Obesity – An Overview

When excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that health may be negatively affected the person is said to be suffering from obesity. There are scientific guidelines which classify obesity. This classification helps to choose the various modalities of treatment available. The commonest parameter is body mass index. It is the ratio of weight in kilograms to square of height in meters. Now how do you calculate this? Suppose John’s weight is 80 Kilograms and his height is 1.6 meters. Then multiply 1.6 by 1.6 (this will give square of height in meters), we get 2.56. Now divide 80 by 2.56 (This is the ratio of weight in kilograms to square of height in meters). The answer is 31.25. So John’s BMI (body mass index) is 31.25. There is a difference between being overweight and obese.

It is agreed upon that a combination of excessive calorie consumption and lack of exercise causes obesity but in a minority of cases genetic, medical, or psychiatric illness can be the cause. The easy availability of palatable diet, mechanization in industry and availability of transportation are attributed to rise of its prevalence. A person is said to be overweight when his body mass index is over 25 while he or she is called obese if it is 30 or more.

Obesity invites certain physical and medical debilities like joint pains, particularly in the knees; breathing problems during sleep; diabetes; heart disease; venous thrombosis; liver disease; gall bladder stones; infertility; erectile problems; certain cancers; depression; paralysis; hernia and social stigmatization.

Prevention of obesity is the frontrunner to erode the social epidemic of obesity. Regular timings as well as quantity and quality of food; regular walking or stopping the car in a parking a little away from your office; avoiding the elevators and taking the steps may prove effective. Depression may lead to obesity as one tends to become less active and eat more. Prevent or treat depression. If one is having a body mass index near 25 it is recommended that he or she focuses on weight loss and its techniques. The habit of being weight conscious is to be encouraged.

Diet and exercise is recommended as a treatment to the less obese. While both yield result but they are difficult to practice, slow to get results, temporary in outcome and have variable response. Thus medication is also recommended to patients not desirably responding to diet and exercise. Medicines broadly either reduce absorption of fat from the intestines or act on the brain to reduce appetite. Weight loss is usually modest with medicines but the side effects which vary with drugs include cramps, intestinal discomfort, diarrhea, increase in blood pressure, palpitation, sleeplessness mood changes, drug tolerance and drug abuse.

As a broad guideline surgery is reserved for patients who are obese to the extent that their body mass index is over 40. Now it is known that this treatment, called Bariatric Surgery. is not a bed of roses. It has a wide variety of complications which are too frequent to ignore. These start from as small as wound infection or nausea and vomiting; but may also lead to gall bladder stones; leaks or narrowing from site of intestinal suturing; hernia; breathlessness from lung embolization and even death. A higher suicide rate is reported in some studies amongst patients who have undergone surgery.

Thus treatment modalities include diet, exercise, medication and surgery. Behavioral interventions are also advised so as to control affinity to overeating. Unfortunately none is convenient for the patient. Prevention is better than cure but if the disease has set in all efforts are required to get rid of it.

How to manage Bland Diet

What is a bland diet? It is a diet specially set to treat certain gastrointestinal or stomach problems such as heartburns, ulcers and gas.

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An answer to a question, what is a bland diet, is that it is a simple treatment for people suffering from any one or more gastrointestinal disorders such as chronic gastritis, ulcer, esophagitis and dyspepsia.

Bland diet is a dietary regimen for people suffering from stomach disorders. Hence, it is quite understood that ingredients of a bland diet are soft food items, which are easy to digest with a capacity to keep the acidity to low levels. Questions about diet may be asked to your physicians and he/she can suggest the diet or recommend a dietician to do it.

Diet medical questions may include the queries about the food stuffs to eat and food stuffs to avoid during the time while a person experien ces any gastrointestinal disorders. However, before a dietician could decide the bland diet for a person, he/she needs to seek answers to several medical questions related to the person such as any food allergies or irritations associated with any food items and emotions medical questions of people.

Bland Diet:

The diet prescribed as a bland diet will include food items that are easy to digest and low in fiber and acid contents. Even giving up alcohol and smoking is advised while patient is on bland diet. Also a patient is advised to have 4 to 6 light meals after regular interval to avoid heavy and large meals.

Chewing food properly and eating slowly helps in the digestion of the food. Adequate sleep, avoiding smoking and controlling anxiety are supportive treatments for the standard treatment of the problem.

Allowed Food Items:

• Dairy Products
Milk, cheese, yogurt with low-fats and other dairy products are easily digested and hence, can be included as a part of bland diet. However, there is no restriction on ice-creams and one may consume even ice creams during bland diet, but it should not have any product such as nuts that are not allowed in bland diet.

• Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Fresh vegetables and fruits are allowed to a bland dieter. However, while carrot, squash, green peas are good to eat in a bland diet, broccoli, onions and green peeper should be avoided as it forms gas. In fruits, oranges, grapefruits, and bananas are allowed.

• Proteins
Protein requirement of the body, while on a bland diet should be met with soy products and meat. Fried chicken and greasy hamburgers are not allowed to be consumed, while grilled and baked chicken is allowed.
Low-fat peanut butter and eggs are also efficient to meet the body’s protein requirement in a bland diet.

• Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are contained in whole grain breads, pasta, oatmeal, corn flakes, white rice and sweet potatoes. All these food items are allowed.

Bland diet is designed for treating certain medical circumstances such as gastrointestinal problems. Hence, to answer what is a bland diet, we can say that this is a diet that aims at improving the digestion with the help of a timed-routine diet and soft to digest food items. Once the problem is controlled patients can return to their normal diet.

Seven Weight Loss Tips

Here are seven weight loss tips to get you started on getting the body of your dreams!

#1.During your workouts do exercise that incorporate compound movements rather than simple ones. This will not only help in burning more calories, but will also tone more muscle at once! A few good compound movement exercises include: squats, dead lifts, bent over rows, and lunges.

#2. Set fitness goals for yourself. Be sure to write your goals down and post them where you will see them everyday. Your goal may be to lose 5 pounds, to lose 5 inches off your waist. Make sure that you are very specific with your goals, vague goals will get you nowhere. A qualified personal trainer can help you set your goals and guide you to them.

#3. Pump some iron! Did you know that 1 lb of muscle burns 30-50 calories per day, while 1 lb of fat only burns about 9 calories per day? The more muscle your body contains the more calories you burn each day. Resistance training has been called the fountain of youth  and it really is!

#4. A great way to burn off excess fat is to walk or jog for as little as 15-20 minutes first thing in the morning. Performing a calorie burning activity right when you wake up is more effective since your body is depleted of calories, and is forced to pull energy from fat stores. A personal trainer can help you identify your ideal target heart rate for maximum fat burn.

#5. Make a habit of weighing and measuring yourself monthly and tracking your gains and losses. I know this sounds tedious but it is a great way to help you prevent gradual weight gain from creeping up when you least expect it.

#6. When lifting weights, try slowing down the speed at which you lower the weight. Lowering weight in a controlled manner will add strength and tone to your muscles and decrease the chance of an injury.

#7. Losing patience with exercise? The key to weight loss and fitness gains is to consistently give your body new challenges. Mix up your workouts every few weeks, and don’t be afraid to try something new! Make your body constantly adapt to new challenges and stimulus. Hire a personal trainer who can help you add new excitement to your fitness program.