A B C OF OBESITY AND HOW TO CONTROL IT

The biggest contributor to obesity rates are fast food, soft drinks and other food and beverages.

According to the World Health Organization, out of the world's seven billion people, one billion are overweight. Where as numbers are comparatively more in North America and developed counties. Approximately 65 million adult Americans are now obese. Asia and India in particular is not for behind .

The Health risks associated with obesity are: varicose veins, hypertension, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, deep vein thrombosis, vascular disease, heartburn, fatty liver disease, low back pain, joint disease, stroke and so on . But this is not the end of the world, here are the steps which will help you to fight obesity:-

1. Control Your Appetite

Some people “Live to eat and second category is they eat to live” but all of us feel need for food almost every day as our body has powerful mechanisms to keep us interested in food and seeking after nourishment. All of us eat when we sense an inner need for food. We tend to eat until we sense a feeling of fullness.

People of normal weight don't tend to experience frequent and unhealthy food cravings, and they usually feel hungry at appropriate times. Unfortunately, overweight and obese individuals, controlling appetite is different. If you want to get your weight under control and remain at an ideal weight for life, you must get this unhealthy appetite control system restored to a healthy state where you are free from excessive food cravings and an appetite in overdrive.

2. Get The Blood Sugar Stable

The symptoms and signs common for blood sugar changes are:-

·       Difficult to lose weight.

·       Sweets craving.

·       Feeling better after eating food.

·       Irritable if missing a meal.

·       Feeling a bit spacey and disconnected.

·       Get anxious for no apparent reason.

·       Waking up often during the night.

·       Feel hungry all of the time.

Blood sugar instability is a major factor for the increased appetite hence Low carb and no carb diets can produce quick and dramatic results, but they most often lead to rebound weight gain.

The body works hard to keep blood sugar normal as insulin resistance develops by releasing higher than normal amounts of insulin.

Choose carbohydrates wisely and to consume modest portion sizes. Here are a few guidelines to help you better food selection:-

• Read labels carefully. If sugar, flour, fat, or salt are among the first three ingredients listed, it is not probably a good option.
• Be aware that words appearing on the label, such as sucrose, glucose, maltose, lactose, corn syrup, means that sugar has been added.
• Look for number of grams of fat. For every five grams of fat in serving, you are eating the equivalent of one teaspoon of fat.
• Increase your intake of dietary fiber. Eating high fiber foods in abundance reduces hunger. Here are some good suggestions: eat fresh vegetables and fruits for snacks; eat only whole grains.
• Make a commitment with your self for  regular exercise. Moderate exercise helps to stabilize the appetite, normalize blood sugar levels and increase muscle mass.

3. Transform Your Habits

The primary factor that will determine whether you are successful at losing weight is how ready you are for change. In order to experience positive changes, you must adopt the fallowing habits:

• Reduce portion sizes for higher calorie foods and increase portion sizes of low-calorie foods. Portion control can take some time to master, but will be helpful in long-term weight control.
• Take your time when eating. One of the most simplest and most effective strategies for losing weight is to practice eating slowly.
• Plan what you are going to eat. Eating on the run and grabbing food on impulse promotes wrong food choices that can easily pack on extra calories.

If you have a weight problem, you probably have certain habits that work against your desire to achieve and maintain an ideal body weight. Perhaps bad eating habits are the primary reason why you fail in your weight loss efforts or why you gain weight back after successfully losing weight. To overcome bad eating habits, you need to increase awareness of the bad habits.

4. Reduce The Stress

One of the consequences of the stress response is abdominal fat cell growth and loss of muscle mass, which leads to insulin resistance ,obesity and raises blood sugar levels.

Conditions linked to stress: angina, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, colds, depression, diabetes, headaches, high blood pressure, lowered immunity, obesity, arthritis, etc.

To manage stress, calm the mind and the body; include physical exercise in your lifestyle; get a good night sleep. 

5. Tone Your Muscles

Regular physical exercise is obviously a major key to good health. The ability to lose weight with exercise is a direct reflection of a person's muscle mass. The more muscle mass that you have, the more fat you burn.

In both men and women, muscle mass increases throughout adolescence and peaks during the late teens through the mid to late 20s. After that, muscle mass declines slowly but quite relentlessly, in most people. Unless muscles are specifically exercised through weight training, we lose about one percent of our lean muscle mass every year until we are 50.

The most important step to prevent muscle loss is to follow a regular strength training program by lifting weights or engaging in resistance exercises. The benefits of strength training are amazing. In additions to helping burn more fat, a larger muscle mass is associated with a healthier heart, improved joint function, relief from arthritis pain, better antioxidant protection and higher self-esteem.

Physical inactivity is a major reason why so many Americans are overweight. If you are trying to lose weight, you definitely need to exercise as well. When exercise is included in a weight-loss program, there is usually an improvement in body composition due to a gain in lean body weight because of an increase in muscle mass and an accompanying decrease in body fat. 

Moderate to intense exercise may have an appetite Exercise helps diminish anxiety and reduces depressions which are the two major factors that drive people to the refrigerator in their search to find a sense of comfort.

The benefits of regular exercise:

• Increases muscle strength and muscle mass
• Increases flexibility of muscles and range of joint motion
• Produces stronger bones, ligaments, and tendons
• Lessens chance of injury
• Enhances posture, and physique
• Prevents osteoporosis
• Lowers resting heart rate
• Strengthens heart function

suppressant effect. Individuals who exercise during and after weight reduction are better able to maintain the weight loss than those who do not exercise.

• Lowers blood pressure
• Improves oxygen delivery throughout the body
• Increases blood supply to muscles
• Enlarges the arteries that provide blood to the heart muscle
• Reduces the risk of coronary heart disease
• Helps lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels
• Improves immune function
• Aids digestion and elimination
• Increases endurance and energy levels
• Increases insulin sensitivity
• Promotes lean body mass; burns fat
• Improves sexual function in both men and women
• Helps reduce tension and anxiety
• Improves mental outlook and self-esteem
• Helps relieve moderate depression
• Improves the ability to handle stress
• Stimulates improved mental function
• Induces relaxation and improves sleep