Overview Obesity and Vitamin D

Created August 2010

FACT: People who are obese have less vitamin D in their blood
FACT: Obese need a higher dose of vitamin D to get to the same level of vit D
FACT: When obese people lose weight the vitamin D level in their blood increases
FACT: Adding Calcium, perhaps in the form of fortified milk, often reduces weight
FACT: 204 trials for vitamin D intervention of obesity as of April 2025
FACT: Less weight gain by senior women with > 30 ng of vitamin D
FACT: Dieters lost additional 5 lbs if vitamin D supplementation got them above 32 ng - RCT
FACT: Obese lost 3X more weight by adding $10 of Vitamin D
FACT: Those with darker skins were more likely to be obese Sept 2014
OBSERVATION: Low Vitamin D while pregnancy ==> more obese child and adult
OBSERVATION: Many mammals had evolved to add fat and vitamin D in the autumn
- and lose both in the Spring - unfortunately humans have forgotten to lose the fat in the Spring
SPECULATION: Low vitamin D might be one of the causes of obesity – several studies
SUGGESTION: Probably need more than 4,000 IU to lose weight if very low on vitamin D due to
- risk factors such as overweight, age, dark skin, live far from equator,shut-in, etc.
Obesity category has items

Obese need more Vitamin D

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Click here for 2014 study

Vitamin D results in fastest Obese weight loss, and about 3X more pounds -2019

Obesity is associated with low Vitamin D (and treated by D as well) – Aug 2019 has the following

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Noteworthy Obesity pages - Oct 2019 - Nov 2024

Clinical trials of Obese or Overweight and Vitamin D INTERVENTION 204 trials listed as of April 2025

Clinical trials database

Obese children: monthly 200,000 IU vs daily 6,400 IU
Vitamin D, Diet and Activity Study (ViDA) 2000 IU
Vitamin D Supplementation in Obesity and Weight Loss (3DD Study) 4000 IU
Vitamin D Supplementation Requirement in Obese Subjects 4000 IU
The Effect of Weight on Vitamin D Dose Response 10,000 IU
Efficacy of Vitamin D Supplementation in Obese Children 6,000 IU - Study completion Nov 2019
Good results from a clinical trial reported Sept 2010

Obesity is a VERY COMPLEX topic

(chart is no-longer online)

Overview of Deficiency at Vitamin D Life includes Obesity vicious circles

Obesity issue of Life Extension Magazine – Oct 2010 - identified 27 correctable obesity-inducers,

many of which relate to vitamin D ,

Leptin

Leptin Clinical trial – 4,000 IU
Vitamin D and Leptin 2008
Dodging Weight Gain with Vitamin D The absence of vitamin D creates interference with the functioning of a hormone called leptin]
New Revelations Support Diet and Exercise to Reverse Leptin Resistance, Thereby Promoting a Healthy Weight Mercola Oct 2012
How to Reduce Leptin #6 is vitamin D
- 73 records in PubMed for Leptin and Vitamin D, Such as Association of leptin, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and parathyroid hormone in women 2009
Dr. Sircus Aug 2011 long article
- increased leptin ==> decreased Magnesium ==> increased inflammation and obesity
Cortisol
Leptin Resistance Syndrome - mentions vitamin D, cortisol
Virginia Hokins Health watch: Cortisol and the Stress Connection
Thyroid
Perhaps thyroid and vitamin D in a vicious circle – 2003
Another thyroid and vitamin D vicious circle article unknown date
Cholesterol
Overview Cholesterol and Vitamin D increasing cholesterol INCREASES longevity
All items in Cholesterol and vitamin D items
Statins and vitamin D
Vitamin D bioavailability is associated with cholesterol – Jan 2011
Eating less cholesterol is harmless other than it causes of vitamin D deficiency – June 2011
- "The great cholesterol myth; unfortunate consequences of Brown and Goldstein's mistake."
Insomnia
Vitamin D Deficiency and Insomnia – Nov 2008
MEDICAL BREAKTHROUGH: Calciferol (Vitamin D3) cures Insomnia unknown date
Vitamin D and Insomnia. From January to May, I get many calls from people struggling with sleep. – Mar 2010
Know the Importance of Taking Enough Magnesium with Your Vitamin D – July 2010

