acanthosis nigricans, insulin resistance and weight gain
DESCRIPTION
If you have skin tags or darker/thicker lines or patches on the neck, you may have a condition called Acanthosis nigricans. This leads insulin resistance, a precursor to prediabetes or metabolic syndrome leading to unhealthy belly fat! What is Insulin Resistance? Insulin is the key hormone for fat gain and loss. After you eat carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels will increase. It is the insulin’s job to push the glucose into the cells where it is used for energy. Insulin also helps muscles, fat and liver cells store sugar that can be released when it is needed. If the body takes in too much simple sugars found in carbohydrates, the cells are bombarded with so much insulin that the “doors” begin to malfunction and shut down. If the doors aren’t open, the pancreas feels the need to produce even more insulin to push into the cells because it cannot perform its function to lower sugar levels, tending to leave the insulin floating in the blood stream. A vicious cycle is now in place resulting in a condition called Insulin resistance. How does insulin resistance cause weight gain? Since insulin resistance leads to compensation from the body wherein the body produces more insulin in order to keep the blood sugars under control, it leads to high levels of this “anabolic” or body building hormone called insulin. Also, insulin has a tendency to redistribute the weight to the upper part of the body and the abdomen – a type of fat known as visceral fat! Research has shown that intra-abdominal fat or visceral fat leads to increased production of pro-inflamatory cytokines which in turn lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even increase the risk of many cancers! How common is the problem? Currently, up to 70 percent of the population of the United States have some degree of Insulin Resistance with about a third of the population meeting the criteria for Metabolic Syndrome. Every time your body takes carbohydrates, you need insulin. The glycemic indexes of foods determine how fast the sugar is absorbed into the blood stream. Over a time of eating high glycemic index diets such as white bread, white rice, potatoes, French fries, soft drinks etc, the body becomes insulin resistant. In order to compensate, our body produces more insulin. Insulin resistance inhibits our fat cells from giving up their stores of energy to let us lose weight. The more overweight we are, the more insulin resistant we tend to become and can cause adverse health effects. Since abdominal fat produces harmful cytokines leading to body inflammation, it is imperative that reducing insulin resistance would be the key to reduce the risk of a condition known as metabolic syndrome or pre-diabetes. How do you diagnose Metabolic Syndrome? Affecting up to 35 percent of all adults in the United States, the criteria for metabolic syndrome is common and serious.TRANSCRIPT
ACANTHOSIS NIGRICANSby W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
WHAT IS ACANTHOSIS NIGRICANS?
• Do you have skin tags or darker / thicker lines on the neck?
• If yes, you may have what is called acanthosis nigricans, a common sign of insulin resistance causing weight gain!
• Acanthosis is a darker, or thicker area with or without skin tags on the neck, axilla, groin or other areas that indicates insulin resistance
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Acanthosis nigricans of the neck
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Skin tags
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Dark patch or line on the back of neck
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Acanthosis nigricans of the neck in an African American lady
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Skin tags and acanthosis
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Skin tags
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Acanthosis
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
What does Acanthosis indicate?• Acanthosis nigricans indicates underlying metabolic problems like insulin resistance.
• What is insulin resistance and why is it important?
• Insulin is a hormone that helps our body utilize glucose.
• If the body is insulin resistant, it means that it has to produce more and more of the anabolic or body building hormone called insulin
• This phenomenon, called insulin resistance, leads to weight gain, metabolic problems like prediabetes, diabetes, and can lead to weight gain!
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
CDC prediabetes stats 1 in 3 have it!
Learn more on W8MD’s physician supervised medical weight loss
• If you are overweight and have excess abdominal fat, a weight-related medical problem, or a family history of such problems, you need to lose weight. Healthy diets and exercise can help people maintain a healthy weight, and may also help them lose weight. It is important to recognize that overweight is a chronic condition which can only be controlled with long-term changes.
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
How can W8MD help?
Did you know that 1 in 3 people have insulin resistance or are considered “prediabetic" which could be the main reason that people are overweight? Losing just5-10% of your weight will help you reduce risks of heart attacks, diabetes and even some cancers.Learn more at http://www.w8md.comFollow w8md medical weight loss on facebook Watch our youtube channel for free 52 weeks of weight loss and wellness videos
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
VLCD
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
W8MD’s Insurance covered medical weight loss locations• W8MD medical weight loss center locations that accept
health insurance• NYC Insurance Weight Loss Center: 2003, Bath Avenue, Brooklyn,
NY, 11214 Phone: 1-718-946-5500• Philadelphia Insurance Weight Loss Center: 1718, Welsh Rd,
Philadelphia, PA, 19115 Phone: 1-215-676-2334• King Of Prussia Weight Loss Center: 987 Old Eagle School Rd,
Ste 712, Wayne, PA, 19087 Phone: 1-800-986-3007