How to Prevent Obesity and Maintain a Healthy weight?

 

Feeling like you’re the only person who has to work extra hard to manage a healthy weight can be intimidating. But, you are not the only one! Most people think burning less calorie than you eat is the reason behind being obese. Know that this is not always the case. You can have excess weight but it’s not necessary to have an excess accumulation of fat in the body. Obesity is a medical condition in which an individual has an excessive amount of body fat causing adverse effects on their health.

There is no quick-fix solution to reduce weight in obesity! However, there is always a way to prevent obesity and improve the quality of life.

Obesity Prevention in Adults

 

A balanced diet and becoming more physically active are two important parts of any obesity treatment plan. Making lifestyle modifications can also help prevent obesity if you are overweight or otherwise at risk. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise can also help manage or reverse some of the serious conditions associated with obesity, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

 

•         Eat a variety of foods

You need to have 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables in a day. Learn the correct portion size to incorporate these items in your daily diet including whole-grain foods, nuts & seeds, healthy dietary fats, protein-rich food, and adequate fiber that plays a great role in keeping you lean. Incorporating more of a healthy diet keeps your calories in check and reduces the risk of overeating.

 

•         Focus on having timely meals

Having the right meal is certainly not enough! A quality diet will not be beneficial if you don’t have your meal on time. Skipping meals or eating them at irregular intervals hinders the metabolism, resulting in weight gain. 

 

•         Track your sleep schedule

Quality sleep has so many health benefits. Insufficient sleep or sleep deprivation can cause a negative impact on food regulating hormones (leptin & ghrelin) which usually trigger ‘craving’ of high-calorie food among people. Additionally, it can also elevate cortisol levels and increasingly accumulate abdomen fat in the body.

 

•         Adopt tactics to reduce stress

If not managed on time, stress can lead to life-threatening conditions including obesity and other chronic illnesses. Doing the bare minimum to reduce the amount of daily stress is not going to work when you have to reduce excess body weight. Seeking high-calorie food in the name of “Emotional eating”, stress-eating is the leading cause of obesity especially among patients with depression and anxiety. Try to include some fun or stress-relieving activities, like meditation, yoga, and exercise in your daily routine to keep stress to the minimum.

 

•         Health-related physical fitness

Encouraging people to incorporate both aerobic and muscle-building exercises can help in shedding excess pounds from their body weight. Starting from low-impact activities like 10 minutes of cardio, walking, biking, or swimming and slowly increasing duration is the key. The right fitness regime should focus on maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and muscular fitness.

 

•         Drink plenty of water.

We all have heard that there is no other substitute for water. Drinking water is advised, as it has zero calories. Also, the amount of adequate water intake depends on the individual’s medical condition, body weight, and physical activity level. 

Conclusion-

Obesity leads to potentially serious health problems like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and cancer. In India, obesity has become an epidemic targeting the health of young adults who are most affected by a sedentary lifestyle. The good news is that the condition is easily preventable and lifestyle modification plays a great role in it. One should consult a specialist to learn the effective management of diet and exercise to reverse unhealthy weight gain.