Slaying the obesity monster
published: Wednesday | April 12, 2006
Rosalee Brown
THOSE WHO tend not to get overweight cannot understand the frustration of persons who battle with overweight and obesity. For many overweight and obese persons, there is no battle, as they have accepted their state and have blamed it totally on genes.
Most overweight and obese persons, however, spend their lives trying diets, potions, gyms and even body contouring garments to slay this monster, but are constantly defeated. The worst part of the fight is that their appetites have joined forces with this beast. To win the war, one must be armed.
Body weight is made up of fat, muscle, bones and internal fluids. In general, after age 25, our weight increase is due to fat accretion, and with increased age, the fat under the skin starts reducing, and that around organs increases. Skeletal muscle also is reduced with age, due in part to reduced physical activity.
The consistency of our body weight is dependent on the maintenance of energy expenditure (EE); EE is made up of basal metabolic rate (BMR), this is the energy exchange which occurs within the cells of the body to maintain the body when it is at complete rest and comprises approximately 50 to 70 per cent of EE. There is also dietary-induced thermogenisis, which is the effect of the body processing food and is five to 15 per cent over the BMR. The effect of all physical activity, which is the most variable and easily altered effect on EE, is about 20 to 40 per cent, and environment and psychological factors also impacts EE.
Basal metabolic rate will be altered with sustained change in body composition, but it takes time for the body to adapt to this change, in other words, the body cannot be fooled with yo-yo changes and, therefore, the appetite increases and the body puts out all the stops to get back to normality.
The increased fat in most persons is many times not a result of increased intake in volume but increased calories, resulting from choosing calorie-dense refined foods, which usually need more volume to create fullness and subsequently excess calories. This leads to increased fat gain and over time an imbalance of fat to muscle mass and a reduction in the EE.
WHAT TO DO
You must identify the battles you need to win before you can win the war.
Here are some frequent battles faced by overweight and obese persons:
Irregular meal patterns which lead to extreme hunger and overeating.
Frequent meals to satisfy needs other than hunger, such as depression, boredom and self-hate.
The overriding desire for habit-forming, high-fat, refined carbohydrate foods.
Poor time management as it relates to personal needs.
Sedentary lifestyle resulting in poor fitness level and physical constraints relating to weight.
Have thrown in the towel.
TIPS THAT WORK WITH CONSISTENCY
Have scheduled meals, obey true hunger signals.
Have set portions based on your goals for change in body size, planned activity and satiety.
Resist the temptation to eat too often as this is a source of unwanted energy that will over time increase body fat.
Cut back slowly on high-fat, high-sugar foods, until you have conquered the desire to eat out of control.
Move your health needs up the priority ladder, they are most important.
Get moving daily, start slow, but be consistent. As your fitness level increases, increase the intensity and duration.
Do not give up, get moving, you can do it!
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