The Secret To Weight Loss Is Body Type, A Doctor And Nutrition Expert Reveals

Just because you can't seem to lose weight doesn't mean you have no willpower.

That's one of the primary messages Dr. Eric Berg, a nutritional researcher and weight loss expert has for dieters. His belief, borne out through both research and practical application, is that the key to weight loss is executing a diet based on your body type.

"We're all different, like snowflakes, though we typically fall into one of four body types," Dr. Berg, the weight loss expert who has treated over 30,000 cases said.

"Those body types aren't just physical attributes; they are indications of how our bodies metabolize food. The key component to being able to lose weight efficiently and in a healthy fashion begins with determining which body type you possess, and following a treatment that fits with the way your body chemistry works."

Hormones are the triggers to determining what body type we possess, according to Dr. Berg, and those types represent the different ways our bodies' process nutrition. These categories are:

* Adrenal - The Adrenal body shape is adipose tissue surrounding the organs in the abdomen (intra-abdominal fat) and is called a pendulous abdomen.

* Ovary - The Ovary body type is more of an estrogen, cellulite-type fat, which is superficial (just under the skin) and mostly below the bellybutton. People call this "saddlebags" with a lower stomach bulge.

* Thyroid - With the Thyroid body shape, the weight is distributed all over the person's body, and it is not really fat, but rather, more of a waste-like substance that accumulates between the cells. This condition is known as myxedema, and it can be likened to a sponge that holds in liquid and will not release it.

Liver - The Liver body type is not always a fat situation. It can be a fluid problem, where an accumulation of fluid is leaking into the abdomen.

"Hormones, which drive your body's transformation into one of the four body shapes, look at food differently," Dr. Berg said. "Without having a good understanding of hormones, it might appear that all calories are the same and if you eat less, you will lose weight. People who tell you this have not grasped the basic physiology of hormone interaction resulting from foods. The obvious proof of this is that most people probably have been cutting calories with minimal or no effect."

For instance, Dr. Berg explained, the fats we eat have the densest calories, but they are neutral when it comes to actually creating fat in our bodies. Sugar and refined carbohydrates, however, are massive triggers to the hormones that manufacture body fat.

"Although protein has calories, consuming the right amount of protein will trigger the hormones that burn body fat instead of produce it," Dr. Berg said. "The 'right amount' is based on your body type."

Dr. Berg maintained that understanding your body type is the first step in choosing a diet that will actually produce results, instead of frustrate the dieter and make them believe there is nothing they can legitimately do to lose weight.

"It's time to end the myth of the one-size-fits-all diet," Dr. Berg said. "If we are all individuals intellectually, emotionally and morally, then it shouldn't be too difficult to understand that our bodies are unique, as well. Once we understand our own individual bodies, and how they process food, fat and energy, the sooner we'll all be to leading healthier and happier lives."

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