Women Who Lost Weight on Low-Fat Diet Had Fewer or No Hot Flashes, Researchers Find

By Kathleen Doheny WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

July 11, 2012 -- Losing excess weight by eating a low-fat diet filled with vegetables, fruits, and whole grains appears to help reduce or eliminate menopausal symptoms, according to new research.

"Women who lost weight on a low-fat diet reduced hot flashes and night sweats," says researcher Bette J. Caan, DrPH, senior research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research.

Even some women who followed the diet and didn't lose weight reported fewer menopausal symptoms, Caan tells WebMD, although she says that could be a chance finding.

"The biggest reduction in symptoms was in women who lost weight and were on the diet," she says.

The study is published in the journal Menopause.

About 80% of women report hot flashes and night sweats as they progress through menopause, according to Caan. Up to half of them have moderate or severe symptoms. The others have mild symptoms.

The flashes and sweats are thought to result from dilation of the blood vessels close to the skin.

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Can Weight Loss Cool Hot Flashes?

OAKLAND, Calif., July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Weight loss that occurs in conjunction with a low-fat, high fruit and vegetable diet may help to reduce or eliminate hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause, according to a Kaiser Permanente Division of Research study that appears in the current issue of Menopause.

This Women's Health Initiative study of 17,473 women found that women on a diet low in fat and high in whole grains, fruit and vegetables, who had menopausal symptoms, who were not taking hormone replacement therapy, and who lost weight (10 or more pounds or 10 or more percent of their baseline body weight), were more likely to reduce or eliminate hot flashes and night sweats after one year, compared to those in a control group who maintained their weight.

Many women experience hot flashes at some point before or after menopause, when their estrogen levels are declining, explain the researchers.

"While the mechanism is not completely understood, hot flashes and night sweats are thought to be caused by a complex interaction that involves fluctuating hormone levels, the hypothalamus region of the brain that regulates body temperature, brain chemicals and receptors, and the body's blood vessels and sweat glands," said Candyce Kroenke, ScD, MPH, a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research and lead author of the study.

Although previous research has shown that high body weight and weight gain are associated with hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause, this study is the among the first and the largest to date to analyze whether weight loss on a diet designed to reduce fat and increase whole grains, fruit and vegetable intake might ameliorate symptoms. It is also among the first to examine the influence of a dietary change on symptoms that include hot flashes and night sweats, said Kroenke.

"Since most women tend to gain weight with age, weight loss or weight gain prevention may offer a viable strategy to help eliminate hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause," said Bette Caan, DrPH, a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research and the senior author of the study.

She explained that greater body fat provides insulation that may hinder heat loss, and hot flashes and night sweats provide a way to dissipate that heat.

"Weight loss, especially loss of fat mass but not lean mass, might also help alleviate hot flashes and night sweats," added Kroenke.

The investigators emphasize that further research is needed to better understand the relationship between diet, weight and hot flash/night sweat symptoms. They explain that the beneficial impact of a healthy diet alone (regardless of weight change) may also help ameliorate symptoms.

This study follows a related study published in March in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in which Kaiser Permanente researchers found that preventing weight gain after a breast cancer diagnosis may offer a viable intervention for relief of hot flashes. The researchers noted that intentional weight loss in breast cancer survivors requires further study.

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Weight Loss Resulting from a Low-Fat Diet May Help Eliminate Hot Flashes and Night Sweats in Menopausal Women

ScienceDaily (July 11, 2012) Weight loss that occurs in conjunction with a low-fat, high fruit and vegetable diet may help to reduce or eliminate hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause, according to a Kaiser Permanente Division of Research study that appears in the current issue of Menopause.

This Women's Health Initiative study of 17,473 women found that women on a diet low in fat and high in whole grains, fruit and vegetables, who had menopausal symptoms, who were not taking hormone replacement therapy, and who lost weight (10 or more pounds or 10 or more percent of their baseline body weight), were more likely to reduce or eliminate hot flashes and night sweats after one year, compared to those in a control group who maintained their weight.

Many women experience hot flashes at some point before or after menopause, when their estrogen levels are declining, explain the researchers.

"While the mechanism is not completely understood, hot flashes and night sweats are thought to be caused by a complex interaction that involves fluctuating hormone levels, the hypothalamus region of the brain that regulates body temperature, brain chemicals and receptors, and the body's blood vessels and sweat glands," said Candyce Kroenke, ScD, MPH, a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research and lead author of the study.

Although previous research has shown that high body weight and weight gain are associated with hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause, this study is the among the first -- and the largest to date -- to analyze whether weight loss on a diet designed to reduce fat and increase whole grains, fruit and vegetable intake might ameliorate symptoms. It is also among the first to examine the influence of a dietary change on symptoms that include hot flashes and night sweats, said Kroenke.

