Hoodia Gordonii and Obesity
The online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, defines obesity as a “condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that health may be negatively affected.” Having fat in the body is not bad; in fact, it is good because fat functions as a protector of the internal organs and promotes the retention of body heat. However, when excessive amounts of it are present, it becomes harmful because it increases a person’s risk of contracting a wide range of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and cancer, to name just a few.
The online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, defines obesity as a “condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that health may be negatively affected.” Having fat in the body is not bad; in fact, it is good because fat functions as a protector of the internal organs and promotes the retention of body heat. However, when excessive amounts of it are present, it becomes harmful because it increases a person’s risk of contracting a wide range of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis and cancer, to name just a few.
Considering the number of diseases that obese persons are prone to having, obesity can indeed result in a lower life expectancy. But in spite of this fact, more and more people these days are getting obese. In the United States alone, 3.8 million people are over 300 pounds and over 400 thousand weigh more than 400 pounds. The average weight of an adult American female is 163 pounds. These figures indicate that obesity has become one of the most serious problems in public health these days. Fortunately, it is a preventable condition and there are several remedies available to help manage weight and obesity. The primary treatment is diet and physical exercise and alternative solutions include drugs and surgery. It is in this area of weight management that Hoodia Gordonii can make a significant impact.
Hoodia Gordonii is a cactus-like plant that grown in the arid areas of South Africa. The nomadic tribes in the Kalahari Desert have made use of this plant for thousands of years. During long hunting trips and when needing to cross the desert, they ate the edible portion to ward off hunger and thirst. Since the discovery of this property, Hoodia has been the subject of extensive research and scientists have been able to extract its active ingredient called P57. It works by fooling the brain into thinking that there are large quantities of glucose in the blood, thereby giving the perception of fullness. Hoodia is known to be ten thousand times as active as glucose in doing this and can be a tremendous help for obese persons who are undergoing a weight loss program. When hunger is not felt, less food will be consumed; hence, there is greater probability of burning more calories than what is consumed. This causes the weight loss.
There is no question that Hoodia Gordonii is really effective. However, one must remember that it is just one part of the weight loss program, taken in consonance with proper diet and appropriate physical activity. The maintenance of good health should still be the utmost concern.