What to know about paper towel theory

The paper towel theory is an analogy in which removing one sheet per day from a roll of paper towels symbolizes fat loss. It illustrates that although progress may be slow and difficult to notice initially, it can become more evident as time goes on.The paper towel theory, also known as the paper towel effect, is an analogy that appears on several websites and blogs dedicated to health, weight loss, or bodybuilding. Social media users have also shared the theory across various platforms.This article examines paper towel theory in more detail, how the body responds to weight loss, tips for safe weight loss, and when to speak with a doctor.What is the paper towel theory?The paper towel analogy may have emerged around 2007, when people began sharing it across weight loss, bodybuilding, and fitness sites.The theory compares losing fat to tearing a single sheet from a paper towel roll each day. At the end of the first week, there may not be a perceptible difference between that roll and a full roll of paper towels. At the end of the second or third week, a person still may not notice much difference between the full roll and the one they have been tearing sheets from every day.After about 6 weeks of removing a sheet a day, however, the difference between the two rolls of paper towels becomes much more evident. Within 12 weeks, the roll with fewer sheets appears significantly smaller than the full roll.The paper towel effect illustrates that consistent fat loss efforts can take time to yield visible results. It also symbolizes how fat loss may be more visible on smaller bodies than larger ones, as the fat covers a smaller surface area.»Learn more:Weight loss vs. fat loss: Differences explainedWhat happens in the body during weight loss?Several changes may occur in the body that can result in weight loss. These include the following:Fat lossThe body stores a type of fat, called triglycerides, inside fat cells, or adipocytes. Most of these fat cells are under the skin.Fat loss occurs when the body transports triglycerides to different parts of the body through the bloodstream to break down and use as energy. The adipocytes remain in place under the skin, but empty out and become smaller as they lose their fat stores. Muscle mass lossA person may lose muscle mass as well as fat when they lose weight.Eating too few calories can decrease the mass of various bodily tissues. Without adequate fat stores to draw from, the body may begin to break down muscles, connective tissues, and organs to use as energy.Losing muscle mass could affect a person's strength, physical function, and metabolism. Scientists recommend that people avoid following very low calorie diets unless a healthcare professional is monitoring the process. Water lossWater accounts for about 50% to 70% of a person's body weight.If a problem occurs in one of the bodily systems responsible for maintaining healthy fluid levels, fluid retention or edema may occur. According to the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS), fluid may build up in different parts of the body, which can cause weight gain, swelling, and other symptoms.Treatments like diuretic medication can help remove fluid from the body, which can result in weight loss. However, losing too much water can lead to health complications, including dehydration and kidney damage.Tips for losing weight safelyDoing the following may help a person lose weight safely:eating a balanced and nutrient-rich dietlimiting foods that are high in certain fats and sugardoing at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per weektracking weight loss and health goalsreducing stress levelsmaintaining a healthy sleep routineseeking support from friends and family setting realistic weight loss goals, such as losing 0.4 to 0.9 kilograms (kg), which is about 1 to 2 pounds (lb), per weekWhen to speak with a doctorIf an individual feels they need help managing their weight or their relationship with food and their body, they may want to speak with a healthcare professional.A healthcare professional may treat overweight and obesity in the following ways:helping a person make certain lifestyle changesreferring a person to a weight management specialistprescribing weight loss medicationperforming weight loss surgeryA healthcare professional may also be able to help if a person has an eating disorder that affects their relationship with food and their mental health, such as binge eating disorder. Treatment may involve:psychotherapymedicationsnutrition counselingSummaryThe paper towel theory is an analogy in which removing one sheet from a paper towel roll each day symbolizes consistent weight loss. It illustrates that fat loss may be imperceptible at first, but the results become more visible over time.Steps a person can take to achieve safe, consistent weight loss include eating a balanced diet, getting regular physical activity, and seeking support from loved ones.If an individual feels that they need help managing their weight or their relationship to food, they may want to consult a healthcare professional for further advice or treatment.

