The statistics are scary; health experts predict that by 2030 half of the Americans will be obese!
How did this happen? Obesity is a very complex situation. Obesity is defined as 120% more of ideal body weight. It is a problem, which is much too complex to be solved by fad diets, reality television programs or will power! Figuring out, how much to eat, what to eat, when to eat, how our bodies control weight and how to change people and orient them towards healthy diet habits is not easy.
The myth is now being busted by credible research. It is a fact that exercise though vital is not the most important thing to focus on when you want to lose weight. Although exercise has numerous other health benefits, like maintaining a healthy weight, warding off depression, regulating good cardiac function etc. However, weight loss involves other factors such as; what you eat and how much you eat plays a substantial role in whether you gain or lose weight. Moreover, it is proven through research now that different people lose weight more effectively with different foods. This realization has led to the formulation of customized weight loss plans that work better than any one-size-fits- all advice.
Research shows that excessive weight interferes with our bodys ability to fight off infections, sleep deeply, increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, several types of cancers and obesity is enough to cause a decrease in a persons lifespan by 14 years! So what is the simplest formula to lose weight? The mathematical formula to losing weight equals to: BURN MORE CALORIES THAN YOU CONSUME!
However, this calculation does not take into account the complexities of human physiology and psychology and falls apart when tested against real-life experiences. There are factors like:
How does Metabolic Activity cause weight gain?
In a real life weight loss program, your metabolic process runs at different levels of efficiency in different stages of your life, which is quite different from any other person. Metabolic rate differs in different individuals. Therefore when it comes to metabolic rate and your ability to lose weight parentage or genetics plays a vital role. Moreover anyone who has hit middle age understands too well that metabolic activity declines or slows down with age. Thus older people need fewer calories to keep their bodies running then they did when they were young.
As a result, it is interesting to note that though the most common advice that people get when they want to lose weight is to exercise more, yet the fact is that although exercise is important for the proper well being of a body, however, in reality, exercise only increases basal metabolism modestly to burn one-third of total energy consumption.
The remaining two-thirds of the energy consumption happens during rest or sleep when bodys basal metabolism consumes the most energy to maintain itself while at rest. During Basal metabolism the organs that consume most of the energy are brain, heart, and kidneys and surprisingly not the skeletal muscles, which come into play during exercise.
So then, how can one prevent hunger urges and inhibit brains response to stimulants to prevent weight gain?
The role of hunger has been to keep us alive. Therefore it is useless to fight it.
However you can prevent sudden hunger attacks by choosing foods that do not cause a sudden spike in blood sugar level. You can reduce hunger urges by selecting the right foods that will eventually help you in weight loss. Foods that are high in protein, fiber and low in glycemic index (fish, apples, beans, grilled chicken, wheat, berries) can cause a decline in hunger urges that can contribute to weight loss.
See the rest here:
Understanding the myth behind weight loss - eParisExtra.com (blog)
