What to do About the Problem of Obesity?
Are you struggling with obesity? A sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity, so can stress, a poor diet and lack of daily exercise. Individuals with normal weight tend to be more “fidgety” or active than overweight people. Inactivity is a key reason for obesity. We need to get up and move if we want to return to a healthy weight. What to do about the problem of obesity is probably a question very much on your mind if you or someone you love is obese.
Most of us understand the relationship between food and gaining weight. If you eat bigger portions than the “normal portion size”, or you eat more helpings instead of just eating one serving of a food it is no surprise that you gain weight. What most people do not understand is the relationship between inactivity and weight gain. Inactivity becomes important especially as we age and our metabolism slows down. A slowed metabolism means we burn fewer calories and therefore it takes more activity to burn the same amount of calories as when we were younger. If our eating habits stay the same as when we were younger but we are not as active the result will be that the same amount of food will turn into gaining weight instead of maintaining weight, because we are not burning it up at the same rate as when we were younger.
So how do we manage our weight?
Weight management consists of proper diet, physical exercise on a daily basis and being conscientious of our weight. Our diet and exercise must be a part of our personal lifestyle in a way that promotes weight management.
One way to lose weight is to eat smaller meals frequently throughout the day. Make the meals healthy (fruits and vegetables and lean protein), drink lots of water because a healthy diet without adequate amounts of water will not result in weight loss. Your body needs water to function and that is true of losing weight, water is necessary!
Get up and move!
Physical activity doesn’t mean that you have to break into a sweat if you don’t want to. Moving is all that is required to realize weight loss. Walking is a fabulous way to lose weight. Walk with a friend. Walk around your office building at lunchtime, or meet a friend at a neighborhood park after work to take a walk around the park.
See your doctor
It is a good idea to see your doctor because sometimes obesity can be caused by a medical condition. Your doctor will give you a physical examination, check your height and weight and do any other blood or urine tests that are necessary to discover if there are any medical reasons for your weight gain.
If any medical conditions are found, your doctor can let you know what treatments are available. If no medical conditions are found your doctor can tell you what your ideal weight goal should be and how to reach that goal.