Weight of obesity: Its impact and what actions we should take against it

It’s no secret that obesity has become a pressing public health issue in the United States and around the world. A Total Shape article on weight loss statistics of 2022 states that the lockdowns brought on by the pandemic had a negative impact on people’s eating and exercise habits, which led to an increase in overall obesity levels in the United States.

People could not go out of their homes for jogging and exercise, and fitness gyms were forced to close and stop operations. Hence, people remained in the comfort of their homes, unable to regularly perform outdoor workout activities. According to a survey by American Psychological Association (APA), about 42% of adult Americans gained undesired weight since the COVID-19 pandemic started. This only shows that there is a need to address the ongoing and increasing obesity concerns. 

Ways to Prevent Obesity 

The need to better understand obesity’s impact on our society and economy has been becoming more and more pressing. With that, what possible actions can we take to address this issue? Let’s look at simple ways to prevent this health concern from happening to us. 

• Monitor calorie intake

The most common way of preventing obesity and maintaining a healthy body is to monitor your calorie intake. This includes counting the calories of meals you are having and considering the types of calories involved. By getting informed about the standard calorie intake per day, you will be able to control and limit your food consumption and consider the calories that come with each type of food.

It is also important to limit the intake of carbohydrate-rich foods, such as white bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, and highly processed foods, as well as sugary foods and beverages. Through this, you will be able to lose weight and protect yourself from the health risks of being obese.

• Have a higher protein diet

Including high protein meals in your diet contributes to appetite reduction, making you eat less hence preventing you from overeating. With the right amount of food intake, you will feel less hungry, and too much fat accumulation would be avoided. A study among overweight/obese men also showed that consuming frequent, higher protein meals made them feel fuller than usual throughout the day and decreased their cravings and late-night desire to eat.

Aside from these, a higher-protein diet also boosts metabolism, therefore burning more calories and preventing weight gain. This is because the body makes use of calories in digesting food, and it burns more calories in breaking down proteins than in breaking down carbs and fats. The common sources of high protein include lean meat, poultry, eggs, beans, fish, and legumes.

• Drink more water

Drinking water helps in suppressing hunger since it takes up space in your stomach, making you feel full, hence preventing you from eating more. It also helps avoid unnecessary snacks or cravings, since sometimes people feel that they are hungry even though they are just thirsty. Hence, drinking water before getting something to eat may help address unnecessary cravings.

Also, drinking water before meals will make you feel fuller, therefore, limiting the amount of food that you want to consume for a meal. Likewise, it speeds up the burning of calories since water can temporarily increase the resting energy expenditure or the number of calories burned while resting.

• Follow a proper exercise regime

Working out regularly helps in losing weight and eliminating fats. Regular exercises increase metabolism and burn calories faster. There should be the right combination of cardio, strength training, and high-intensity exercises in your exercise regime. For instance, aerobic exercises would help you burn fats and weight training can help you achieve toned muscles and a flat stomach. This is why you need to align your goals to the type and frequency of your workouts.

You should follow properly an exercise regime suited to your needs and goals. It is also important to note that a short duration of regular exercise is better than spending a long time for a once-in-a-blue-moon exercise, so you must keep up with your workout schedule and instill self-discipline.

• Get adequate sleep 

Your sleep quality affects your weight as well. Having too little or too much sleep leads to higher risks of weight gain. Getting low-quality sleep or having less than seven hours a day can contribute to an increase in your body mass. Lack of sleep can lead to gaining extra pounds since sleep deprivation can come with overeating to compensate for the loss of energy and tiredness.

In addition, the right amount of time for sleep improves digestion. A healthy sleep cycle produces hormones that help improve the good bacteria in the intestines which aid in digestion. Adequate sleep helps hormonal balance through the right amount of hunger hormones secreted, preventing you from overeating.