Obesity combined with hyperlipidemia and fatty liver: How to achieve scientific weight loss through a two-pronged approach?

Dietary Therapy for Obesity Patients with Hyperlipidemia:

Long-term control of serum cholesterol at appropriate levels can prevent atherosclerosis and reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease. Controlling total food intake and adjusting dietary structure are key measures in treating obesity combined with hyperlipidemia. The most basic principle of dietary guidance is to limit fat intake, control total calories, and eat more lipid-lowering foods. The diet should ideally contain less than 30% total fat and less than 10% saturated fat. Specific measures are as follows:

First, adopt a low-cholesterol and low-animal-fat diet to reduce fat intake to 25-36 kg per day; strictly limit the intake of foods rich in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, with a daily intake not exceeding 300 mg. Second, eat more vegetable oils and foods rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as corn oil (50-100g daily), which have a cholesterol-lowering effect; for those with high triglycerides, consume a low-sugar diet with 100-200g of carbohydrates daily. Third, eat more grains, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, as the fiber, vitamin C, and pectin in these foods can inhibit cholesterol absorption. Fourth, drink plenty of lipid-lowering beverages, such as hawthorn tea, lotus leaf tea, and Imperata cylindrica tea, all of which have good lipid-lowering effects and can be consumed regularly.

In addition, appropriate exercise can be chosen to consume calories and lower blood lipids; if necessary, lipid-lowering drugs can be taken, such as: chlorpheniramine (Atropine) 20-30mg/kg·d, linoleic acid 1-2 pills/time, 3 times a day; and Pulse, 1 pill each time, 3 times a day.

Dietary treatment for obese patients with fatty liver: The liver is the main site of fat metabolism, and fatty liver is a disease of abnormal liver fat metabolism. Most patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver are obese, and most patients are asymptomatic, only discovering fatty liver when abnormal liver enzymes (such as elevated alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase) appear. Dietary control is an important method for treating fatty liver.

The diet of obese patients with fatty liver should be high in protein, with strict control of fat and carbohydrates. Weight loss should be planned, and sudden weight loss should be avoided; the nutritional structure should be reasonable, and severe negative nitrogen balance should be avoided. In addition, in terms of drug treatment, long-term and high-dose use of corticosteroids should be avoided as much as possible.

Dietary therapy for weight loss is achieved through a weight-loss diet. A weight-loss diet must meet the following conditions:

1. It must contain the nutrients needed by the human body. The nutrients necessary for maintaining normal physiological functions mainly include protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals (including trace elements), vitamins, water, dietary fiber, etc. Any deficiency, insufficiency, or excess of any nutrient will have adverse effects on the body. Weight-loss foods should meet the following conditions:

(1) High-quality protein (including animal protein and legume protein) should account for more than 1/3 of the total protein intake. An appropriate amount of protein is needed for growth, development, and tissue repair and renewal.

(2) Plant-based fats should account for more than 1/2 of the total fat intake to ensure the intake of essential fatty acids.

(3) It should be rich in vitamins to maintain normal physiological functions and increase the body's immunity and resistance to disease.

(4) It should contain sufficient inorganic salts, which are necessary for the formation of basic body tissues and the regulation of physiological functions. (5) Sufficient water is needed to maintain the normal functioning of various physiological activities in the body.

(6) Appropriate dietary fiber is necessary to facilitate normal intestinal excretion, reduce the prolonged retention of harmful substances in the intestines, decrease calorie absorption, and prevent hunger.

2. The proportion of nutrients should be appropriate. The proportions of the three basic energy-producing nutrients—protein, fat, and carbohydrates—in a weight-loss diet should be balanced. Their normal proportions are: 10%–15% : 15%–25% : 60%–70%. An imbalance in the various nutrients in the body can have adverse effects on health. Daily energy-producing foods, including grains, meat, eggs, beans, oils, and sugars, should be reasonably combined according to the above proportions. Total calorie intake should be determined based on individual size and activity level. Generally, an adult engaged in light physical labor consumes approximately 8400–11340 kJ of energy per day. However, the daily calorie intake from food should not be less than 5040–7560 kJ, as this is the minimum safe level to maintain basic life functions such as normal heartbeat, respiration, and body temperature.

3. High-calorie foods are low in calories.

If we consume a balanced diet, we can meet the body's needs for various nutrients and calories. Obese individuals should limit their intake of pure calorie foods, such as fats, sugars, oils, alcohol, and pure starches.

4. Variety is key. Different foods contain different nutritional components; no single food can provide all the nutrients the body needs. Based on the characteristics of the nutrients in various foods and their respective dietary structures, we can make reasonable choices.