Being overweight and obese is one of the most horrible things that can ever happen to someone. It can make one to lose self-worth and respect. But worse than this, obesity is a silent killer. No wonder, war has been waged against it on many fronts. There are so many options that some have resorted to in order to fight this monster, from fasting to a more drastic measure such as a surgical operation to bypass certain areas of the digestive tract or sucking out fat deposit all to no avail. The battle rages back and forth, as fat cells once defeated come storming back often with reinforcements. Is your situation similar to this? Or are you concerned about being overweight? Do you lose weight only to gain it again? If your answer to these questions is resounding YES! Don’t get discouraged. Victory is certain. So grid up the loins of your mind and pay attention to the secret weapons shared in this article that can help you successfully battle against fat.
Highlights
- Overweight and Obesity what is the cause?
- How can you know if you are overweight?
- What’s the best way to lose weight?
- Fighting overweight and obesity does it really worth the effort?
Overweight and Obesity what is the cause?
Regarding the causes of overweight, there are arrays of conflicting opinions. However, in many cases, obesity or overweight is simply the result of poor nutritional habits and a lack of exercise. Fatty foods—such as cheeseburgers or foods fried in fat may account for obesity in some countries. However, the major cause is that most manufacturers now add more sugar to foods such as soft drinks and pastries “to make them taste better. Research has shown that sugary foods are low in nutrition and high in calories. At the same time, too much salt in food such as a lean piece of beef causes the body to retain water and this can make one gain weight. How much you eat can be as important as what you eat. So, those who eat too much have a higher tendency to be overweight. However, you might say there are people who never seem to gain any weight, no matter how much they eat. This can be explained by the fact that the rate of metabolism (i.e the building up (anabolism) and tearing down (catabolism) of our body tissues) by individuals differ. Furthermore, recent findings have also shown that ‘Fat people don’t know when they are hungry and they don’t know when they are full.’ This may be as a result of the appestat, located in the hypothalamus, which governs the hunger and satiety sensations. In addition, as one grows older, less food is needed meanwhile one appetite remains the same. Thus, gaining weight as one grows older is a common thing. Advanced technology has reduced drastically physical activities, as a result, people get less exercise, which have resulted in a decrease in metabolic rate, thereby resulting in fat deposition. Aside from poor nutrition and physical exercise other factors that may cause overweight and obesity is hereditary factor although this has been argued according to the book food fight “Your heredity doesn’t mean you’re destined to be fat. . . . No matter what your genes say, it is ultimately your choices in nutrition and physical activity that will determine your weight.”
How can you know if you are overweight?
The best way to confirm if you are too fat is to take between your fingers a fold of skin, perhaps at the back of your upper arm. If it is more than an inch thick, then you are most likely to be overweight. Another method is to check your BMI (body mass index). BMI can be defined as a height-to-weight ratio that can help one to define whether is overweight or already obese. BMI rating of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered the healthiest. If your BMI is between 25 and 29.9, then you are overweight. While a BMI over 30 is viewed as obese.
What’s the best way to lose weight?
Among the 3 methods highlighted below which of them do you think is the best strategy to combat overweight?
- Skip meals.
- Take weight-loss pills, Laxatives.
- Combine a balanced diet with exercise.
Well without beating around the bush the best approach is Method 3: Combine a balanced diet with exercise. Why? You may ask. The first two methods might offer quick results. However, they have serious side effects and at the same time may not be sustainable. In fact, those that have opted for the first 2 methods usually regain the weight once they return to their usual eating habits. On the other hand, the safest, healthiest, and most long-lasting results come from adopting method 3, and this calls for a total lifestyle change. So what is the secret of using diet to fight overweight and obesity? The following secret point will guide you.
