What you need to know about the 5S weight loss method –

Healthy, fast and sustainable weight loss: this is what the 5S method proposes, created in 2015 by dermato-functional physiotherapist Edivana Poltronieri, from Espírito Santo. Lasting at least 90 days, the program guarantees a loss of up to 15 kilos per month – and one reaches it in concertina effect.

Edivana was his first patient. Weighing 92 kilos and unable to lose weight with diets, she decided to take a postgraduate course in obesity and weight loss. That’s when she learned about a study on the relationship between being overweight and inflammation in the hypothalamus, the area of ​​the brain responsible for regulating hunger, satiety and other metabolic processes in the body. According to research, a way to deflate the hypothalamic region would be through the use of omegas 3 and 9good fats known for their anti-inflammatory properties.

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With the help of a nutritionist cousin, the physiotherapist created a specific menu. Added to this measures such as vitamin supplementation, daily report of meals and weighing every day. The result came in a short time: he eliminated 8 kilos in a week. At the end of three months, it dried 24 in total. The case caught the attention of relatives and friends, who started to follow the method and also made the number on the scale drop dramatically.

How it works

The “magic formula” became a business, which has already served over 9,000 people and is present in 331 clinics in 25 Brazilian states – and even in other countries, such as Uruguay, Portugal and the United States. Personalities like Adriana Bombom and former BBB Paulinha Leitte joined the method and dried 8 and 9 kilos, respectively.

The name, 5S, comes from the five strategies defined by Edivana in partnership with a team formed by a doctor, nutritionist and pharmacist. Are they:

Nutritional education (there is no menu, the patient is instructed to avoid the consumption of industrialized, high-calorie foods and high glycemic indexsuch as simple carbohydrates).
Vitamin and mineral supplementation
Deinflammation of the hypothalamus (from the use of omega-3 and 9 compounds)
aesthetic treatments (use of thermal blankets and devices that emit infrared radiation in order to detoxify and alkalize the blood)
group motivational therapy (done through a mobile app)

The first appointment is made by a professional who has been trained in the method – who can be a nutritionist, doctor, physiotherapist or even a beautician. Based on bioimpedance and laboratory tests, a weight loss goal is defined according to the patient’s BMI and objective. From then on, he has daily follow-up via the app and attends the clinic twice a week to do the aesthetic part, repeat the bioimpedance and do intense aerobic exercise sessions, such as the HIIT workouts. Weighing yourself daily is another guideline from the program’s specialists.

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The target audience is obese and overweight people from 14 years of age, mothers in the immediate postpartum period and women who need lose weight to get pregnant. Pregnant women, individuals with renal failure, degenerative disorders and anemia cannot join.

Is deflating the hypothalamus the cure for obesity?

– (ereidveto/Thinkstock/Getty Images)

The great differential of the 5S method is the so-called “reprogramming” of the hypothalamus by reducing inflammation in this region. The creators of the slimming program claim that there is scientific support proving the strategy, but that is not the case.

“The evidence that exists is from animal studies, especially mice and rats. In humans, the evidence is only indirect”, points out physician Simone van de Sande Lee, professor of endocrinology and metabolism at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) and author of one of the works that inspired 5S.

In pets, it has been shown that a diet full of saturated fat can trigger an inflammatory reaction in the hypothalamus, so that it becomes insensitive to leptin, the satiety hormone. “With that, the animal feels hungry even without having to”, points out Simone.

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However, in people, the story is different. In her study – carried out by the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), in the interior of São Paulo –, the endocrinologist identified that the activity of the neurons of obese people is different when compared to that of individuals within a weight considered healthy. Accompanying the participants, who went through the bariatric surgery, she also noticed that, eight months after the procedure, they had an improvement in the inflammatory pattern. “But this is not direct evidence of inflammation in the hypothalamus. For that, we would have to do a brain biopsy, which is not possible”, ponders Simone van de Sande Lee.

Another 5S concept displaced by specialists is the possibility of “reprogramming” the hypothalamus. “There is no proven method capable of doing this in humans”, says endocrinologist Bruno Halpern, director of the Brazilian Association for the Study of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome (Abeso) and vice president of the Latin American Federation of Obesity. According to him, the only procedure that may alter hypothalamic functioning is bariatric surgery, indicated for specific cases. “Even so, nobody knows if the hypothalamus actually changes, or if the mechanisms of the surgery prevent it from acting as it should. It’s a discussion,” says Halpern.

Omegas 3 and 9

The action of omegas 3 and 9 to end the inflammatory process of the hypothalamus – as proposed by the 5S method – is still a mystery to science. According to Simone van de Sande Lee, another study by Unicamp showed that the direct injection of these fatty acids into the brain of animals improves inflammation and weight loss. In people, however, things work differently, as it is not possible to make injections directly into the gray matter. “Furthermore, research results with omega 3 and 9 supplementation were not as significant” observes the professor.

For Bruno Halpern, many questions still need to be answered. “We have no idea whether this supplementation should have been done before the person gained weight. Could it be that when she is obese it is not too late? How long should this use last?”, asks the doctor. He claims that, with regard to obesitythe use of these fats is experimental and without scientific proof.

success recipe

Obesity is one of the main public health problems currently in Brazil and in the world. Over here, she reaches 18.9% of men and womenaccording to the Surveillance of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (Vigitel), released by the Ministry of Health on April 17, 2017. Globally, there are more than 600 million obese people, according to data from 2014 of the World Health Organization (WHO).

In addition to causing problems such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, being overweight also brings social and emotional problems to those who suffer from it. And, contrary to what some think, it’s not an easy thing to solve. “An American study carried out with people who lost a lot of weight shows that, even after six years, the body has not become accustomed to the new weight”, reports the director of Abeso.

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There is no way to keep your shape: you need to include physical activity in your routine, something that the 5S method does not consider as one of its pillars. “Research shows that people who have eliminated large measures usually do more than 200 minutes of exercise a week”, says Bruno Halpern. WHO recommends at least 150 minutes of activity per week to get out of sedentary lifestyle.

So, don’t get attached to magic solutions. Obesity, as a disease, needs to be treated responsibly. And, if your goal is to lose just a few pounds, look for a health professional and know that an active life and a healthy, balanced diet are the most powerful weapons you will have at your side.

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