Introduction
Obesity can cause serious health problems in a person, some of which can be life-threatening. Some of the health problems that occur following obesity include hypertension, diabetes, and liver and kidney problems. Some of the life-threatening complications include heart attack and stroke. Obesity has also increased in people who were overweight during their childhood.
Women have a high risk of becoming obese after pregnancy and menopause and so are people who are of a lower socio-economic status who cannot afford to buy healthy foods or get time to exercise because they are always working. A weight-loss specialist in Fairfax can advise you on which diet will work for you best.
How Is Obesity Treated?
The key to the successful management of any disease is identifying the cause of that condition. Identifying the different causes of obesity such as genetics, other diseases like polycystic ovarian syndrome in women, sedentary lifestyle, medications and pregnancy is a good start in deciding which form of treatment is appropriate for each patient. Treatment is therefore individualized for different patients.
The various forms of treatment that are used to treat obesity include dietary modification, physical activity and exercises, medications, counseling, and weight loss surgery. Obese persons are advised to be physically active for at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. The exercises should be done regularly and consistently. You can also consider going to the gym regularly.
Consistency and commitment to the treatment plan are key in the management of obesity. The exercises and diet changes may be hard to bear with and quitting will only cause the exact problem that you are trying to solve.
Changes Should Be Made in the Diet
of an Obese Person?
The diet
of an obese person should be a balanced diet that contains carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and vitamins in the right proportions. The diet should include a lot of fruits and vegetables and high fiber carbohydrates.
These high fiber carbohydrates should make up to 1/3 of the food taken per meal. Examples of high fiber carbohydrates include potatoes, rice, and whole grains.
You should cut down on the intake of saturated fats that are found in foods like butter, sausages, cheese, and fatty meat. You should also reduce the salt intake because it can increase your chances of getting high blood pressure. This means that you should take 1.5g of salt per 100g serving of food and that you should not exceed 6g of salt per day. Identify the triggers that cause you to eat excess food and try to avoid them by all means possible.
You should drink a lot of water to help with digestion, replace the water that is lost during exercise, and avoid dehydration. Never skip meals and do not eat a lot of low-calorie diets because it causes rapid weight reduction which is unhealthy. The recommended weight loss per day should be 600 calories per day and half a kg to 1 kg per week. Eat regular meals and reduce snacking in between meals. Make sure that you do not cheat on your diet.
Conclusion
Diet management is a very important step in the management of obesity. The diet should have healthier foods like carbohydrates with high fiber, plenty of water, lots of vegetables and fruits, and low saturated fats and salt. On average you should lose ½ a kg to 1 kg of weight per week.
Amna khan