"Since most women tend to gain weight with age, weight loss or weight gain prevention may offer a viable strategy to help eliminate hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause," said Bette Caan, DrPH, a research scientist with the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research and the senior author of the study.

She explained that greater body fat provides insulation that may hinder heat loss, and hot flashes and night sweats provide a way to dissipate that heat.

"Weight loss, especially loss of fat mass but not lean mass, might also help alleviate hot flashes and night sweats," added Kroenke.

The investigators emphasize that further research is needed to better understand the relationship between diet, weight and hot flash/night sweat symptoms. They explain that the beneficial impact of a healthy diet alone (regardless of weight change) may also help ameliorate symptoms.

This study follows a related study published in March in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in which Kaiser Permanente researchers found that preventing weight gain after a breast cancer diagnosis may offer a viable intervention for relief of hot flashes. The researchers noted that intentional weight loss in breast cancer survivors requires further study.

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Weight loss resulting from a low-fat diet may help eliminate menopausal symptoms

Eat less, exercise more. Simple? Yes. Easy? No. If weight loss were easy, obesity rates among adults in the United States probably wouldn't have reached the current 36 percent.

Recently revised guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force acknowledge that fact. They recommend that clinicians screen patients for obesity, which is defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher. Further, they say patients who meet or exceed that level should be offered or referred to "intensive, multicomponent behavioral interventions" to help them lose weight.

The revised guidelines strengthen the previous recommendations, says David Grossman, a senior investigator at Group Health Research Institute in Seattle and a member of the task force.

For the millions of people who struggle to lose weight, the new guidelines offer much-needed support. It's unclear whether employers and insurers will welcome the change, though.

Under the 2010 health-care law, new health plans and those whose benefits change enough to lose their grandfathered status must provide services recommended by the Preventive Services Task Force at no cost to members. For the 70 percent of employers that already offer weight management programs, that may mean just supplementing what they already offer, says Russell Robbins, a senior clinical consultant at Mercer, a human resources consulting firm.

But some employers are concerned they may be on the hook for ongoing treatment as employees make repeated attempts to lose weight.

"From a financial standpoint, the guidelines are pretty broad and pretty extensive," says Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, which represents the interests of large firms. "Does this mean that employers and the government will be paying for up to 26 intense visits every year for every obese person for the rest of their lives?"

A Health and Human Services HHS official said the department is evaluating whether to issue additional guidance on the new rules.

Insurers will be working to determine how best to satisfy the recommendations, says Susan Pisano, a spokeswoman for America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry group.

"I think the real question is making sure there are programs that fulfill these requirements," she says.

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Panel urges insurers to cover weight-loss plans

Latest Diet & Weight Management News

Non-Sugar Sweeteners May Help Control Weight and Blood Sugar -- if You Don't Compensate

By Kathleen Doheny WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

July 9, 2012 -- Substituting other sweeteners for sugars may help people lose weight and help people with diabetes control blood sugar, according to a new joint statement issued by the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association.

"When you use these non-nutritive sweeteners smartly, they will help you cut back on sugar and calories," says Christopher Gardner, PhD, who chaired the writing group for the joint statement.

The key word here is "smartly," says Gardner, associate professor of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The benefits of the sweeteners only hold if people don't undo them. That happens when they slake their sugar craving with other sugary drinks or foods later in the day -- an all-too-common tendency among people who use artificial sweeteners.

The new scientific statement is published in the journal Circulation.

Americans eat too much sugar, the American Heart Association warned in 2009.

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Sugar Substitutes Can Lead to Weight Loss

PHOENIX, Ariz., July 10, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - The premier weight loss Phoenix clinic, Phoenix Integrative Medicine, is now offering the Modified HCG Diet for only $149. Dr. Andrea O'Connor is the treating weight loss doctor at the clinic, and she maintains over a 90% success rate with the modified HCG Phoenix program. A B12 injection is also included along with the program.

The traditional HCG Scottsdale program restricts an individual's diet to 500 daily calories. With the modified calorie HCG program, patients are allowed over 1000 daily calories with a broader amount of foods being allowed. In addition, patients are permitted increased activity, whereas, the older HCG diet does not allow any exercise at all.

Along with including a higher amount of calories allowed, the program also includes a higher dose of HCG, with the overall weight loss seen comparable with the traditional program. The new program is tolerated better by patients than the initial type of HCG restrictive one.

"The modified program we offer works much better than the traditional HCG diet. Patients have no headaches, they have more energy, and it even has been helping reduce chronic pain if the patient has that. Our success rate is well over 90% with the program," said Medical Director Dr. Andrea O'Connor.

