Obesity is the most important public health challenge in the 21st century. According to National Health Statistics, 60% of the population is overweight and 20% of our children and adolescents are overweight and the numbers are increasing. The World Health Organization has declared obesity a “global epidemic” (Australia’s Health 2004).
Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more. Obesity is classified as a BMI of 30 or higher. To determine your BMI, visit http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/BMI.html. Excess weight is very unhealthy. Even being slightly overweight can carry moderate health risks. The top three causes of death are heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, all of which are related to obesity and poor nutrition.
There are certain factors today that are contributing to the rise in obesity. Today’s modern diet is full of junk food, processed foods, and high levels of preservatives and additives. In addition, we are consuming excessive amounts of food, we are becoming lazier, and more and more people are not participating in forms of daily physical activity. It is an interesting fact that the reason why we consume highly processed foods in excess may be related to the monosodium glutamate (MSG) in our food. MSG actually increases our appetite and wants us to have more. The phrase “I bet you can’t eat just one!” has real meaning! Additionally, excessive levels of trans fatty acids in our foods increase the risk of heart disease by up to 25 percent. (Sommerfeid, J, 2006 Ban these foods, The Courier Mail, September 9).
We are spending over 30 billion dollars on weight loss programs and products each year. The question is what is the best way to lose weight and what is the safest diet that will allow you to keep the weight off. The truth of the matter is that many diets are not safe to be on for long periods of time. You should also be aware of the dangers of weight loss drugs. Diet drugs are not natural and can be toxic to the body and have side effects. Here are some of the headlines about weight loss drugs.
Woman learns that weight-loss drugs have damaged her heart. (Seattle Times, June 2005)
Prescription Diet Merdia Linked to Heart Complications and Deaths (www.ashcraftandgerel.com, 2006)
Historically, weight loss drugs have had very little testing. Research indicates that drug risks increase dramatically the longer drugs are used. In addition, the drugs cause minimal weight loss, and when you stop using any of the drugs, the weight is almost always regained.
If you really want to improve your health and decrease your body fat once and for all, take the time to examine these key points.
KEY ONE. LOOK FOR A WELL-RESEARCHED SAFE WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM
In order for the overweight or obese person to lose fat and keep it off for life, a safe and effective fat loss system is required that actually triggers their body to release stored fat and use it for energy. A fat loss program is different from a weight loss program. 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 waist line, hips, thighs, and upper arms. You don’t want to lose muscle, water, or bone density.
Popular weight loss diets are a path fraught with danger. For example, some of the popular diets encourage high amounts of protein foods, however, excess protein causes stress on the kidneys and kidney stones occur because protein cannot be digested properly. It’s also important to note that low-calorie diets do not improve diabetes or heart disease, since fat loss is inefficient. In fact, when caloric intake drops, the body extracts protein and is not selective about where it extracts from, which includes the heart and kidneys.
KEY TWO. LOW GLYCEMIC DIET
The glycemic diet is the key to a lean and healthy body. You can control the things you put into your body, and from a chemical perspective, regulating blood sugar levels is the most effective way to unleash your fat-burning ability. By following a low glycemic diet, you can control the dramatic spikes in blood sugar that pose a serious threat to your health.
The glycemic index (GI) represents the new standard for healthy eating. In fact, it was recently published on a new food pyramid from Harvard Medical School. The GI is a measure of how much a particular food increases your blood sugar level and insulin response. The GI represents the rate at which your blood sugar level rises after eating. A high glycemic load will quickly raise your blood sugar above normal, causing a spike in insulin and blocking fat. Even non-fat foods will easily convert to fat if they trigger the insulin response. We want to cause fat to be burned for energy. Low-glycemic eating works with your body to prevent insulin spikes and allows stored fat to be released and used for energy.
Switching to a low GI diet is easy as there are no difficult math to do or constant attention to low fat diet or calorie counting. You simply need to replace your high GI food with low GI food. If, as a nation, we pay more attention to our diet and choose our food based on a low-glycemic diet, we would see a sharp decline in the incidence of diabetes and obesity.
KEY THREE. EXERCISE
Physical activity is a requirement of any plan to achieve and maintain good health. Activity turns on the oven to burn fat. You should start any exercise or activity program with light to moderate effort and gradually increase your activity level over time. Take the stairs or park farther away – all of these increase your physical activity. It starts slow, but it starts something. Know the limits you can push and don’t push them beyond.
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. So, for the normal functioning of the metabolism, we need nutrients in the form of supplements. The use of supplements is to balance the necessary nutrients in the body.
You need a multivitamin and mineral supplied in a dietary matrix, which is specifically designed to support your body’s ability to use fat. A supplement that provides important antioxidant and anti-stress nutrients. There are more than 400 toxins in our body that were not present 40 years ago, most of them are stored in fat. When you start to break down that fat, these toxins are released. If you don’t have adequate antioxidant support, your body will make up for it by slowing down your metabolism. This is a common reason for the plateau that occurs with most weight programs. A vitamin-rich antioxidant also supports blood sugar levels, bone, liver and nervous system health.
KEY FIVE. BOOST YOUR METABOLIC RATE
For more effective fat loss programs, you may need an increase in your metabolic rate, which helps maximize your body’s ability to burn fat. . Again, a safe natural product is required that will provide energy and increase your metabolic rate and control blood sugar, along with reducing appetite. The product should provide a feeling of energy and vitality with the problems caused by many appetite control products. For example, it should not cause nervousness.
KEY SIX. FILL WITH FIBER
A high fiber diet is desirable for health and fat loss. A fiber product is often required to provide a feeling of satiety and digestive and colon health benefits. The fiber complex should expand smoothly in the stomach to provide a feeling of fullness. Fiber also helps reduce food cravings.
KEY SEVEN. LOW GI MEAL REPLACEMENT DRINKS
Many weight loss programs include a meal replacement drink. Make sure your meal replacement drink is low glycemic and contains the nutrients your body needs to feel full and satisfied, as well as being delicious and satisfying. The goal is to provide nutrition for today’s busy lifestyles.
KEY EIGHT. DRINK WATER TO KEEP YOUR ORGANS WELL HYDRATED.
Water is one of the most important nutrients in our diet. Most adults require 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 be sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise. Drinking adequate amounts of water will provide you with great benefits and speed up fat loss.
People who follow these key steps will reduce their body fat, build lean tissue, and enjoy a better quality of life.