Overcoming Obesity

In order to overcome obesity, one must first understand what nutrition and metabolism are. This article will cover what nutrition and metabolism are, what obesity is, and the symptoms of obesity. This article will also discuss the risks of obesity and the treatments available. You will learn a healthy way to change your lifestyle to help you loose weight with simple techniques you can use everyday.

Metabolism is the term used when describing the chemical processes in which your body changes air, food, and other materials into substances that it needs to function properly. In broad terms metabolism is the same for everyone, when looked at in detail, it is quite different for all of us. For example, the chemical balance in ones body and the rate of metabolism is different from those of other people. These differences are determined mostly by your genes, what you have inherited.

Generally, there are two types of metabolic disorders related to the digestive system. The first includes problems caused by poor nutrition, in other words, eating and drinking the wrong kinds of food or the wrong amounts. This disorder is the most common and can easily be eliminated by changing your diet. The second type of metabolic disorder is genetic, or inherited from ones parents. This type of disorder usually cannot be cured although the symptoms can often be controlled by modifying your diet or environment. Most people who are obese can reduce their weight by eating less. There are other factors that may apply, such as a lack of exercise, cultural eating patterns, psychological issues, and medications you are taking. Vitamins also play an essential role in healthy metabolism, therefore, if you have a vitamin deficiency, this may affect your weight.

A person is considered obese when they exceed the recommended weight for their height, build and age by more than 20 percent. One is considered morbidly obese when you reach 100 pounds over your recommended weight. If you eat more calories than your body needs for the energy you expend, your body will store the excess as fat. The basic needs of most people are, enough food a day to provide around 2000 calories for an active woman and 2500 calories for an active man.

The symptoms for obesity are very easy to spot. There are only a few symptoms, they are:

1 increase in weight

2 BMI (body mass index, your height to weight ratio) greater than 25

3 Weight that exceeds the ideal as shown in weight for height table

4 waistline that has a measurement of more than 35 inches for a woman and 40 inches for a man

Obesity is also associated with a wide range of serious disorders with many other symptoms.

Statistics have been compiled by many insurance companies and health organizations. All of the statistics show that obesity is associated with increases in illness and death from diabetes, stroke, coronary artery disease, kidney and gallbladder disorders. The more overweight you are, the higher, the risk for these diseases. The statistics show that if you are more than 40 percent overweight, you are twice as likely to die from coronary artery disease as a person who is not overweight. There are also more direct draw backs to obesity. Obesity contributes directly to high blood pressure, diabetes, also surgical and anesthetic complications. Childbirth is also more risky for both the mother and the child.

What to Do:

1 Eat low-density foods.

Low-density foods, like fruits and vegetables are bulky and filling, they also do not carry a lot of calories. High-density foods, like potato chips, have tons of calories packed into a small serving, because they are loaded with fats and sugars.

2 Eat smaller serving sizes.

The more you have on your plate, the more you will eat. Luckily, the opposite is true also. Try eating off of a smaller plate in order to reduce the size of your portions.

3 Get rid of high-calorie drinks.

We've all heard of a beer belly,but have you ever heard of a soda belly? You can put on pounds without realizing it by drinking high-calorie beverages. You can take in hundreds of empty calories each day and your body doesn't even register it because the liquids go right through you. Instead, replace most of the high-calorie drinks with low- or no-calorie ones like tea or water. You'll no longer be thirsty and could easily loose pounds. Water is a natural fountain of youth! Water helps you loose weight, improve digestion, cushion joints, keeps skin from drying out and helps your body heal after surgery. Water has zero calories, using it as a substitute for high calorie drinks will give you a clear advantage.

4 Get Fiber-A lot!

Chances are your not getting enough fiber in your diet. Obesity rates are tied to the amount of fiber people eat. You'll need to change your diet to include more fruits and vegetables because most fiber comes from plants. You will find high fiber in whole-grain foods, legumes, leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, root vegetables, and their skins, and bran flakes. These foods not only allow more food on your plate, they work on several levels to help you stay thin.

Fiber offers more food per calorie-

Most of the dietary fiber cannot be digested, the fiber still fills you but your body doesn't absorb all of the calories.

Meals are prolonged-

A high fiber diet requires a lot of chewing and swallowing, it can take a while to finish a meal. So, you won't have to give up the joy of eating when you add fiber to your diet.

You will stay fuller longer-

The thick gel that fiber forms slows down the movement of food out of you stomach, so you will end up processing your food much more slowly.

Stabilize your blood sugar with fiber-

Instead of getting surges of sugar from food, your body gets its energy in steady amounts, which will help control insulin levels throughout the day.

By changing your fiber intake, without altering anything else in your diet, you could loose a couple of pounds a month.

5 Get Fit

All you need is a sensible, moderate activity level. Try to get 30 minutes of exercise almost everyday of the week. This does not have to be done all at once, you can split up the 30 minutes and spread the exercise throughout your day when you have free time. Any activity that gets you a little out of breath and perspiring for 30 minutes counts, such as raking the leaves, cleaning up around the house, or gardening. You can also walk everyday. You should try to take at least 10,000 steps everyday this is the equivalent of a steady 30 minute work out.

Boost your work out with honey!

Before starting your workout, take one tablespoon of honey followed by a cup of water. You can also do this anytime you need an extra boost of energy during your workout. A spoonful after your workout will help your muscles recuperate, because it's a great source of carbohydrates, and your body needs them to replace the ones you burned.

6 Reducing stress will help you keep the fat off.

Stress releases chemicals that cause fat to shift from other parts of your body to your midsection. Try listening to music, talking with a friend, meditating, or doing yoga to help relieve stress. Reducing stress may also help you keep a positive attitude, which will make it easier to stick to your diet and exercise plan.

If these tips do not help, you may need professional help. There are anti-obesity drugs, although many physicians prefer not to prescribe them because they can have strong side-effects. Most of these drugs are appetite suppressants, and most obese people do not suffer from excess appetites. Your physician may send you for psychological help. Or you may try these drastic forms of treatment.

1 Teeth wiring- Your teeth are wired together so that you cannot open your mouth to eat. The wiring is kept in place several weeks causing dramatic weight loss.

2 Intestinal by-pass surgery- The by-pass procedure reduces the area of intestine through which food can be absorbed. It also diminishes appetite.

Around 60 percent of obese people who are treated with a drastic form of weight management do manage to loose weight. Nevertheless, the rewards are often short lived, for a high percentage of these people, usually regain the lost weight.

Despite sage advice against dieting from physicians and national experts, we continue doing it. 84 percent of women and 77 percent of men still on on diets when they want to loose weight, even though most "diets" fail. In order to loose weight, you have to change your lifestyle. You have to make changes that you can stick to for good. This article discussed many lifestyle changes you can make in order to loose weight and be a healthier, you.

Sources:

The Healing Foods- By Patricia Hausman and Judith Ben Hurley

Preventions Giant Book of Health Facts By Prevention

Great Health Hints By Readers Digest