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Low Metabolism in Obesity

Mar 28, 2011 | By Paula Quinene
Low Metabolism in Obesity
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Low metabolism can cause obesity and obesity further reduces your metabolism, especially if all you do is sit at a desk for work, lay on your couch for recreation and consumes excess calories for fun. Metabolism is the sum of all the reactions in your body, so if you are sedentary throughout the day, if you do not exercise regularly and if you eat plenty of baked potatoes and sugar, you are likely to have a low metabolism.

Exercise

Genetics does play some role in metabolism and obesity. If you have obese parents, you are at greater risk of becoming obese compared to a neighbor from normal weight parents. However, you control whether you become more active, increase your metabolism and reduce your risk of obesity. Acute exercise and the adaptations of chronic exercise increase your metabolism. An obese person has a higher metabolism walking slowly for 30 minutes than an obese person watching TV for 30 minutes. If you continue to exercise most days of the week, your body changes so that your cells become more efficient at burning calories, improving your fitness so you can do more exercise, which further increases your metabolism.

Protein and Carbs

The consumption of refined grains and sugar stimulates the overproduction of insulin. Insulin stores body fat. Lean protein stimulates the production of glucagon, which breaks down fat; your body also uses more calories to break down protein than it does to digest carbohydrates. An obese person who continues to eat refined foods will maintain a low metabolism.

Muscle Mass and Fat Mass

Increasing your metabolism is the key to burning a sufficient amount of calories to lose weight and keep the weight off. Strength training is a surefire way to burn more calories not only while you are exercising, but also while you are sleeping. Muscle cells burn more calories compared to fat cells. However, you can still reap the metabolic benefits of strength training without tremendously increasing the size of your muscles. A basic strength training program can increase your resting metabolic rate by 7 percent, burning 100 extra calories at rest every day, according to a 2010 article in "ACSM Fit Society Page" by Wayne Wescott, Ph.D.. This increase in metabolism will not be due to an increase in your muscle mass, but rather the result of a greater level of muscle tissue repair and remodeling resulting from the minute trauma to your muscle cells during your workout.

Food for Thought

Whether you have a low metabolism caused your obesity or you have been obese all your life and you have a low metabolism, consider engaging in healthier behaviors to raise your metabolism and improve your health. You do not have to walk for an hour to reap the metabolic and health benefits of physical activity. You do, however need to increase how much you move around and change your eating habits. Walk from your front door for two minutes then turn around and walk back. The day after tomorrow, walk for three minutes then turn around and go back home. Gradually increase the duration whether it is by one minute or 30 seconds, burning more calories and enhancing your metabolism. Eat less white rice and white bread, gradually transitioning to brown rice and whole wheat bread. Including more chicken breast or grilled salmon in your meals also raises your metabolism.

References

Article reviewed by David Fisher Last updated on: Mar 28, 2011

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