How to Lose Weight - Essay Example

Losing weight is a matter of health concern for obese and overweight people. According to World Health Organization there are over billion overweight adults in the world and at least 300 million of them are obese. Research in human health shows that obesity and overweight increases the risks of contracting chronic ailments, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and stroke, in addition to different types of cancers (WHO 1). These diseases consume a considerable proportion of global budget on health in addition to causing disability and death to many people. The major causes of obesity and overweight includes increased intake of foods with high energy density, such as sugars and unsaturated fats. Another cause of obesity is leading a sedentary or physically inactive lifestyle, especially in people consuming foods with high energy and fat contents (WHO 2). There are various methods of losing weight including exercises, controlling dietary intake, taking diet pills among other techniques. This paper discusses on how to lose weight through exercises and controlling dietary intake. According to WHO, the rate of obesity in developed countries has risen more than three times since 1980 mainly because of increased consumption of foods that have high energy density, such as sugars and saturated fats(2). These poor eating habits are accompanied with reduced physical activity, because of engaging in passive working environment or aversion to physical exercises. Currently, gaining excessive weight is not limited adults alone. Steer and Jebb noted that an increasing number of school going children are affected with the condition that has reached epidemic levels in the world. Thus, the high rate of obesity is a clear indicator of the changing behavioral patterns of different communities in the world. Although genetic composition determines vulnerability of a person to gain weight, energy balance in the body is influenced by the amount of calories in the diet and the physical activity .Changes in the society such as high economic growth, urbanization, liberalization of food markets and advance in technology are some of the factors that have acerbated the epidemic. In addition, technology has resulted in the production of automated transport, passive entertainment and leisure activities at home, which require less physical activities (WHO 2). According to Steer and Jebb, controlling the amount of calories in food that we eat is one of the most practical ways of losing weight. People of different ages, sizes and sexes have different dietary requirements depending on their physical activities. Excessive weight gain occurs when the demand of energy in the body is far much lower than the calorie intake in the body. This results to accumulation of fat in the body that increases the bodyweight. To prevent and lose the accumulated fat, it is important to cut the quantity of calories in the food, reduce the amount of daily food intake and avoid drinking fluids that have a high content of calories. Some foods have higher quantities of calories than an equivalent amount of another. For instance, a gram of fat has twice the amount of calories present in similar amount of proteins and carbohydrates (Steer and Jebb). Therefore, to lose weight, it is important to reduce or avoid eating foods that have high fat content. These include fatty meat and deep-fried foods. These foods should be replaced with low calorie equivalents such as fruits and vegetables. Moreover, foods with high fiber content such as whole meal grains and cereals provide an appropriate alternative for fatty substances. Although fats and other high calorie foods are important sources of energy, it is important to avoid excessive consumption in order to lose or prevent excessive weight gain. Excessive consumption of such types of foods is the leading cause of obesity and it is important to establish a reasonable and healthy quantity. Therefore, to lose weight people should reduce the quantity of foods such as potatoes, pasta, rice and fatty foods in their daily rations but increase the quantity of vegetables and fruits in the diets (Steer and Jebb). Alcoholic and sugary drinks have high calorie content that increases body weight. Drinks such as sweetened coffee and tea do not only add extra calories but are also addictive. This implies that many people gain a lot of weight by drinking copious amounts of these beverages because of addiction. Therefore, avoiding or reducing these drinks in the diet minimizes the quantity of calorie intake in the body. Overweight and obese people should therefore avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and sugary fluids in order to lose weight. It is therefore important to be disciplined in choosing healthy foods and ensuring consistent consumption of a balanced diet in our meals. People should consume large volumes of fruits and vegetables in the diet and minimize the quantity of foods with high calories. Steer and Jebb recommended consumption of at least five portions of fruits and vegetables daily. Although choosing the right type of food is one of the most pragmatic methods of losing weight, it is important to avoid fad diets that promise unreasonable rate of shedding excess weight. Such types of foods are usually deficient in nutritional value and unsuitable for long-term weight control measures (Steer and Jebb). After controlling the quantity of calorie intake, engaging in physical exercises ensures that excess calories in the body are consumed and eliminated from the body. Physical exercises do not necessarily involve enrolling in gyms, but doing simple and enjoyable daily routine such as taking a brisk 30-minute walk to work or cycling a bicycle rather than driving to work. Other physical activities include participating in active sport and dancing. To enhance greater weight loss, it is important to engage in an enjoyable physical exercise and aim at incorporating many of these activities in the daily routine. In addition, overweight people should minimize the amount of time they spend sitting down in the office desks or at home watching television. At work, they should take several breaks to walk in the office and where possible, climb stairs instead of using lifts to access higher floors. Moreover, they can physically deliver messages in the office rather than calling or sending emails (Steer and Jebb). However, it is important to seek medical advice before embarking on an exercise that requires strenuous physical exertion to avoid body injuries. Besides undertaking these techniques of losing weight, it is important to have high level of personal discipline in order to eat the right type of food and engage in consistent physical activities. A person should set realistic goal of losing a particular quantity of weight in a given duration. Therefore, embarking on a weight losing routine is one of the most difficult but surmountable endeavors for most people. Therefore, moral support from friends and close family members is needed in order to succeed and carry on when things fail to work out as anticipated. Efforts to lose weight should not be short term but permanent change of an individual’s lifestyle. Work Cited Steer, Toni and Jebb, Susan. “Health: How to lose weight.” BBC Health. 2007. 1 July 2011. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/treatments/healthy_living/your_weight/active_how.shtml WHO (World Health Organization). “Global strategy on diet, physical activity and health: Obesity and overweight”. 2003. 1 July 2011. 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