Also included with the program are two follow up visits along with a B12 injection, which helps with energy and jump starting weight loss. The average amount of weight loss seen with the HCG program is over 30 pounds, regardless of whether the program uses HCG injections or sublingual drops. Both types of HCG are utilized in the programs.

Those interested in the modified HCG program at this special rate should call (480) 252-3799 for more information and scheduling. Patients can also schedule directly on the website.

This article was originally distributed on PRWeb. For the original version including any supplementary images or video, visit http://www.prweb.com/releases/hcgdietphoenixaz/hcgscottsdale/prweb9670627.htm

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Premier Phoenix Weight Loss Clinic Now Offering the Modified HCG Diet Program for a Limited Time at Only $149

New York, NY (PRWEB) July 10, 2012

hCGTreatments/ Diet Doc Weight Loss announces opinion on Belviq, a newly approved drug for weight loss.

Belviq, also known as Lorcaserin was approved by the FDA, along with people consuming a low calorie diet and exercise as a weight loss drug.

The FDA approved the Belviq / lorcaserin medication for people who are obese (with a body mass index, or BMI, of 30 or higher) or who are overweight (with a BMI of 27 or above) and also have at least one weight-related health condition such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

The most common side effects of Belviq in non-diabetic patients are headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, dry mouth and constipation; in patients with diabetes, side effects include low blood sugar, headache, back pain, cough and fatigue.

Diet Doc Weight Loss president, Julie Wright states, "This is not a true weight loss medication as the end result of losing only a minimal amount of weight after one full year of taking an expensive medication with side effects is not ideal. This weight loss drug is not a solution to obesity."

Belviq provides only modest weight loss. In the two main clinical trials, those who took the drug lost an average of 5.8 percent of their weight after a year, while those using a placebo lost 2.5 percent. However, some 23 percent of the patients using Belviq lost at least 10 percent of their body weight.

In clinical trials, patients who used lorcaserin lost an average of 3.1% of their starting weight over a year a modest loss. About 38% of patients lost at least 5% of their body weight, compared with 16% in the placebo group, a result that met the FDAs standard for effectiveness. In contrast, users of Qnexa lost an average 11% of their starting weight, and more than 83% of patients lost at least 5%, the Associated Press reports.

Diet Doc Weight Loss is a doctor-designed, physician managed, medical weight loss program incorporating the best elements of diets that work, including the Paleo, Mediterranean, low carbohydrate diet, and low glycemic diets. The patient can expect to receive a personalized diet plan created by a skilled weight loss physician reports Wright. The customized diet plan considers each persons age, gender, health history and lifestyle and by personalizing a diet plan, the dieter can expect to lose rapid weight safely, averaging 30 pounds per month reports Wright.

Diet Doc provides weight loss service to people nationwide, regardless of physical location with a unique business model that eliminates borders and provides unlimited (free) clinical care 6 days/week to dieters.

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hCGTreatments / Diet Doc Weight Loss Unveils Opinion on Belviq / lorcaserin for Weight Loss

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO--(Marketwire -07/10/12)- Medical Restoration Centers of America, a Colorado Springs-based medical clinic that specializes in weight loss and behavioral changes, is pleased to announce the release of a brand new website to accompany their recent name change.

Previously, Medical Restoration Centers of America (MRC America) was known as Wellness Restoration Centers. The company decided to adopt MRC America to better reflect their staff of trained medical doctors and professionals. The company also predicts that their new and groundbreaking techniques in weight loss and disease reversal will sweep the nation.

The techniques involve behavioral changes in order to stop or reverse the progress of several illnesses and diseases, especially weight related diseases. These techniques are built on traditional physician's practices with one main difference -- MRC America focuses on treating disease and not just disease symptoms. These new treatments come from the experience of their primary medical professional, Dr. Anthony Stanulonis, who has almost thirty years of medical experience.

MRC America hopes that the new website will attract new audiences and markets for their techniques and products. Owner Randee Van Ness says, "Technology leads a lot of us to more sedentary lifestyles, which cause health problems that lead to obesity. With this new website we can use technology to help those with weight issues and illnesses to find our blog on healthy tips and tricks, and therefore raise awareness about healthy lifestyle choices."

Through their new website, customers can order specialty meals, schedule counselor appointments, and receive specific information on disease treatment techniques that will raise their quality of life. Readers of their new blog will be kept with up to date health information, disease treatment techniques along with medical protocol weight loss techniques.

Medical Restoration Centers of America has a highly qualified medical staff with over fifty years of experience between them. MRC firmly takes the stance that through nutrition and behavioral changes, many diseases can be reversed if not totally avoided altogether. To receive the latest lifestyle and weight loss information contact MRC America through their website http://www.mrcamerica.com or phone them at 888-943-2189.

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Medical Weight Loss & Disease Treatment Clinic, Medical Restoration Centers of America, Announces Name Change