By: Dr. Barry Sears

One of the most common problems involved in any weight loss program is reaching a plateau after the initial weight loss. My first report on the progress of Manuel Utribe, who has been dubbed world’s heaviest man, was made in June. He had been on the Zone Diet and high-dose fish oil for three months and had lost a little more than 200 pounds. Now about two months later, his total weight loss is up to 332 pounds. He now weighs 788 pounds. Rather than reaching a plateau, his weight loss is continuing at exactly the same rate.

Why should Manuel’s progress be so different than the typical dieter’s experience? First, weight loss is hormonally controlled. Any diet deficient in calories will cause initial weight loss. But most diets are usually characterized by the words high or low. These types of diets are hormonally unsustainable. High-carbohydrate or low-carbohydrate diets will always have initial weight loss, but then eventually a weight loss plateau is reached as the unbalanced proportions of carbohydrate, protein, and fat cause a hormonal counter-reaction that stops any further weight loss. On the other hand, the word moderate characterizes the Zone Diet. It is moderate in carbohydrate, moderate in protein, and moderate in fat. This type of diet is hormonally sustainable for a lifetime. As a result, weight is consistent as long as you are keeping your hormones within the Zone. The result is you are never hungry between meals.

However, the second reason for Manuel’s success is related to what is called “emotional eating”. Any time you restrict calories, it is considered a stress to the body. The body responds by increasing the hormone cortisol. This hormone increases the accumulation of fat even during calorie restriction. Increased cortisol is also the basis of emotional eating as it also causes blood sugar levels to decrease thus creating constant hunger. In Manuel’s case, he is also taking high levels of OmegaRx (about 20 grams of EPA and DHA per day). This has several powerful hormonal benefits. The high levels of EPA and DHA reduce the output of cortisol, and the EPA and DHA increase the levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain, making you both happy and focused. It reduces the levels of inflammation in the fat cells, and finally high enough levels of DHA bind to a hormone receptor (PPAR alpha) that activates the genetic expression of enzymes that increase the burning of stored fat.

In essence, it takes fat (if it contains high levels of EPA and DHA) to burn fat. This is why the combination of the Zone Diet and high-dose fish oil is the key to Manuel’s continuing success.

(Editor’s note: We will periodically update Manuel’s progress in the OmegaZone ezine. He continues to work with our Mexican physician partners at the Instituto de Investigacion de la Inflamacion and Zone Diet Mexico. His progress is also being charted by the Discovery Channel, which has filmed Dr. Sears in his Marblehead laboratory and Manuel in Mexico, with our partners there. More filming is planned for December when Dr. Sears is scheduled to return to Mexico to meet with Manuel at his home in Monterrey.)