A personalized approach to weight management

There are many well known do-it-yourself ways to lose weight quickly: keto, paleo, low carb, raw food, etc.. Then there are brand name approaches (I won’t name any) that tend to be more expensive since they often involve purchasing meals that are delivered to your mailbox. Still others involve buying pills, meal-replacement powders, or patches. All of these can help people lose weight, and some who follow them even manage to keep the weight off. But they don’t work for everyone.

Why a personalized approach?

Many people with chronic weight management problems have tried almost every diet known to man, and have either been unable to lose weight in the first place, or have been unable to keep it off. This is the single most significant benefit to a personalized approach.

A second major reason is that some of those on one-size-fits-all diets feel hungry all the time. Of course, this will almost inevitably result in failure. Most people starting a new nutrition plan are likely to feel heightened hunger, but persistent hunger that does not subside is clearly not sustainable. The feeling of lack of satiation (i.e. being hungry) can be caused either by inadequate macro- and micro-nutrients, or incorrect proportions of these for an individual.

Finally, for those following programs that involve prepared meals, this can be problematic if there are foods included that an individual does not like. Again, this is unlikely to be sustainable.

What does a “personalized approach” mean?

Some argue that a genetic analysis is the best way to individualize nutrition for health and weight loss. This seems good in theory, however, a recent review conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona concluded that regarding “designing diets personalized to one’s genetic and metabolomic signatures…current advancement is still too limited to achieve this goal”[i]. In other words, we just don’t know enough to be able to personalize someone’s diet to match their DNA.

Another approach is the “blood-type diet”, even though there are only four general blood-types (O, A, B, AB). A study at the University of Toronto investigating this found that blood-type diets can have “favorable effects on some cardiometabolic risk factors, but these associations were independent of an individual’s ABO genotype, so the findings do not support the ‘Blood-Type’ diet hypothesis”[ii].

So what might a viable personalized approach to nutrition look like? Turns out there are other indicators of an individual’s health that can be used to personalize nutrition.

First, and most obvious, are basic measurements such as an individual’s height and weight. Body-mass index (BMI), a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people, is also commonly used. Finally, waist circumference is a measure that’s gaining importance as an indicator of overall health, since there is increasing understanding about fat distribution in the body and its impact on health[iii].

Blood tests are one option, but turns out there are upwards of 3,000 different tests[iv]! This is clearly too many to be a useful (or affordable) way of identifying deficiencies that might be the basis of personalized nutrition. What is needed, therefore, is the right combination of tests capable of identifying critical blood values for most people.

Another indicator would be an individual’s current medical conditions: cardiovascular issues, blood sugar management problems, hypertension, joint deterioration, gastro-intestinal issues, skin problems, etc.. While far from perfect, there is some knowledge about which types of foods might be more beneficial (or best avoided) for people with some of these conditions[v].

How to find personalized nutrition

A wide range of nutrition professionals can provide personalized nutrition, including registered dieticians (the oldest of these), nutritional therapists, clinical nutritionists, nutritional counselors and holistic nutritionists.

Most of these professionals conduct an initial evaluation of diet and lifestyle, and recommend specific meal plans as well as other lifestyle modifications to promote healthy eating. Some also assess lab results, provide guidance or even direct assistance with grocery shopping, meal preparation and family meal planning.

The Metabolic Balance® program

For those who prefer a personalized approach to nutrition that includes coaching and client training, the Metabolic Balance® program is an attractive option. Developed in Germany and based on 20 years of clinical experience, this program is individualized in all of the ways described above that are viable.

The program begins with 36 blood tests that, along with body measurements and personal case history, are the basis of an individual nutrition plan that is divided into four phases. The first preparation phase is only two days. This is followed by Phase 2, consisting of a plan based on food lists for each major nutritional category (meat, fish, dairy, vegetables, fruit, etc.). If weight loss is the main goal, Phase 2 is followed until close to goal weight. Phase 3 is a transitional period where food lists are expanded and new foods are experimented with. Finally, Phase 4 is “the rest of your life”: the ultimate aim of personalized nutrition, which is to maintain optimal health and a healthy weight over a lifetime.

If you would like to learn more about personalized nutrition and the Metabolic balance® program, which I am certified to coach, please check out the Weight Management page of this website and call me for a free 15-minute consultation or schedule one on the online scheduler.

[i] Mullins, V, W Bresette, L Johnstone, B Hallmark, F Chilton (2020) “Genomics for personalized nutrition? Can you ‘eat for your genes’?” Nutrients 12(3118): https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwj468zyzJLuAhVNIjQIHeTUAlgQFjAOegQICRAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mdpi.com%2F2072-6643%2F12%2F10%2F3118%2Fpdf&usg=AOvVaw2IVqrhB1ksbdDhbQIkBf3K

[ii] Wang, J, B Garcia-Bailo, D Nielsen, A El-Sohemy (2014) “ABO genotype, ’blood-type’ diet and cardiometabolic risk factors” PLOS ONE 9(1): e84749 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3893150/pdf/pone.0084749.pdf

[iii] R Ross, I Neeland, S Yamashita, I Shai, J Seidell, P Magni, R Santos, B Arsenault, A Cuevas, F Hu, B Griffin, A Zambon, P Barter, J Fruchart, R Eckel, Y Jatsuzawa, J Després (2020) ”Waist circumference as a vital sign in clinical practice: a Consensus Statement from the IAS and ICCR Working Group on Visceral Obesity” Nature Reviews.  Endocrinology 16(3): 177-189 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32020062/

[iv] Wians, F (2009) “Clinical laboratory tests: which, why and what do the results mean?” Laboratory Medicine 40(2): 105-113: https://academic.oup.com/labmed/article/40/2/105/2504825

[v] Micha, R, J Peñalvo, F Cudhea, F Imamura, C Rehm, D Mozafarrian (2017) “Association between dietary factors and mortality from heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes in the United States” Journal of the American Medical Association 317(9):912-924 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28267855/