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The Sun

38 minutes ago

• The Sun

Are YOU eligible for free fat jabs on the NHS? As GPs start dishing out Mounjaro – all you need to know

THEY are arguably the biggest medical breakthrough of recent times. And from Monday, so-called ' fat jab s' will be made available to many more Brits on the NHS. In what marks the dawn of a new era, GPs will begin prescribing the weight-loss jab Mounjaro in the first anti- obesity rollout of its kind. More than three million people are thought to be eligible for tirzepatide - the active drug in Mounjaro - the strongest jab on the market. Health chiefs hope it will turn the tide on England's obesity crisis which has seen rates double since the 1990s. Injections including Ozempic and Wegovy have previously only been available for type 2 diabetes or through specialist slimming clinics. Family doctors will now be encouraged to prescribe them in a bid to get more people on the meds. Experts hope widespread use will slash work sick days and boost the economy, while reducing rates of cancer, heart disease and dementia. But demand for the drugs is already huge and NHS clinics cannot dish them out fast enough. Here is everything you need to know as the rollout begins: What is Mounjaro and what has it been used for so far? 5 FOR anyone who has missed the frenzy, Mounjaro, aka tirzepatide, is the newest weight loss injection used on the NHS. It has been around since 2022 and triggers fullness hormones in the gut to prevent hunger and over-eating. This works the same as older jabs Wegovy and Ozempic, all known as GLP-1 agonists, but a recent trial showed it is more effective. A head-to-head study in the New England Journal of Medicine found Mounjaro caused 20 per cent weight loss over 18 months, while semaglutide – the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic – led to 14 per cent. All the jabs were originally invented to treat type 2 diabetes but trials found they could also cause major weight loss. Pharma firms have cashed in on the discovery and UK prescriptions have skyrocketed. NHS prescriptions of Mounjaro in England surged from just 3,300 in 2023 to 1.1million last year, and more than a million people are estimated to be buying it online. Weight Loss Jabs - Pros vs Cons Who will be eligible in the new rollout? THE new rollout starting on Monday will allow GPs to prescribe tirzepatide for weight loss, starting with those patients whose weight places them at greatest health risk. Top of the list will be those with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher and four weight-related health conditions. A BMI of 40 is roughly equal to weighing 16st (102kg) for an average height 5'3' woman, or 19st 6lbs (123kg) for an average 5'9' man. Weight-related conditions include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease. Patients will likely be expected to have tried diet and exercise first before being offered a jab. Many are likely to miss out, as some 13.5million adults in England are obese but only 3.4million are estimated to be eligible in the rollout. How will the rollout be run and what is new? 5 WHAT'S new is that the rollout will be the first run by NHS primary care, led by GP surgeries. In theory this should make life easier for patients – but GPs will not be able to meet the huge demand. NHS bosses have admitted it will take a staggering 12 years to treat everyone who is eligible. Just 220,000 extra people are likely to get Mounjaro by 2028. Private prescriptions, costing about £100-£150 per month, already vastly outnumber that and are rising. Health Secretary Wes Streeting wants a faster rollout and more widespread use of the drugs but patients must also receive regular check-ups and lifestyle help. Officials are investigating whether they can dish them out through pharmacies or the NHS app to take a load off GPs. Professor Jason Halford, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, said: 'These drugs have the potential to help millions. 'If the government and NHS are serious about prevention they need to reconsider their position on the speed of the rollout of these drugs.' Professor John Deanfield, a heart doctor at University College London, added: 'These drugs provide a real opportunity to delay many diseases of ageing all at the same time and potentially transform society. 'I hope it won't take 10 years to do something that is so needed.' What if my GP says no? MANY people are expected to miss out and some surgeries are already pouring cold water on patients' hopes. Fairhill Medical Practice in Kingston upon Thames said: 'Once we are able to prescribe weight loss injections they will be offered to those with the highest medical need only, which may mean that a lot of patients will be disappointed.' Millions who meet the prescription criteria will simply have to be denied the drugs because doctors are so busy. On top of everything else England's 6,300 doctors' surgeries have to deal with, they do not have the capacity to offer the necessary long-term supervision for millions more people at once. Experts reckon private prescriptions