Weight gain & obesity
Inflammatory processes that promote weight gain and obesity may be intensified by an IgG food intolerance
Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by severe excess weight gain and a pathologically increased body fat percentage. It is very stressful for the body and often a psychological burden for the people affected. Excess weight gain and obesity may be due to metabolic disorders, however the exact mechanisms of the disease are not completely understood yet. It is clear though that low-grade inflammatory processes play a role in weight gain and obesity. An IgG food intolerance (type 3 allergy) may intensify such inflammatory processes. ImuPro helps you to detect such delayed food allergies and supports you with individual guidelines based on your test results.
Obesity and excess weight pose a major risk for serious diet-related chronic diseases. The balance between calories-in and calories-out differs for each person. Factors that might affect your weight include your genetic makeup, overeating, monotonous diet, excess carbohydrate and fat intake, and not being physically active.
The diagnosis of obesity
Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify excess weight and obesity in adults. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters (kg/m2). People with BMI > 25 kg/m2 meet the criterion for being overweight (BMI 25-29.9). If they have a BMI > 30, it indicates obesity. However, to get a complete clinical picture it is also important to analyse whether the weight gain negatively impacts the health of a patient.
The causes of obesity
Although many factors may influence an individual’s weight, weight gain and obesity are due mainly to an imbalance of energy intake from the diet and energy expenditure. Genetic and environmental factors play a role, however diet and physical activity is important for preventing weight gain, weight loss and subsequent maintenance.
With obesity, systemic inflammatory activities are found. Inflammatory response to food induces the production of messenger proteins like TNF-alpha.
The messenger substance TNF-alpha blocks the receptors for insulin, impeding the cell’s energy supply. The blood sugar cannot be transported properly into the cell where it is urgently needed, activating two mechanisms:
1. Sugar becomes fat
Since the sugar remains in the blood, the blood sugar level remains elevated. The liver transforms the blood sugar increasingly into fatty acids which are then deposited in the fat cells. The blockage of the insulin receptors results in more and more insulin being released, which prevents the reconversion of fatty acids into blood sugar. This means that the energy stored in the fatty deposits is no longer available to the body.
2. Energy consumption decreases
The individual cells have less energy at their disposal, causing the cell activity to reduce and the basal metabolic rate, i.e. the quantity of calories used at rest, to diminish.
In the case of an IgG food allergy the immune system produces IgG antibodies against certain food proteins. IgG antibodies are created in increasing quantities, TNF alpha is released in larger amounts and more receptors intended for insulin are blocked. This may intensify existing inflammatory processes.
The scientific approach to obesity and IgG
Identify foods that may trigger inflammatory conditions as a first step to create an effective diet for weight gain and obesity. IgG seems to be the best indicator for identifying a food as being pro-inflammatory, since when a food protein comes in contact with a corresponding IgG antibody, an inflammatory response is launched. Studies have shown that an IgG guided diet has a positive effect on weight loss by stabilising glucose metabolism.
For example, one study published in 2007 showed a significant correlation between obesity, elevated IgG antibodies and inflammation. Thus, elevated IgG levels for food could be involved in weight gain and obesity.
Discover how the unique ImuPro food tolerance testing works
With testing from ImuPro, you can quickly and effectively discover food intolerances and food allergies that may be causing the conditions above.
