Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges in the 21st century. According to the National Health Statistics 60% of the population is overweight and 20% of our children and adolescents are overweight with the numbers rising. The World Health Organization has declared obesity a “global epidemic” (Australian Health 2004).
Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher. Obesity is classified as a BMI of 30 or more. To determine your BMI visit http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/BMI.html , Being overweight is very unhealthy. Even being slightly overweight can pose moderate health risks. The top three killers are heart disease, cancer and diabetes which are all related to obesity and poor nutrition.
There are certain factors that are contributing to the increasing obesity today. Today’s modern diet is full of junk food, processed foods and high levels of preservatives and additives. Also we are consuming more quantity of food, we are becoming lazy and more and more people are not participating in daily physical activities. It is an interesting fact that the reason why we are consuming high amounts of highly processed food may be related to monosodium glutamate (MSG) in our foods. MSG actually increases our appetite and makes us want more. The phrase “can’t sell or just eat one!” has the right meaning! In addition, excessive levels of trans fatty acids in our foods are increasing the risk of heart disease by 25 percent. (Sommerfied, J, 2006 Ban these foods, The Courier Mail, 9 September).
We are spending over $30 billion on weight loss programs and products every year. The question is, what is the best way to lose weight and what is the safest diet that will help you keep the weight off? The truth of the matter is that many diets are not safe for the long term. Also you need to be aware of the dangers of weight loss drugs. Diet drugs are not natural and can be toxic to the body, and come with side effects. Here are some key lines about weight loss drugs.
The woman discovered that the weight loss drugs had damaged her heart. (Seattle Times, June 2005)
Prescription Diet Mardia Linked To Heart Complications And Death (www.ashcraftandgerel.com, 2006)
Historically, there has been little testing of weight loss drugs. Research indicates that the risk of relapse increases dramatically the longer the drugs are used. In addition, the drugs produce minimal weight loss, and upon discontinuing use of either drug, the weight almost always comes back.
If you’re serious about improving your health and reducing your body fat forever, take the time to check out these key points.
key one. Look for a Well-Researched Safe Weight Loss Program
Losing fat for the overweight or obese person and keeping it off for life is a safe and effective fat loss system that actually prompts your body to release stored fat and use it for energy. Fat loss programs are different from weight loss programs. The system is designed to work with your body, not against it, to help you optimize your body’s ability to lose fat. You want to lose fat around your waistline, hips, thighs and upper arms. You don’t want to lose muscle mass, water or bone density.
Popular diets for weight loss are a path fraught with dangers. For example, some popular diets encourage high amounts of protein foods, although an excess of protein causes stress on the kidneys, and stones occur because you don’t digest protein properly. It is also important to note that low-calorie diets do not improve diabetes or heart disease, because fat loss is inefficient. In fact when caloric intake is reduced, the body is attracted to protein, and is not selective about where it comes from, which includes the heart and kidneys.
Give the key low glycemic diet
Glycemic dieting is the key to a healthy slim body. You can control what you put into your body and from a chemical perspective, controlling blood sugar levels is the most effective way to unleash your fat burning potential. By following a low-glycemic diet, you can control dramatic increases in blood sugar that pose a serious risk to your health.
The Glycemic Index (GI) represents the new standard for healthy eating. In fact, it was recently published in a new food pyramid by Harvard University Medical School. GI is a measure of how much a particular food raises your blood sugar and insulin response. GI represents the rate at which your blood sugar rises after eating. A high glycemic load will rapidly raise your blood sugar above normal—causing a surge in insulin and making it burn off your fat. Even non-fat foods will be easily converted to fat if they trigger an insulin response. We want to trigger fat to burn for energy. Low glycemic foods work with your body to inhibit insulin surges and allow stored fat to be released and used for energy.
Switching to a low GI diet is simple because there is no hard calculation to make or constant attention to low fat or calorie counting. You just need to replace your high GI food with low GI foods. If we, as a nation, pay more attention to our diet and choose our foods based on low glycemic eating, we will see a rapid decline in the incidence of diabetes and obesity.
key three. Exercise
Physical activity is a requirement of any plan for achieving and maintaining good health. Activity lights up the furnace to burn fat. You should start any exercise or activity program with a light to moderate effort and gradually increase your level of activity over time. Take the stairs or the park farther afield – all of this increases our physical activity. Start slowly, but start something. Know the limits you can and don’t push.
key four. supplement with multivitamins and minerals
Most people look at diet pills that work in a way that actually depletes the body of nutrients that can have an effect on the normal functioning of the metabolism. Hence for the normal functioning of metabolism we need nutrients in the form of supplements. Supplements are used to balance essential nutrients in the body.
You need multivitamins and minerals supplied in a food matrix specially designed to support your body’s ability to use fat. A supplement that provides important antioxidants and stress nutrients. More than 400 toxins were present in our body 40 years ago, most of them are stored in fat. When you start breaking down that fat, these toxins are released. If you don’t have enough antioxidant support your body will compensate by slowing metabolism. This is a common cause of the plateau that occurs with most weight training programs. The vitamin-rich antioxidant also supports blood sugar levels, bone health, liver and nervous system.
key five. boost your metabolic rate
The most effective fat loss programs may require you to increase your metabolic rate, which helps maximize your body’s ability to burn fat. , Again a natural safe product that will provide energy along with reducing appetite and boost your metabolic rate and control blood sugar. The product should provide a feeling of energy and vitality with the problems triggered by many appetite control products. For example, it should not cause shock.
key six. fill with fiber
A high fiber diet is desirable for health and fat loss. A fiber product is often needed to provide a feeling of fullness and to benefit digestion and colon health. The fiber complex should slowly expand in your stomach to provide a feeling of fullness. Fiber also helps in reducing the desire to eat.
Key Seven. Meal Replacement Drinks That Are Low GI
Many weight loss programs include meal replacement drinks. Make sure the meal replacement drink is low-glycemic and provides the nutrients your body needs to feel full and satisfied, while being tasty and satisfying. It aims to provide nutrition for today’s busy lifestyle.
key eight. Drink water to keep your organs well hydrated.
Water is one of the most important nutrients in our diet. Most adults need eight to ten glasses of water a day. You can’t flush out toxins without enough water. Drink a glass of water half an hour before meals to avoid overeating and hydrate yourself. And make sure you drink enough water before, during and after exercise. Drinking the right amount of water will give you major benefits and accelerate fat loss.
People who follow these key steps will reduce their body fat, build lean tissue and experience a better quality of life.
Source by Ellen Agius
