How to treat obesity

After researching what causes obesity and how it affects our physical and mental health, I am concluding my blog for now, with ways to treat obesity. As stated in my previous blog posts, in order to maintain or lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume. Another article I found on a government website from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, contained some very helpful ways to reverse or treat obesity.

Of course we all hear that in order to lose weight we need to watch what we eat and remain physically active, but it is so much more detailed than just that. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, obese patients should "try to lose 5 to 10 percent of your current weight over 6 months". Obese patients should "set realistic weight-loss goals. . .".  By starting off slow, weight loss won't seem so overwhelming. Losing "1-2 pounds a week" is ideal because it is possible and will "help keep off the weight"

 

Losing weight and being healthy isn't just a one time thing. It's something a person has to commit to, long term. Start learning about food and how to determine if it is considered healthy or not. Make sure you are not consuming more calories than you are burning or using. Stick to your goals and plans even after you have lost weight so that you are sure to keep off the weight. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute also states that very low calorie diets, shouldn't be done. It is very important to include different food groups into your meals daily to ensure you are properly nourished. We should also "limit" fast food, processed food and sugary foods which can contain very high calories. Another factor into losing weight is "portion control". Having smaller portions is healthier because it means less calories, but you are still getting the proper nutrition. Another tip from the NHLBI, is to eat more foods that contain water. These foods include fruit, vegetables and soups.

 

I found a video on Youtube about how the body absorbs different nutrients from Dr. Travis, a doctor on a show called The Dr's. This show is about health related issues and ways to stay healthy,

 

I also wanted to include a video about why water is so important to the body and how it plays into weight loss and overall health. This video was made by Registered Dietician, Lynn Goldstein. 

                                        

Now we've got the nutrition part down, next is the physical activity part. Exercise is very important for our well-being. We all know exercise helps us to lose weight because we burn calories while being active. Exercise also helps strengthen our muscles. Also stated in a previous blog post, muscle helps burn calories faster. Aside from our muscles in our arms, legs or abs, exercise strengthens our heart muscle. :

       "The four main types of physical activity are aerobic, muscle-strengthening, bone strengthening, and stretching. You can do physical activity with light, moderate, or vigorous intensity. The level of intensity depends on how hard you have to work to do the activity." (NHLBI)

As you lose weight, your body won't have to work as hard while participating in physical activity.

 

If you have followed these guidelines religiously, and still haven't lost weight, The NHLBI suggests FDA approved "weight-loss medications. These medications are only approved for patients with a BMI of 30 or higher.

To answer my initial question of "Is obesity a disease, or self inflicted?", I am satisfied with the answers I got.  I have come to the conclusion that it is a combination of both. Depending on the person, they may have made themselves that way by being unhealthy and not getting enough physical activity, or they may suffer from an illness that causes weight gain such as poly cystic ovarian syndrome or a thyroid problem. Unless we know that person, we have absolutely no way of knowing their background when it comes to obesity. It is common for people to judge at first glance, but I hope for the people that did read my blog, they think twice before making rude assumptions about people suffering from obesity.

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Fat healthy and skinny healthy

It isn't a secret that obesity can cause other serious health issues. Being obese  can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and maybe even early death? After finding two articles on Google, "You Can Be Fit and Fat- or Thin and Unhealthy?" published in Time Magazine, and another called "Metabolism and weight loss" published to The Mayo Clinic, I found very interesting facts about how being obese doesn't always mean you are not "physically fit", and that a "slow metabolism" isn't always to blame for having a hard time losing weight.

 

According to Time Magazine, based on a research study done by European Heart Journal, Overweight or obese people weren't necessarily more susceptible to the diseases associated with obesity. In fact, Time Magazine states that as long as an obese person is "metabolically fit" they were considered "healthy". :

      "The researchers categorized obese participants as “metabolically healthy” if, aside from their weight, they didn’t suffer from insulin resistance, diabetes, low levels of good cholesterol, high triglycerides and high blood pressure. Nearly half of the obese participants in the study qualified as metabolically fit."

