Monday, August 1, 2011

What causes Obesity?

Hardly anyone seriously believes that the real cause of the obesity is just the lack of willpower or the laziness that prevents a person to do sports. Although the causes of obesity are still not sufficiently studied, since the mid-1980s. it is considered a chronic disease, which is based on several factors.

Inheritance
Studies have shown that obesity is inherited. If one or both parents are obese, the likelihood of obesity in children increases significantly, especially because genes determine the body constitution and, to some extent - the weight. However, a predisposition to obesity does not mean that destiny of man sealed. The nature is debatable, if diet and exercise regularly. In some cases, with the aid of drugs or surgery.

Caloric food
Hot dogs, Big Macs, French fries, macaroni and cheese, potato chips, ice cream - all the popular meals are inexpensive, available and tasty. Not surprisingly, they have contributed to the spread of the epidemic overweight in many countries.

Lifestyle
The risk of obesity increases, if you sit a lot at your desk or on the couch. Similarly, the risk is higher if the fats make up more than 30% of your daily diet. Researchers found that people who dedicate 20-30 minutes for daily physical activity, are less prone to obesity. Best results are obtained by a combination of an active lifestyle and low calorie diet.

The metabolism
More specifically, the metabolic rate, or the rate at which your body uses the incoming food. With a low metabolic rate, the probability that the excess calories are stored as body fat increases. In this case, to fight obesity will have to exert more effort. However, these efforts ultimately may enhance your metabolism. Muscle burns more calories than the fat tissue, even when resting. Therefore, if reducing the consumption of fats and by using weight training to build up muscles, burning calories can be more intense.

Psychological aspects

There are people who tend to overeat (to have some kind of food "binges") in a stress condition or depression. Studies show that over 30% of obese people fall into this category. Therapists suggest that nutritional "binges" really can temporarily remove the stress caused by negative emotions. But then, after eating too much, comes the feelings of guilt, shame, disgust and begins depression.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Weight Loss - Easy Tips

Obesity and overweight are the most commonly found complaints of people. Weight Loss programs, crash diets and other methods are available on the internet. Many of these are useless and once done the rebound effect is chronic. Realistic, good and sensible strategies need to be followed for healthy loss of weight. To begin on a weight loss program first find the BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) in order to determine the total number of calories to be lost. The formula for calculating BMR is BMR [kcal] = Body Weight [lb] x 15 + (moderate activity [mins/day] x 3.5). Once the BMR is calculated the target weight can be obtained as BMR - 500 calories.

The second thing to do is eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. These contain fibres and anti oxidants and fill up the stomach faster with lower calories. The third thing that is essential for weight loss is exercise. Exercise is imperative for long term weight loss. A minimum of 5 sessions a week for at least 30 minutes is required. There are lots of power workouts prescribed for working people. These are simple and can be done in less time but yet yield good results.

The fourth tip is to rope in a friend. Research has proved that if there is a partner helping out and following the program, then people stick to the regime and also lose weight faster. The fifth tip is to reduce the size of the meal portion. Eating smaller meal portions slowly combined with a lot of fluids can do the trick for easy weight loss. The sixth rule is to never skip any meal. The trick is to eat smaller but more frequent meals during the day. Instead of eating three big meals, 5-6 smaller meals can help in losing weight.

The seventh tip is to eat as much fresh food as possible. Packaged foods and fast foods generally contain a higher sodium and fat content than fresh foods. Hence it is advisable to avoid them. The eighth rule is to not abstain too much. If a person completely abstains from chocolates and sweets, his craving for the same will increase ten-fold. Hence a little bit of indulgence is required but the quantity and frequency should be monitored strictly.

The ninth rule is to abstain from sugary drinks and aerated ones. Juice, coffee, soda or tea all add up in sugar and cream content. Hence these drinks can be replaced by a glass of water. At least 8 glasses of water need to be consumed in a day. The tenth and final tip is to maintain a diet diary and to consult a dietitian. It helps in identifying diet patterns and modifying the same.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Josh_F_Myers