If you have skin tags or darker/thicker lines or patches on the neck, you may have a condition called Acanthosis nigricans. This leads insulin resistance, a precursor to prediabetes or metabolic syndrome leading to unhealthy belly fat! What is Insulin Resistance? Insulin is the key hormone for fat gain and loss. After you eat carbohydrates, your blood sugar levels will increase. It is the insulin’s job to push the glucose into the cells where it is used for energy. Insulin also helps muscles, fat and liver cells store sugar that can be released when it is needed. If the body takes in too much simple sugars found in carbohydrates, the cells are bombarded with so much insulin that the “doors” begin to malfunction and shut down. If the doors aren’t open, the pancreas feels the need to produce even more insulin to push into the cells because it cannot perform its function to lower sugar levels, tending to leave the insulin floating in the blood stream. A vicious cycle is now in place resulting in a condition called Insulin resistance. How does insulin resistance cause weight gain? Since insulin resistance leads to compensation from the body wherein the body produces more insulin in order to keep the blood sugars under control, it leads to high levels of this “anabolic” or body building hormone called insulin. Also, insulin has a tendency to redistribute the weight to the upper part of the body and the abdomen – a type of fat known as visceral fat! Research has shown that intra-abdominal fat or visceral fat leads to increased production of pro-inflamatory cytokines which in turn lead to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and even increase the risk of many cancers! How common is the problem? Currently, up to 70 percent of the population of the United States have some degree of Insulin Resistance with about a third of the population meeting the criteria for Metabolic Syndrome. Every time your body takes carbohydrates, you need insulin. The glycemic indexes of foods determine how fast the sugar is absorbed into the blood stream. Over a time of eating high glycemic index diets such as white bread, white rice, potatoes, French fries, soft drinks etc, the body becomes insulin resistant. In order to compensate, our body produces more insulin. Insulin resistance inhibits our fat cells from giving up their stores of energy to let us lose weight. The more overweight we are, the more insulin resistant we tend to become and can cause adverse health effects. Since abdominal fat produces harmful cytokines leading to body inflammation, it is imperative that reducing insulin resistance would be the key to reduce the risk of a condition known as metabolic syndrome or pre-diabetes. How do you diagnose Metabolic Syndrome? Affecting up to 35 percent of all adults in the United States, the criteria for metabolic syndrome is common and serious.

1. ACANTHOSIS
NIGRICANS
by W8MD medical weight loss centers of
America

2. WHAT IS ACANTHOSIS
NIGRICANS?
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•
•
Do you have skin tags or darker / thicker
lines on the neck?
If yes, you may have what is called
acanthosis nigricans, a common sign of
insulin resistance causing weight gain!
Acanthosis is a darker, or thicker area with
or without skin tags on the neck, axilla,
groin or other areas that indicates insulin
resistance

3. W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Acanthosis nigricans of the neck

4. W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Skin tags

5. W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Dark patch or line on the back of neck

6. W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Acanthosis
nigricans of the
neck in an
African
American lady

7. W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Skin tags and
acanthosis

8. W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Skin tags

9. W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
Acanthosis

10. W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
•
•
•
•
•
What does Acanthosis
Acanthosis nigricans indicates underlying
indicate?
metabolic problems like insulin resistance.
What is insulin resistance and why is it
important?
Insulin is a hormone that helps our body utilize
glucose.
If the body is insulin resistant, it means that it
has to produce more and more of the anabolic
or body building hormone called insulin
This phenomenon, called insulin resistance,
leads to weight gain, metabolic problems like
prediabetes, diabetes, and can lead to weight
gain!

11. CDC prediabetes stats 1 in 3 have it!
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America

12. Learn more on W8MD’s physician
supervised medical weight loss
• If you are overweight and have excess abdominal fat, a
weight-related medical problem, or a family history of
such problems, you need to lose weight. Healthy diets
and exercise can help people maintain a healthy weight,
and may also help them lose weight. It is important to
recognize that overweight is a chronic condition which can
only be controlled with long-term changes.
W8MD medical weight loss centers of America

13. W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
How can W8MD help?
Did you know that 1 in 3 people have
insulin resistance or are considered
“prediabetic" which could be the main
reason that people are overweight?
Losing just5-10% of your weight will
help you reduce risks of heart attacks,
diabetes and even some cancers.
Learn more at http://www.w8md.com
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14. W8MD medical weight loss centers of America

15. W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
VLCD

16. W8MD medical weight loss centers of America
W8MD’s Insurance covered medical
weight loss locations
• W8MD medical weight loss center locations that accept
health insurance
• NYC Insurance Weight Loss Center: 2003, Bath Avenue, Brooklyn,
NY, 11214 Phone: 1-718-946-5500
• Philadelphia Insurance Weight Loss Center: 1718, Welsh Rd,
Philadelphia, PA, 19115 Phone: 1-215-676-2334
• King Of Prussia Weight Loss Center: 987 Old Eagle School Rd, Ste
712, Wayne, PA, 19087 Phone: 1-800-986-3007