Epidemic of obesity started same time as many other epidemics,

all of which are associated with low vitamin D: 30-40 years ago **Extrapolation >45% in the USA, >30% in Australia by 2025**

(figure is from http://www.iuns.org/features/obesity/tabfig.htm)

US Obesity increased after Food guidelines were changed - Mercola

BMI increase 1980-2008 (nothing about vitamin D) - 2015

**Washington Post interactive graphic Aug 2015**

**Black line = US BMI increase** From 1980 to 2008, the average BMI for men rose in all but eight countries; the average for women rose in all but 19. Globally, nearly 10 percent of men and nearly 14 percent of women are obese, meaning their BMI is 30 or more. In some countries, particularly in the Pacific Islands, obese is average. Countries with a high average BMI tend to have high rates of diabetes, and vice versa.

decrease in vitamin D with increasing BMI

**2 nanograms/ml less vitamin D for every in 5 kg/m**2 increase in BMI**

Obesity is a Global epidemic

China now had the largest number of overweight and obese people
- "There are about 200 million obese adults in China along with 400 million Chinese who are overweight."
WHO 1995 200 million increased in just 5 years to 300 million
International Obesity Task Force 1000 million overweight in 2010 and 475 million obese
The Global Obesity Epidemic - Feb 2010 has the following graph from OECD - showing ALL countries increasing

OECD a line graph

Institute of Medicine issued a report: Obesity in America - May 2012

They did not seem to even mention the possibility of vitamin D

click thumbnail to see their tall infographic

Diabetes 32X more likely if obese and vitamin D deficient – July 2012
- Based on NHANES data of 5800 people
- Obese & high level of vitamin D: 20X more likely to have diabetes than the study population

Increased Calorie consumption over the decades

from Graphs.net - no reference is given for the data

Increased vitamin D-binding protein and decreased free 25(OH)D in obese women of reproductive age - 2013

European Journal of Nutrition, April 2013; 320 vs 266;

Mexico takes title of "most obese" from America CBS News July 2013

About 70 % of Mexican adults are overweight, a third of them very much so.

Childhood obesity tripled in a decade and about a third of teenagers are fat as well.

Experts say four of every five of those heavy kids will remain so their entire lives.

One in Five American Deaths Associated with Obesity in 2006 Mercola, Dec 2013

2006 study with BMI > 25; Percent of Deaths associated with being overweight

Black women: 27 % White women: 22 % White men: 16 % Black men: 5 %

Vitamin D along with Vitamin K are listed as possible solutions for reducing weight

Should we stop calling obesity a disease? Cracking Health Care Costs, Feb 2014

The ‘disease’ designation becomes a prescription for inaction,’ from US News Magazine story on the AMA announcement

AMA finally recommends no longer relying on BMI to determine obesity - 2023

AMA

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs (Wegovy etc): huge market, many competitors coming, many side effects, possible other uses - April 2024

Weight-loss drugs could end the obesity epidemic. But they won’t stop there Economist April 2024

" Sales for weight-loss drugs are estimated to hit $80bn per year by the end of the decade. "
"Almost 100 new drugs are in the development pipeline. Most of them hope to outperform Wegovy and Mounjaro by being easier to take, causing fewer side-effects or delivering more effective weight loss."
Reduces risk of heat attack by 20%, might help with Alzheimer's, addictions
"Another drawback of GLP-1-based medicines is that patients do not just shed fat, they also lose lean muscle mass. "
📄 Download the PDF from Vitamin D Life
Ozempic price for 1 month; $190 Denmark, $86 Germany, $82 France, $92 UK, $969 US Bloomberg April 2024
Why Is Ozempic Making Me Nauseous? - Bloomberg April 2024
- Bloomberg
- "Nausea is temporary for most patients, usually starting a few weeks after starting a new dose and tapering off a few weeks later."
Emerging Role of GLP-1 Agonists in Obesity: A Comprehensive Review of Randomised Controlled Trials - June 2023
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241310449 FREE PDF
Impact of GLP-1 Agonists on Male Reproductive Health—A Narrative Review - Dec 2023
Agonists might increase fertility of obese https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina60010050 FREE PDF

