Tips on How to Improve Your Lifestyle and Avoid Obesity!

When talking about obesity, many people often associate this disease only with aesthetic problems, related to the canons of beauty that have been built for decades. Let us see what it is, what its causes are, and how we can prevent it.

Obesity is a chronic, progressive disease and its main symptom is excessive accumulation of fat throughout the body, mainly in the belly, legs, and arms. Beyond being an aesthetic issue, obesity affects the functioning of the body and can be the trigger for other serious conditions.

While excess body fat is what leads to obesity, it is important to know that the human body requires some percentage of fat to function properly, since adipose tissues are responsible for protecting the internal organs, helping regulate body temperature, and have and important role in the metabolic process and the synthesis of hormones. The key is to know what the normal levels of fat for each person are, which vary depending on factors such as age, height, and sex.

A person can be considered as obese when its waist circumference is higher than 40 inches in men and 35 inches in women. Also, the body mass index is a measure used to diagnose any weight problem. 

But… what causes a person to gain weight and become obese? Several causes can lead anyone to be diagnosed with obesity. 

The main cause of obesity is consuming more calories than the body needs to function properly and to achieve normal daily activities. And of course, this also varies depending on the lifestyle of each person. 

Imagine the lives of two brothers: William and Michael. They are identical twins, 22 years old and measure 31.5 inches in height. William is a high-level athlete, has been swimming since he was ten, and now he is preparing to participate in the upcoming Olympics. He maintains a stable weight of 159 pounds. William dedicates between 2 and 4 hours a day to his training and combines exercise with his university studies. He takes great care of his diet, as he needs a lot of energy to perform properly in his daily activities. His meals include fruits, vegetables, a high dose of protein, and healthy fats that help his muscle recovery. 

On the other hand, Michael is not a fan of physical activity. He prefers to spend time playing video games and reading books. He studies at the university and doesn’t pay attention to what he eats, he does it just to get rid of the feeling of hunger. He loves burgers, pizzas, and fries, always accompanied by a large soda. He is a young and sedentary man who at 22 years weighs over 240 pounds. 

As you can see, William and Michael have two different lifestyle choices and it is possible to identify some of the causes of obesity in their story. 

A sedentary lifestyle is one of the main factors in becoming obese, the current dynamics of life lead us to spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer, using the mobile or watching tv, and we do not spend time doing any physical activity. 

And from the hand of lack of exercise are poor eating habits, another major cause of obesity. Today we can find a huge variety of ultra-processed products, like fast foods, that have high amounts of unhealthy sugars and fats. This type of meals leads to consuming more calories than we need and, these calories begin to be stored in the fat deposits of the body. As it is a constant behavior, fat deposits increase continuously, resulting in a very high body weight. 

Although it is a common disease, we can prevent it and avoid major problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain kinds of cancer associated with obesity. 

To avoid excessive weight gain and thus, obesity, you must take care of your lifestyle. 

Let’s take a look: 

1. Spend at least 30 minutes a day doing some physical activity. Go for a walk, run, ride a bike, go to the gym, or join a dance class. It doesn’t matter how, what counts is that you mover your body. 
2. Adjust your meals according to the energy you need daily. It is imperative to include adequate amounts of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, which you can find in natural foods such as legumes, grains, meats, fruits, and vegetables. 
3. Try to sleep at least 7 hours daily. Getting enough rest and sleep will help you to prevent overeating. 
4. Reduce stress. A stressful life can cause eating disorders and health problems. 
5. Most importantly, always before making any change in your diet or physical activity, it is key to visit your doctor or nutritionist, so you will be sure that you will not have any negative impact on your health. 

As you can see, preventing obesity and taking care of your health is in your hands. Choose what is best for your life.