Obesity is a common health problem that we encounter in our day-to-day life. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity is the abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat that presents a risk to health(1).
Obesity is measured by a parameter known as Body Mass Index. Body weight in kilograms and height is needed as measurements. According to the BMI values you will be defined as normal weight, overweight or obese. Obesity is said to be a curable disease and happens as a result of the metabolic derangement of the body.
According to WHO, the population with obesity has tripled since 1975. In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 650 million were obese(1). Nowadays we see an upgoing trend among people in developed countries with regard to obesity. This is mostly due to increased consumption of high calory containing food and a sedentary lifestyle.
Obesity is a multifactorial disease. It depends on many factors such as the individual’s sex, age, race, activity level, etc. People gain weight when they eat more calories than they burn through activity. This imbalance is the greatest contributor to weight gain(4).
So, when you are having more calories, your exercise routine needs to be a bit more extensive. Other than that depending on your race obesity can vary. Several studies have found that Asians have more body fat compared to Caucasians(2).
Obesity is a significant cause of many long-term illnesses. These include coronary artery disease, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, osteoarthritis, obstructive sleep apnea, etc (5). These will affect the quality of life significantly. Therefore, preventive measures must be taken to get out of obesity.
The following tips will help you to overcome obesity.
1. A healthy diet
As we all know, a balanced diet is very important to keep us healthy. According to Eatwell Guide, a balanced diet contains at least 5 portions of a variety of vegetables/ fruits, high-fiber starchy foods; like rice, potatoes, bread, pasta, a dairy product, beans, and pulses, protein-containing products like fish, meat, eggs and a small amount of unsaturated fatty acids (6). Apart from that, we need to drink plenty of water. A healthy diet will prevent you from becoming overweight/ obese.
2. Engage in regular exercises
Apart from the diet, regular exercises are very important to maintain our body weight and health. Exercise can be divided into aerobic exercises and anaerobic exercises.
Aerobic training will help you to condition your body to use more oxygen through low to high-intensity training. This will improve your cardiovascular system and respiratory system.
Anaerobic training includes high-intensity interval training (HIIT), weight lifting, and other forms of strength training (7). Anaerobic training will improve your muscle and bones and it will help you to burn your fat. If your main concern is weight, anaerobic exercises will play a great deal in reducing your weight.
3. Practice eating mindfully
Mindfulness is an intentional focus on one’s thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations of the external environment. It is a form of meditation in that you are focused on the awareness of external stimuli rather than reacting to one’s situation and choices(8). Eating mindfully will help you to focus on what you eat and will help you to choose what type of food will benefit your health. Practicing mindful eating maybe seems difficult at first, but with time you will realize how beneficial it can be for your health.
4. Control your impulses
Have you ever felt that you cannot stop having food constantly? This is rather a common situation that we see in most people. If we have not trained properly, it is very difficult to control our impulses. So, to control you need to focus and need to learn to avoid your impulses. This will also be a difficult task at first, but with time you will be able to be your own master.
5. Seek support
Obesity can be challenging for any of us. To get out of obesity, you need to put in a significant amount of work and time. Certain goals need to be set to reach your full potential. Seeking support from your friends and health professionals in the field will help you achieve your goals. Fitness instructors, doctors, and dieticians will be useful individuals during this process. So, do not hesitate to seek support from them.
Summary
Obesity is one of the most significant health problems we see in the world and is associated with a large number of long-term illnesses. The number of people with obesity is getting increased day by day. Obesity is a multifactorial disease and the most common causes are the consumption of a high-calorie diet and less exercise for the body. Obesity can be treated with a better understanding and lifestyle measures.
Resources
- World Health Organization: WHO. (2021). Obesity and overweight. www.who.int. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
- Kopelman, P. (2000). Obesity as a medical problem. Nature, 404(6778), 635–643. https://doi.org/10.1038/35007508
- Fnp, K. D. (2023, February 9). 10 tips for successful weight loss. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/303409#10-tips
- What causes obesity & overweight? (2021, July 28). https://www.nichd.nih.gov/. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/obesity/conditioninfo/cause
- Effects of Overweight and Obesity. (2022b, September 24). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/effects/index.html#:~:text=All%2Dcauses%20of%20death%20(mortality,levels%20of%20triglycerides%20(dyslipidemia).
- Website, N. (n.d.). The Eatwell Guide. nhs.uk. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-guidelines-and-food-labels/the-eatwell-guide/
- WebMD Editorial Contributors. (2021, April 8). What Is Anaerobic Exercise? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/what-is-anaerobic-exercise
- Mindful Eating. (2023, February 2). The Nutrition Source. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/mindful-eating/#:~:text=Eating%20mindfully%20means%20that%20you,improve%20the%20overall%20eating%20experience.