Another study about obesity and "body fat" done by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Survey showed that health issues have a lot to do with "where body fat is distributed". If a person carries more fat in their abdomen, they are more likely to develop "insulin resistance and inflammation".

This also goes for thin people. Time also states that Dr. Timothy Church, director of the Laboratory of Preventive Medicine at Pennington Biomedical Research Center "normal weight" individuals who practice healthy eating habits but do not get much physical activity, are less healthy than some obese people. This is because although they may have the eating part down, your body needs "30 minutes" of exercise to stay physically healthy and that you need "2-5 hours of moderate intensity aerobic exercise a week".

 

So although society labels obese people healthy, they may in fact be more fit than they appear, just as a thinner person might not be physically healthy.

 

In my second article written by The Mayo Clinic, metabolism is how our body "converts" the food we consume, into energy for our body to perform the necessary functions "such as breathing". Even if we aren't participating in physical activities, our bodies are constantly working. Mayo Clinic also states that the speed of our metabolism is unique to each individual. Our bodies are so complex and determine the rate our metabolism should be.

My sources were very informative to me and did answer my question on how thin and obese people can be either unhealthy or healthy when it comes to the physicality aspect. I also learned that a "slow metabolism" isn't always to blame for being obese. Our bodies and functions are tailored to function. A question I have is, How does an obese person start their journey of weight loss and physical fitness? How long does it take?  Is it possible for every person suffering from obesity to become healthy and average weight?

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Work Cited

Nichols, M., N. Townsend, P. Scarborough, and M. Rayner. "Cardiovascular Disease in Europe 2014: Epidemiological Update." European Heart Journal 35.42 (2014): 2950-959. Web.

 

Determination.

Obesity and the emotional effects.

healthproper.com

How often is it that we find ourselves turning to comfort foods such as brownies, potato chips or our favorite fast food joint when we are highly stressed? After doing some searching in Google Scholar, I found very interesting information.  According to the American Psychological Association, obesity is frequently accompanied by depression. "Depression can both cause and result in stress". When they [obese patients] become stressed, or any person for that matter, we tend to overeat and turn to food to deal with our emotions. Another important point the APA brings up, is that "[Feelings of sadness, anxiety or stress often lead people to eat more than usual". It is a repeating cycle; Being obese=stress which leads to more eating, which contributes to the existing obesity issue. But add a certain medication, a metabolic health problem or some bad genetics, and you have an even bigger problem. The APA also states that "the causes of obesity are rarely limited to genetic factors and prolonged eating . . .". People who aren't obese fail to see other potential existing problems that factor into obesity like medications or physical illness. According to the MentalHelp website,  ["Consequences of being overweight or obese include lowered self-esteem and anxiety,. . . depression and eating disorders such as binge eating . . .".  MentalHelp also states that not everyone who indulges in food is overweight. Food is associated with almost all emotions. Happiness, sadness and as stated, stress. Why is it okay for a "thin" person to indulge, but it's not okay for a heavier person to? Why are people and doctors more concerned with the issues of overweight people rather that people who aren't overweight, but also aren't in the best health?

wikimedia.org

Society and its ignorance towards obesity has affected the body image of people ranging from being average size to being obese. I myself have struggled with body image, so who better to ask then yourself when you want to get some insight on how it feels to have a body image issue. Although I haven't been obese, I have struggled with my weight and appearance. It doesn't feel so great when we live in a world where we are expected to have the perfect body, and when we don't, we are seen as lazy and unhealthy. I myself would be embarrassed to eat in public because of fear of judgement.  All these negative emotions would cause me a great deal of stress which made for a roller coaster of different weights.

It is clear to me that after researching my sources, both the American Psychological Association and the MentalHealth website believe that stress plays a major role in obese people. Not only does the stress cause us to eat more, it also can cause a negative impact on the speed of our metabolism and how our bodies store more fat rather than rid it.

I would like to know more about how obese people can sometimes be considered healthy and a thin person with minimal body fat can be unhealthy. What about a person struggling with obesity, actually makes them unhealthy? What about a thin person makes them healthy?

onlyhealthynews.com

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