Secret weapon 1: Chose your diet wisely
The analysis of food taken in communities where people live above 100 years can help one make a good choice. Those communities have one thing in common: they take food that is low in calories but rich in vitamins. As a result, obesity is rare among them. Foods high in calories and low in nutrients are not the right foods for weight reduction. Fats and simple sugars are loaded with calories but empty of nourishment. The right foods for both weight control and nourishment are the more complex carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables; by replacing junk food with healthy whole foods [nonprocessed food complexes] one can be pretty confident that he’s getting necessary nutrients and not ‘empty’ calories. In addition replace beef, lamb, and pork with meat that contains less fat preferably from fish and fowl. Although organ meats, such as liver, may confer some dietary benefits, it should be noted that they are frequently high in cholesterol. Instead of using animal fat, solid shortening, or ghee use vegetable oil and soft margarine. Avoid the use of such vegetable oils as palm oil and coconut oil, which are high in saturated fats. And drastically limit your consumption of commercially-made bakery products—doughnuts, cakes, cookies, and pies—since they commonly contain saturated fats. Also, replace ice cream with ice milk, sherbet, or low-fat frozen yogurt. So here is the secret rather than counting the calories try to know the source of calories you are taking. But here are some warnings aside from choosing the right diet it is essential for one struggling with losing weight to avoid skipping breakfast. According to the New Teenage Body Book if one has the habit of skipping breakfast such one tends to load on food and calories late in the day. The second warning is to avoid eating fast. This is because It takes the stomach about 20 minutes to signal the brain that it is full. Thus, eating slowly will help you to “eat to satisfaction,” but no more!
Secret weapon 2: Drink Water
Water! Is a substance that is good for you, it can fill you up almost instantly, contains no calories whatsoever, is low in sodium, it is an appetite suppressant, and is cheap. Research has shown that drinking six to eight glasses of water daily will help you reduce body fat deposits. How? If there is inadequate water, the kidney will fail to function properly. To cover for this the liver steps in, but this will prevent effective metabolism of fat in the liver. As a result, fat will remain stored in the body and you gain weight. Thus, if you want the liver to effectively metabolize fat, then it is essential to drink enough water. Although, some have argued that water retention is also responsible for weight gain. As a result, such one has advocated for reducing water intake. However, such ideology is not true. In fact, when the body is lacking enough water it tends to hold on to every available drop by storing it in such places as the feet, the hands, and the legs. So nutritionists recommend that we give our body what it needs—enough water. And never forget, the more salt you consume, the more water you will retain to dilute it.
Secret weapon 3: Engage in regular physical exercise
Although the most important weapon in fighting overweight is by eating defensively, however, you will not shed pounds unless you turn up your brain’s “thermostat. And this can only be done by engaging in moderate aerobic exercise for about 20 minutes at least three times a week. Something as simple as a brisk walk or stair climbing may suffice. Exercise helps you look leaner and trimmer no matter what your weight or body type. As it turns up your metabolic furnace, you burn calories, and you burn fat. Through exercise, you can alter your body chemistry. You can increase your muscle mass, and muscles burn calories even when you’re sleeping! In addition exercise, especially aerobic one can stimulate the heart to pump at a faster rate, thus increasing the amount of oxygen supply to the body to burn fat. And according to scientists, there are certain sets of enzymes that are needed for the burning of fats. If these enzymes are lacking in the body no doubt “you are going to get fat. These enzymes will increase only if you stimulate DNA by exercise.
Fighting overweight and obesity does it really worth the effort?
Being overweight or obese can lead to severe health problems. Excessive fat can trigger joint problems, respiratory ailments, and diabetes, as well as killers such as heart disease and colon cancer that can afflict one later in life.
Frightening? Yet the list is endless. No wonder every right-thinking person will not take the fight against this killer disease lightly. Although, the struggle may drag on, as temporary successes are followed by disheartening failures, however, victory lies ahead for the hardy ones who persevere. So it is essential that you resist unthinking hostesses who urge you to eat what you shouldn’t. You must ignore the simplistic proclamations of the uninformed: “If you didn’t overeat, you wouldn’t be overweight!” They make it sound simple, but it is very complex. It is true that if you do not eat more calories than you burn up, you will not gain weight. In many cases, however, not all calories eaten are burned up. For various reasons, many of them are stored as fat in fat cells. So for the overweight, it can at times be a lonely battle, except for supportive friends aware of the odds against which they struggle. And those odds may be formidable indeed if you apply the suggestions in this article.
Final Remark
With persistence and determination, you can win your battle against excess weight. Know what you have to do, and do it! Eat the right things in the right amounts and trust your body to put them to the right use. Complement your diet with moderate regular exercise which will help you in making the essential enzymes needed to burn more fats for energy— Granted, losing weight may take time but the fight is worth the effort.
By Sara Ibrahim BJ, MS. Certified Board Member
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