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On4/2/99 11:15 PM, Leslie wrote: >I read in the LA Times-Valley Edition an article concerning weight >loss through hyperbaric treatment [snip] The newsletter claimed that >the high pressures "squeezed fat" into the tissues and bloodstream and >therefore was carried out by metabolic process". They were touting that >hyperbaric treatment could be the new wave of rapid weight loss in the >future. > I have one question: I do not seem any thinner after a very long dive >at pressures greater than 2 ATA, then how can this be possible other >than water loss? Any explanations or opinions? Leslie - Only in LA -- and especially the Valley -- would an idea this goofy get reported. The "high pressures squeezes fat into the bloodstream" theory can't be right because, for purposes of pressure transmission, the body is essentially water that uniformly distributes pressure. (The same way water distributes pressure when tanks are hydro tested.) There are no areas of lower pressure for the fat to get squeezed into. I would think that the majority of the observed weight loss is from water -- just as you suspected. Chambers get hot as they're pressurized (Dalton's law) and people sweat -- no mystery there -- plus the atmosphere (medical grade O2) is very, very dry. On the other hand, maybe you can get some bigtime LA movie producers to fund *lots* of hyperbaric chambers and open up "high pressure weight loss" clinics. Then in six months, when the next unsubstantiated diet fad comes along, DAN can pick up the surplus chambers for a song and put them where they're really needed. Might be a plan. Best regards -- Bill
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