Swiss Re Tsunami Coming for Health Care

Direct Primary Care doctors improving metabolic health and lowering company costs

“Rocha et al.,12 reported the prevalence rate of overweight/obesity to be 47.2% among teachers indicating obesity as a major health problem among school teachers.” Source: Risk of Obesity Among Female School Teachers and its Associated Health Problems, Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science

The abstract begins: Obesity is considered to be a major health problem throughout the world. Factors contributing to obesity include increased intake of calorie dense foods and physical inactivity. But that’s so not true! (or at least is misleading…)

Nearly half of American teachers are overweight or obese, yet nutritionists and nutrition journals blame them! for eating too much and not exercising enough (the exploded “energy balance theory of obesity”). Instead, for most, being overweight is a consequence rather than a cause of poor health (poor metabolic health). Distant metabolic gifts I call them in earlier posts.

Metabolic processes helped our ancestors gain weight quickly by feasting each fall, adding weight to better survive long winters and possible crop and fisheries failures. The modern world enjoys feast days all year with no famines to burn off those stored calories.

Metabolic disorders come first. Carbohydrates cause surging blood glucose levels, triggering insulin to sequester glucose from the blood into muscles, liver, and then fat cells. Highly processed carbohydrates with seed oils, sugar, and fructose contribute as well. Consuming eggs, meat, fish, and dairy, provides protein and healthy fat for better nutrition, satiety, and more stable blood glucose levels.

Yet nutritionists and public health officials advise consuming more carbohydrates (cereal, bread, whole grains, veggies, and fruit) and less meat with saturated fat.

Many public school teachers and other public and private sector employees struggle each day and soon suffer from chronic health problems (high blood pressure, inflammation, obesity, pre-diabetes and diabetes) generating high medical costs for schools and companies. All this could be changed, dramatically reduced with improved nutrition. But better nutrition means avoiding what most university-trained nutritionists and public health officials advise.

For private companies that self-insure, this is low hanging fruit. When their employees are sick and overweight they are often unhappy and less productive. Swiss Re is leading the charge, along with Virta Health, Level2, Jason Fung, Dr. Tro, Dr. Brian Lenzkes, Metabolic Mind, members of the Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners (SMHP), Maria Powers and now hundreds of other metabolic health companies, doctors, and nutritionists. Nina Tiecholz and the Nutrition Coalition continue calling for reform of the federal dietary guidelines. Gary Taubes new book, Rethinking Diabetes: What Science Reveals About Diet, Insulin, and Successful Treatments, will arrive in early 2024

For a real world company success story, one that could be repeated across hundreds of other American companies, see, Weight Loss Wednesday: A company working to help their employees get into shape (4WWL, May 3, 2023).

And see British doctor pioneers low-carb diet as cure for obesity and type 2 diabetes (The Guardian, April 9, 2023).

Join metabolic health practitianers and researchers at upcoming Swiss Re Institute online conferences:
• Food for Thought 2023: Rising to the challenge of obesity and diabetes (October 10-11)
• Fixing Metabolic Health (October 9, 2023)

Dr. Tro Kalayjian and Swiss Re’s Dr. John Schoonbee discuss these success stories in the Sept. 18, 2023 episode of the LowCarbMD Podcast. And here on YouTube: