Not everyone should lose weight. And weight loss is certainly not a healthy course of action for everyone.
But almost 108 million obese children and 604 million obese adults around the world would benefit significantly from a weight loss plan.
These numbers come from The New England Journal of Medicine which goes on to state that, “Since 1980, the prevalence of obesity has doubled in more than 70 countries…” And “In 2015, high BMI contributed to 4.0 million deaths…”
Despite this, there remains many misunderstandings about the impact of obesity and equally so about the role of healthy weight loss.
Being overweight is a big deal
By and large, stigmas around “fat people” are based on superficial appearances, where what’s actually happening beneath the skin surface is a secondary concern, if given any consideration at all.
Says Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleaveland Clinic, “Most people understand abstractly that being overweight is not good, but it seems we are not grasping that the leading causes of death and disability: stroke, cancer, and heart disease – are all adversely affected by increased weight”.
The problem is that with so much conflicting information about dieting and exercise crazes, we often don’t know where to start.
Don’t wait to make the effort to start losing weight!
To help you lose weight safely – and keep it off, the UK National Health Service (NHS) shares the following keys to success:
5 Things you can start this week:
- Check your BMI score. This based on your height and weight ratio and is used to determine whether a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese – according to the charts for different genders age groups.
- Try to have breakfast every morning. According to the NHS, “research suggests people who eat breakfast are slimmer because they tend to eat less during the day – particularly fewer high-calorie snacks”. Choose energy sustaining foods that include protein and fibre. Think porridge oats, muesli and plain yoghurt, scrambled eggs on whole-meal toast or a green smoothie.
- Be mindful of what you drink. Cut back on sugary beverages, including energy drinks, sweetened fruit juices, fizzy sodas and hot beverages which are often high in calories and caffeine. Aim to drink at least 6 – 8 glasses of water per day.
- Find a way to fit in just one extra walk into your day. “A brisk 10 minute walk has lots of health benefits and counts toward your recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise” – NHS.
- Plan a healthy weekly shop and avoid eating out or getting take-aways more than twice per week. “While they are often cheap, convenient and satisfying…”, states the NHS, “some takeaways can push you over your recommended maximum amount of salt and fat, which can lead to a variety of health problems, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Once you are on the way, there is a lot of information and advice out there that can keep you going. Starting by literally taking a few steps in the right direction everyday will go a long way to improve your health and extend your life.
References
GBD Obesity Collaborators (2015) Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity in 195 Countries over 25 Years. Available at The New England Journal of Medicine [online] https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1614362?query=featured_home
The National Health Service weight loss plan (ND). Losing weight – getting started. Available at NHS [online] https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/start-losing-weight/
Public Release by Cleveland Clinic (2019). Americans concerned about weight, but don’t understand link to heart conditions, health. Available at EurekAlert! [online] https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/cc-aca012819.php