BMI - what is wrong with it NY Times - April 2014

Invented in early 1800's Never meant to be a measure for individualsCurrently 18.5 = underweight; 18.5 and 24.9 = normal; 25 to 29.9 = overweight; >30 = obese. Grade 1 =30 - 34.9; Grade 2= 35 - 39.9; Grade 3 > 40At best, though, B.M.I. is a crude measure that actually misses more than half of people with excess body fat,It measures total body weight, not just fat. When Arnold Schwarzenegger was Mr. Universe, his B.M.I. was well in the obese rangeArticle mentions, and appears use the contents of a new book [The Obesity Paradox: When Thinner Means Sicker and Heavier Means Healthier](http://www.amazon.com/Obesity-Paradox-thinner-heavier-healthier-ebook/dp/B00FFFN7N2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid;=1397475378&sr;=8-1&keywords;=The+Obesity+Paradox%2C) Amazon March 2014

Obesity costs the global economy as much as war and terrorism, totalling $2 TRILLION each year Nov 2014

$2,000,000,000,000 per year in 2030
A report commissioned by McKinsey&Company;, which studied 44 different ways of combating obesity
No country in the world reduced its obesity prevalence between 2000 and 2013.
Details on Vitamin D Life at Obesity analysis by McKinsey (Excellent - even though no vitamin D) - Nov 2014
which has an excellent table of cost-effectiveness and proof of ways to reduce obesity

Obesity Gene (FTO) was not a problem for people born before WWII NYT Jan 2014

First discovered in 2007. Confirmed many times since then.Each copy of the FTO variant adds 3.5 pounds. 2 copies ==> 7.0 lbsSo, they think that environment (exercise) turns on/off geneticsAddional possibilites include:

decreased Vitamin D,
decreased Magnesium,
Increased antibiotics - which started just after WWII

BMI in Profile

98% of severely obese had low levels of vitamin D - June 2015

Vitamin D status is a determinant of skeletal muscle mass in obesity according to body fat June 2015
- Those with high BMI but with more skeletal muscle mass had higher levels of vitamin D
- Publisher wants $32 for the PDF

Health problems associated with excess weight

**Seems that most problems are also associated with low vitamin D** [http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/how-excess-weight-affects-your-health.htm](http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/how-excess-weight-affects-your-health.htm) does not mention vitamin D

Following Bariatric Surgery for obesity - special supplementation concerns

Vitalady FAQ snips
- "What is available out there for those of us who can’t take a vitamin ‘pill’ because it seems to get stuck in our pouch?"
- "Since A, D & E are fat solubles and we are now malabsorbing fats ‘n oils to a degree, it would do us no good to take these in soft-gel (oil filled) forms. They need to be taken in DRY form."

The more obese the man, the sooner he will die - 2016

nothing about Vitamin D[Obesity is three times as deadly for men than women](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/07/13/obesity-is-three-times-as-deadly-for-men-than-women/) Telegraph July 2016 **Compared to healthy size**

Obese people will die 3 years sooner
Overweight people will die 1 year sooner
Death of men before age 70

20% if healthy weight

33% if moderately obese

80% of morbidly obese.

8 of the top 10 obese countries are Muslim From WikiIslam, the online resource on Islam - 2017

Apparently from The Economist magazine’s world rankings of Obesity 2011

Muslim women often wear clothing which blocks most sun/vitamin D

Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity

More Than 10 % of World’s Population Is Obese (195 countries)

The word VITAMIN does not occur once in the study

📄 Download the PDF from Vitamin D Life

A UK region no longer will provide surgery to smokers or very obese (BMI>40) - Oct 2017

No surgery for smokers or the obese: Policy in UK stirs debate Oct 2017

Hertfordshire, which has population of more than 1.1. million.
The time frame for improving health is set at nine months for the obese in particular; those with a body mass index over 40 must reduce the number by 15% over that time period, and those with a BMI over 30 are given a target of 10%.
The target for smokers is eight weeks or more without a cigarette -- with a breath test to prove it.

Being Overweight/Obese become the new norm, fewer people are trying to lose weight - 2017

Change in Percentages of Adults With Overweight or Obesity Trying to Lose Weight, 1988-2014 - JAMA March 2017 _


	1988	1991	2009
Obese/Overweight	53 %	62%	66 %
Try to reduce	56 %	47%	49%

Has details by male/female, race (Nothing about Vitamin D)