In der heutigen Zeit nehmen immer mehr Menschen zu und leiden unter Adipositas, auch bekannt als Fettleibigkeit. Besonders das Bauchfett ist dabei ein großes Problem, da es nicht nur unästhetisch aussieht, sondern auch ein erhöhtes Risiko für Krankheiten wie Diabetes oder Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen mit sich bringt. Die Ernährungs-Docs zeigen in ihrer Sendung auf NDR, wie man erfolgreich und langfristig gegen Übergewicht vorgehen kann.

Adipositas: Übergewicht und Bauchfett abnehmen | Die Ernährungs-Docs | NDR

Jürgen Koller was struggling with adiposity for years, a disease that affects one in five people in Germany. However, he had been in denial about his condition until it started to become more and more obvious. Finally, he mustered up the courage to apply to the Ernährungs Docs, a group of nutritionists, with a photo of himself, thinking that this would be the best way to showcase his overweight frame. He knew he had to confront his health issues head-on.

Jürgen Koller was 40 years old and weighed 153 kilos. General practitioner Silvia Schäfer needed more information about Jürgen’s health, such as his body fat percentage and where precisely the fat was located. She discovered that Jürgen had over 16 liters of fat around his organs, the visceral fat, which are much more active than other fat deposits around the body. This type of fat secretes cytokines, signaling molecules that lead to inflammation in the body, which can cause serious health issues. Jürgen’s health issues were all connected to this inner “fat mountain,” which affected his autoimmunity, causing rheumatoid arthritis, and also led to hypertension, gout, type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea. Studies have shown that adiposity reduces life expectancy by up to ten years.

Jürgen never paid attention to his own health because he was always solely focused on the family automotive business. He always felt overwhelmed by work and pushed aside his health concerns. However, he finally acknowledged his health problems after experiencing pain in his hands, knees, and feet, leading to a barrage of diagnoses.

Jürgen was living alone on the island of Föhr, where he also managed an auto shop. He had no social life, and the TV became his only companion. He was experiencing bouts of loneliness and boredom, which he often tried to mitigate with excessive eating. He agreed to keep a food diary for a week, which would include information about what he ate, how much, when, and why. The nutritionist hoped that this would shed more light on his emotional relationship with food.

Jürgen’s diet was problematic, and his meals were often too large. He was also guilty of overeating while watching TV, leading to a lack of awareness of how much he consumed. The nutritionist suggested that Jürgen needed to make a drastic change to his diet and exercise routine. He was asked to follow an eight-week program, during which he would substitute all meals with protein shakes, and then gradually add solid food back into his diet over time.

Jürgen became more aware of the emotional reasons that drove him to excessive eating, such as loneliness, boredom, and frustration. He made steady progress towards changing his eating habits, portion sizes, and relationship with food. Over five months, he lost nearly 20 kilos and reduced his visceral fat by 20 packs of butter.

Jürgen also started to exercise by running with his dog, and the nutritionist suggested he incorporate more activities such as cycling or hiking. Overall, Jürgen was proud of his achievement, and he felt his life had massively improved. He realized that his health should always be a priority, and he hoped to keep his journey going to maintain his newfound health and happiness.
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