Obesity

It has been said, "Your body is a temple." Few people realize this and even fewer treat it as such. Your body is the only material thing that you cannot lose until death. Everything else can be taken away. Your body is all you have in the world.

We are primarily responsible for our health. There are the risk factors of genetics, toxic environments and the like, but our emotional and lifestyle choices determine our health and well being more than anything else.
Over the recent year rates of overweight and obesity are escalating rapidly to epidemic proportion in many parts of the world including India, reflecting increasing consumption of high energy diets rich in fats and sugars, compounded by declining levels of physical activity.

Define:

Obesity is a state in which there is a generalized accumulation of excess adipose tissue in the body leading to more than 20 percent of the desirable weight.

What can be health risks of Obesity?

Obesity invites disability, disease and premature deaths. Excess body weight is a hindrance, leading to breathlessness on moderate exertion and predisposes a person to diseases like arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, gall bladder diseases and osteorthritis of weight bearing joints, varicose veins. Obese men have a higher mortality rate from cancers of the colon, rectum, and prostate; obese women from cancers of the gallbladder, billiary passages, breast (postmenopausal), uterus, and ovaries, obese individuals may have shorter than normal life span.

Following diseases have definite proven link with Obesity

      ·       Hypertension (High Blood pressure)

      ·       Diabetes

      ·      Cardiovascular diseases

      ·      Stroke

      ·     Gall bladder diseases

      ·     Osteorthritis of weight bearing joints

      ·     Cancers

      ·     Depression

      ·     Gout

      ·     Respiratory Problems- Sleep apnea

How to control?

Long-term weight control requires a permanent sense of awareness and lifelong habit change. Clients must be willing to devote much time and long-term effort in order to change lifestyle habits that have contributed to the weight problem.

Are crash diets are good?

Crash diets, gimmicky fads and schemes may cause temporary weight loss due to an increase in eating awareness and a forced change in habits, yet any results are impermanent. As soon as diet is forsaken, any lose weight is regained- usually with additional poundage.

Weight reducing diets must be low in total calories and yet ensure optimum intake of all nutrients. Diet restriction should be combined with exercise.

What is the goal of weight loss program?

In weight loss programs, individual eating practices and levels of physical activity function together to determine body weight and body fat. The ultimate goal is to establish a permanent lifestyle changes in both food consumption and physical activity patterns for the attainment and maintenance of healthful body weight and fat.

Why Lifestyle changes are needed?

Focus on health, not diets. Diets are hard to maintain and usually do not work in the long run. It is very hard to stick with a diet that includes lots of big changes in your eating habits.

Instead of a diet, focus on lifestyle changes that will improve your health and achieve the right balance of energy and calories. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in. You can do it by eating healthy foods in reasonable amounts and becoming more active. And you need to do it every day.

Little steps mean a lot. Losing just 10 pounds can make a difference in your health.

For more information log on to: www.dacindia.com