will rocket even more as frustrated patients give up waiting. If you are eligible but your GP denies you a prescription, you may be able to ask for a referral to specialist weight management services. Known as tier 2 and tier 3 weight management services, they may prescribe the jabs after other weight loss attempts. Many people are expected to find it easier to go private, with the injections widely available from high street pharmacies like Boots, Superdrug, and even Asda. Olivier Picard, of the National Pharmacy Association, said: 'NHS provision won't meet demand straight away, so we fully expect that many people will continue seeking it privately.' Advice for people buying them privately BUYING the drugs online might seem like the faster fix – but buyer beware. Slimming success stories are everywhere but so, too, are tales of horror. Many patients have been duped by dodgy sellers, suffered severe side effects or even died after taking jabs they bought online. Bargain prices, easy tick-box applications, or prescriptions with no follow-up, should all be red flags to online shoppers. Many pharmacies have been rapped for giving them away to people who do not meet the obesity criteria, potentially putting their health at risk. Dose strength is partly based on size and pretending you are fatter than you are could mean you end up with a medication too strong for your body, raising the risk of serious side effects. The most common side effects from the injections include feeling sick, vomiting, diarrhoea or other gut troubles. If not treated properly people can suffer more serious impacts like dehydration, gallstones, pancreatitis or allergic reactions – and more than 100 deaths in the UK have so far been linked to the jabs. The General Pharmaceutical Council issued new rules in February to say that all pharmacies must verify a patient's height and weight, and conduct at least a video call – if not face-to-face appointment – before prescribing weight loss injections. Dr Emily Pegg, associate vice president at Lilly, which makes Mounjaro, said: 'This is still a prescription-only medicine, should only be prescribed by a registered healthcare professional and needs to be dispensed by a registered pharmacy. 'It is not something that people should be able to buy by just going out and going on to a social media site and clicking a button and it gets delivered to them. 'That is not appropriate and is probably illegal. 'Patient safety is a high priority.' Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. Future of fat jabs WHILE the Mounjaro rollout is expected to kick off with a whimper and not a bang, it is hoped it will mark the beginning of a new era in weight loss medicine. Brits have been getting gradually fatter for decades and no medication or government policy has managed to beat the bulge. The drugs appear super-effective, reasonably priced and relatively safe, and could help millions slim down after failed diets. They are expected to reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes, cancer and dementia. And studies increasingly show they improve health in other ways on top of weight loss, too, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. NHS medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, believes they could one day be as transformative as cholesterol-lowering statins, which have slashed heart attacks since they were rolled out decades ago. Prof Powis said: 'I think over time it's highly likely that these drugs will become more widespread. 'I think there will be a combination of increased evidence of positive outcomes and costs dropping, and we will learn better how to deploy them. 'This is very exciting – we're in the foothills of learning how to use them.'

The Independent

an hour ago

• The Independent

New daily weight loss pill to rival injections

A new daily Weight Loss pill, amycretin, developed by Novo Nordisk, has shown promising results in initial studies. In trials, patients receiving weekly amycretin injections lost an average of 24.3 percent of their body weight over 36 weeks. Patients taking daily amycretin tablets achieved an average w eight loss of 13.1 percent over 12 weeks. Amycretin works by targeting GLP-1 and amylin receptors to help control blood sugar and appetite. Side effects, including nausea and vomiting, were reported as mostly mild to moderate and resolved by the end of treatment.

Daily Mail​

2 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

'I've never smoked and I'm teetotal - yet I've become addicted to vaping in my 60s.' MARY KILLEN on her compulsive habit

The other day I was congratulating myself for the fact that I seem perfectly able to spring out of bed at around 6am each morning, even when I've been up till 2am. 'I must be quite fit,' I told myself. Then the reason I can get up so early dawned on me. It's because my body has woken me. It wants to see action because it wants more nicotine to be delivered via my electronic cigarette. I began vaping a couple of years ago when the rather cool 22-year-old son of a friend offered me a puff of his Juul, which is an elegant black rectangular stick.