Why Knowledge Is Power In The Treatment Of Obesity

Dr. Ali Tinazli is the CEO of lifespin.health and has 15+ years in Fortune 100 corporate strategy and entrepreneurship (SONY, HP).

Obesity rates continue to climb alongside a $254.9 billion global weight loss products and services market. Supplements, smartphone weight loss apps, diet plans and exercise programs are widely available to consumers, yet the World Obesity Federation projects that 1 billion people globally will be obese by 2030.

In the U.S., nearly $480 billion in direct healthcare costs annually are related to obesity and associated comorbidities. While obesity is a complex and escalating threat, studies have shown that it may be preventable and reversible. Understanding how the body processes, stores and burns fat is vital for healthy and sustainable weight loss.

For example, the relationship between nutrition and exercise on a molecular level can set off crucial changes in specific molecules. These alterations could, in turn, lead to better health by regulating gene expression, which affects how we make insulin, burn or store fat and respond to cholesterol and lipids.

Evaluating what does and doesn’t work regarding weight loss efforts can often be the difference between frustration and success. Advancements in health technologies may allow people to understand and better address the underlying reasons behind their struggle to lose unwanted body weight.

If knowledge is power in the fight against obesity, access to real-time health information could be the way forward. Thanks to technology convergence between biology and data science, it is now possible to generate comprehensive and actionable health insights.