Jan
ef=”http://healthsolutionsonline.blogspot.com/2009/08/obesity-and-your-healthsteps-to-achieve.html”>obesity and your health;steps to achieve weight control. Many individuals are overweight or lets say obese due to several reasons.Some have tried to use all sorts of weight reduction pills and various methods in an attempt to loose weight.However these drugs usually have side effects which the patient or even the doctor might not know.While on the other side some people just do nothing about their weight and they keep gaining more as time goes by.
Obesity could be diagnosed by calculating the body mass index(BMI) BMI can be calculated by measuring the weight and height of the individual as follows;
BMI=WEIGHT/HEIGHT² (kg/m²)
Guideline for BMI:
Normal 19-25
Marginally overweight 26-27
Overweight 28-29
Obese >30
Causes of being overweight could vary from:
-Lifestyle; unhealthy eating habits, foods high in saturated fats, sendentary lifestyle……
-Genetic
-Pathological; as seen in hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease…..
-Drugs; use of antipsychotics, steroids, contraceptive pills……
Risk involved in being overweight varies from system to system, these includes; cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal ………here are some examples of some risks in each systems:
-Cardiovascular; hypertension (due to the fat deposition of low density lipoproteins on the arterial walls of the blood vessel) myocardial infarction, arteriosclerosis….
-Musculoskeletal; gout, osteoarthritis…..
-Gastrointestinal; peptic ulcer disease, diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis, cholelithiasis (gall stones)
-Others; sleep apnea, low self esteem….and the lists are endless
Steps to achieve weight reduction;
To successfully shed some weight, one has to be determined and should have a high sense of commitment. Just like they say,nothing good comes easy,don’t expect to get result if you don’t keep up with the steps that are about to be discussed here.
The whole step depends solely on lifestyle modification,however,obesity caused by pathologic disorders,drugs or even genetic will definitely require further management by the physician.
1. Eat high fibre containing foods.e.g salad,fruits,vegetables.
These foods are low in calories and also the high fibre content helps to decrease the transit time in the intestine which serves as an additional benefit in prevention against colorectal carcinomas.Ensure you eat much of fruits and vegetables.If you are a type of person that consumes so much food before you get satisfied,you can eat as much of these foods as you like.
2. Reduce fat intake.
This one could be a little bit difficult to adhere to.However it is as important as the previous step being mentioned earlier.Reduce or better still,avoid eating fatty foods,chocolates,pastries,cakes,butter…these foods are high in saturated fatty acids which follows several cascade reactions in the body to produce the low density lipoproteins and the very low density lipoproteins(bad fat) which get deposited in the body.
3. Have a diet plan.
You might require a dietician to provide you with various diet plan which suits the type of food taken in your locality.
4. Reduce alcohol intake
5. Regular exercise
These are isometric exercises which will aid you in burning those excess fats. Examples are jugging,walking,swimming…..have an exercise schedule and devote at least one hour everyday on this.
6. Regular weighing.
Remember to check your weight and calculate you BMI regularly,at least once in a week to see how you are improving.
these steps are the healthiest ways you could control your weight and save yourself from the various risks one is prone to if overweight or obese.
for more info,check www.healthsolutionsonline.blogspot.com