2020 and reported, “an international research team has discovered how to activate brown fat in humans, which may lead to new treatments for type 2 diabetes, and obesity.”

Brown fat can burn off energy in the form of heat by a process known as thermogenesis, which can ultimately reduce overall body fat. This discovery has provided the requisite paradigm shift spawning a new revolution in weight loss that is the primary focus of the book Thermo Heat™ Weight Loss Revolution by Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D. that includes the foreword by Daniel L. Friedman, MD and Eugene B. Friedman, MD. You can click the link to order on Amazon here and the book is published by Advanced Research Media, Inc. You can also get a free PDF version here

The body has two forms of fat: white fat, or unwanted fat that can lie directly underneath the skin, and brown fat, which often is found in the shoulder blade region or the neck. Unlike white fat, brown fat is the good fat as it can help burn more calories. The more brown fat you have, the more calories you burn.

Brown fat is packed with mitochondria loaded with UCP-1, the protein that uncouples fat burning with ATP (energy) production instead of converting the energy into heat via thermogenesis, making the mitochondria effectively the furnace of the cell. The emergence of brown fat as a readily available fat-burning furnace is revolutionary, but like any fire, it requires the proper kindling materials. The ability to get lean by producing extra brown fat, or enhancing the activity of existing brown fat, represents a promising way to burn fat and lose weight.

Several landmark discoveries and approaches to enhancing brown fat function are being explored at major research centers and universities worldwide, with great excitement. Brown fat research is a hot topic today.

Research has found that exposure to cold temperature (65 degrees Fahrenheit) and consumption of spicy foods such as capsaicin found in chili peppers can activate brown fat.

A report appeared on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine stating that nearly half of American adults will be obese within a decade. The report was led by scientists at Harvard and George Washington Universities. The new research predicts that by 2030, about 50% of U.S. adults will be obese. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that 40% of U.S. adults are obese today.

Research published in the Journal of Obesity on July 1, 2020 reported that obesity may be one of the biggest predictors of severe COVID-19 illness. The obesity epidemic is real and upon us – about 4 out of 10 Americans are obese! Obesity or being overweight increases metabolic syndrome, which includes insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, which can increase the risk of death in people infected with the coronavirus. Infectious disease experts have said that the coronavirus is going to be around for a while and most likely reoccur in the fall/winter along with the flu.

On May 21, WebMD released data from a poll in which they surveyed 1,012 U.S. readers and found that 47% of women and 22% of men gained weight due to COVID-19 restrictions. This weight gain from the lockdown can have a detrimental effect on your health and well-being.

A study published June 23-30, 2020 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) report that 37% of the U.S. population has metabolic syndrome and it’s on the rise! More than 1 billion people have metabolic syndrome globally. It is a worldwide health issue and concern! The metabolic syndrome is mainly caused by obesity and excess body fat around the midsection. Excess abdominal fat and weight gain can increase the risk of inflammation, insulin resistance, elevated blood sugar, diabetes, fatty liver disease, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

For the fifth consecutive year, on January 4, 2022, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Mediterranean diet as the #1 Best Overall Diet. It was also named the Easiest Diet to Follow, the Best Diet for Diabetes, Best Heart Healthy Diet, and Best Plant Based Diet. “To determine the rankings, U.S. News convened an expert panel of the country’s top specialists in nutrition, diabetes, heart health and weight loss. Through an in-depth survey, 27 panelists scored 40 diets in seven areas, including ease of compliance, likelihood of losing significant weight in both the short and long term, and effectiveness against cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”

I have been an advocate of the Mediterranean diet for over 25 years. A healthy diet and lifestyle changes, such as following the Mediterranean Diet along with exercise, has been shown in the scientific research to safely prevent and lower the risk of gaining weight, obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Many antioxidant foods rich in polyphenols are abundant in the Mediterranean diet such as extra-virgin olive oil, fruits, nuts, red wine, tea, and coffee.

©Published by Advanced Research Media, Inc. 2022

©Reprinted with permission from Advanced Research Media, Inc.

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89. Increment in Dietary Potassium Predicts Weight Loss in the Treatment of the Metabolic Syndrome Brurya Tal, Jessica Sack, Marianna Yaron, Gabi Shefer, Assaf Buch, Limor Ben Haim, Yonit Marcus, Galina Shenkerman, Yael Sofer, Lili Shefer, Miri Margaliot and Naftali Stern. Nutrients June 2,2019, 11(6), 1256; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061256.   

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91. THE THERMO HEAT® LOW-CARB MEDITERRANEAN DIET: WHY IT’S THE HEALTHIEST & BEST DIET FOR 2019 by Steve Blechman, https://advancedmolecularlabs.com/blogs/news/the-thermo-heat%C2%AE-low-carb-mediterranean-diet-why-it-s-the-healthiest-best-diet-for-2019

92. The Thermo Heat® Weight Loss Revolution, by Michael J. Rudolph, Ph.D, including the foreword by Daniel L. Friedman, MD and Eugene B Friedman, MD.