Preventing Overweight and Obesity ? Are You Responsible Enough?
Obesity is now assuming epidemic proportions. Worldwide there are over 1 billion overweight people and out of that more than 300 million in the obese category. With the U.S. weight loss market alone grossing over $46 Billion, and projections of 1 trillion by 2010, obesity, diet control and weight control nutrition is assuming increasing concern among health planners especially the WHO.
The fully industrialized countries account for about 80 % of the overweight with rest falling in developing countries. U.S alone accounts for whopping 150 million people in the overweight category.
Obesity and overweight puts one under the risk of various disease and disorders such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart related problems, certain types of cancer such as breast cancer, cancer of the colon and kidney etc apart from numerous problems related to respiratory and muscular systems.
Apart from these diseases, the social and financial cost of overweight and obesity is very high, affecting social, mental and financial health of this huge proportion of the world population. Loss of productivity and the attendant cost to society, low self esteem, lower quality of life adds up to immense financial burden on the individual and the governments.
There is a tremendous amount of action by various governments worldwide, NGO’s and institutions like WHO in creating the right policy framework, dispense information to increase awareness and creating the right environments to combat this epidemic.
However the responsibility of fighting this menace rests with the individual as the governments can only do so much.
So what can you do to fight overweight and obesity?
1. Prevention is the Key. If you are not overweight start right now to make changes in dietary habits and lifestyle to prevent increase in your weight.
2. Monitor your weight on a weekly basis. Any increase over 2 Kg’s in the permissible height/weight ratio set the alarm bells ringing.
3. Avoid high energy foods, packed foods, overcooked foods like pizzas and burgers which are high in calories but low in nutrients to prevent accumulation of fat.
4. Eat natural. Increase your intake of green and leafy vegetables and fruits which are loaded with nutrients. A salad bowl is much better than a burger if you are in a hurry and have no time for a proper meal.
5. Change in lifestyle. High stress lifestyles require more energy dense food which are high in fat. A rushed and stressed lifestyle may not be conducive to your future physical and financial health. Your high stress job may be high paying but extracting a huge future financial price and may not be worth it after all. A Balance in work and social life is a must to combat stress related gorging.
6. Designing and building in the required physical activities and exercises into your daily regime to improve metabolism and burn fat. A 40 minutes walk 5 days a week, a 3-4 day schedule in the gym, climbing a couple of floors rather than taking the escalator, planning an outdoor schedule during the weekends, cutting down on the television and taking up a hobby involving physical activities are all ways which will surprisingly keep off those pounds of flab and make you fitter. Weight control is better than weight loss which is a more painful process.
7. Keep height/weight charts, calorie count charts of food items, daily nutritional charts on your desk or somewhere you can see frequently to remind you constantly of your health objectives.
8. Reading regularly about obesity, diet control, weight management, nutrition, health and fitness, holistic living practices could be of great help. Knowledge is the fuel which sets in motion the prevention.
Finally it is important to remember that overweight and obesity are not mere physical or health problems but a major financial issue. Your future wealth and happiness depends on your levels of productivity in an increasingly competitive world. Fitness and good health is the key to financial freedom in term of your earning potential and your savings against all those huge medical bills.
This article is copyright ? of R.G. Srinivasan a Certified Trainer, Small Business Consultant, Writer and Author. He is a strong proponent of a holistic lifestyle and alternate health practices. Check out his site at http://globalhealthnetwork.tripod.com
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Helping Your Overweight Child
With the rise of obesity and the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes occurring in children, many parents are now faced with helping an overweight child. This may not be a daunting as first seems and here are some simple, but effective steps to take to help your child develop eating habits and active lifestyle that will assist improve their health.
Be supportive
? Tell your child that he or she is loved, is special, and is important. Children’s feelings about themselves often are based on their parents’ feelings about them.
? Accept your child at any weight. Children will be more likely to accept and feel good about themselves when their parents accept them.
? Listen to your child’s concerns about his or her weight. Overweight children probably know better than anyone else that they have a weight problem. They need support, understanding, and encouragement from parents.
Encourage healthy eating habits
? Buy and serve more fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, or canned). Let your child choose them at the store.
? Buy fewer soft drinks and high fat/high calorie snack foods like chips, cookies, and candy. These snacks are OK once in a while, but keep healthy snack foods on hand too and offer them to your child more often.
? Eat breakfast every day. Skipping breakfast can leave your child hungry, tired, and looking for less healthy foods later in the day.
? Plan healthy meals and eat together as a family. Eating together at meal times helps children learn to enjoy a variety of foods.
? Eat fast food less often. When you visit a fast food restaurant, try the healthful options offered.
? Offer your child water or low-fat milk more often than fruit juice. Fruit juice is a healthy choice but is high in calories.
? Do not get discouraged if your child will not eat a new food the first time it is served. Some kids will need to have a new food served to them 10 times or more before they will eat it.
? Try not to use food as a reward when encouraging kids to eat. Promising dessert to a child for eating vegetables, for example, sends the message that vegetables are less valuable than dessert. Kids learn to dislike foods they think are less valuable.
? Start with small servings and let your child ask for more if he or she is still hungry. It is up to you to provide your child with healthy meals and snacks, but your child should be allowed to choose how much food he or she will eat.
Healthy snack foods for your child to try:
o Fresh fruit
o Fruit canned in juice or light syrup
o Small amounts of dried fruits such as raisins, apple rings, or apricots
o Fresh vegetables such as baby carrots, cucumber, zucchini, or tomatoes
o Reduced fat cheese or a small amount of peanut butter on whole-wheat crackers
o Low-fat yogurt with fruit
Foods that are small, round, sticky, or hard to chew, such as raisins, whole grapes, hard vegetables, hard chunks of cheese, nuts, seeds, and popcorn can cause choking in children under age 4. You can still prepare some of these foods for young children, for example, by cutting grapes into small pieces and cooking and cutting up vegetables. Always watch your toddler during meals and snacks.
Encourage daily physical activity
Like adults, kids need daily physical activity. Here are some ways to help your child move every day:
? Set a good example. If your children see that you are physically active and have fun, they are more likely to be active and stay active throughout their lives.
? Encourage your child to join a sports team or class, such as soccer, dance, basketball, or gymnastics at school or at your local community or recreation center.
? Be sensitive to your child’s needs. If your child feels uncomfortable participating in activities like sports, help him or her find physical activities that are fun and not embarrassing.
? Be active together as a family. Assign active chores such as making the beds, washing the car, or vacuuming. Plan active outings such as a trip to the zoo or a walk through a local park.
? Because his or her body is not ready yet, do not encourage your pre-adolescent child to participate in adult-style physical activity such as long jogs, using an exercise bike or treadmill, or lifting heavy weights. FUN physical activities are best for kids.
? Kids need a total of about 60 minutes of physical activity a day, but this does not have to be all at one time. Short 10- or even 5-minute bouts of activity throughout the day are just as good. If your children are not used to being active, encourage them to start with what they can do and build up to 60 minutes a day.
Kim Beardsmore is a weight loss consultant. Tons of recipes, articles, free ezine, meal plans and resources to help you lose weight through excellence in nutrition. Estimate your healthy weight, free newsletter and more at weight-loss-health.com.au
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