Obesity is one of the most urgent problems of the modern world. In some countries it has already reached epidemic proportions. In our country, about 47% of men and 52% of women live with excess body weight. Excess weight is not only a defect in appearance. It can cause many physiological or psychological disorders. To get rid of fat deposits, you must first change your eating habits.
What are the dangers of obesity?
Obesity is due to the fact that the amount of food entering the body of a modern person significantly exceeds what is needed for energy production. As a result, unspent waste is converted into fat. The quality of the products consumed also matters. If the basis of the diet consists of easily digestible carbohydrates, they will surely be deposited in the form of ugly wrinkles.
Excess weight should not be perceived simply as a visual disadvantage. It is a risk factor for the development of many diseases. The more adipose tissue grows, the stronger its destructive effect on the body.
Caution: overweight patients are three times more likely to suffer from diabetes mellitus, and two times more likely to suffer from pathologies of the liver and cardiovascular system, compared to people of normal weight.
Obesity is a systemic disease, it can affect the functioning of all internal organs.
Among the diseases caused by excess weight:
- hypertension;
- Alzheimer's disease;
- stroke;
- arthritis;
- male impotence;
- phlebeurism;
- angina pectoris;
- pathologies of the respiratory system;
- depression;
- apnea (sudden cessation of breathing during sleep);
- heart attack;
- gallbladder pathology;
- osteoarthritis;
- diseases of the digestive tract;
- atherosclerosis;
- menstrual irregularities.
It has been scientifically proven that obesity increases the likelihood of developing breast, thyroid, colon, gall bladder and kidney cancer. The most obvious link is between excess weight and malignant neoplasms of the esophagus, as well as of the endometrium. On average, body fat reduces a person's life expectancy by 12-15 years.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that obese people have impaired metabolism - this slows down the process of losing weight. But the situation is reversible. It is possible to "lose" even the heaviest weight. To do this, you must first change your diet. The main mistake that many people make is that they try to completely give up food. As a result, periods of fasting are replaced by breaks. The weight returns to even greater volumes and health problems appear. A professional nutritionist should choose a diet for an obese person.
Basic principles of nutrition for obesity
The diet to treat obesity must be balanced. The body cannot remain without essential substances, amino acids and vitamins. An incorrectly chosen diet can cause serious endocrine disorders, disturbances in the functioning of the liver, heart and other organs.
The basic nutritional rules for weight normalization are as follows:
- The daily calorie content varies from 1700 to 2000 kcal. It is calculated individually, taking into account the gender, age, height, build and physical activity of the patient;
- limiting the consumption of foods containing fast carbohydrates and animal fats;
- filling the diet with fiber, which has few calories, but fills the stomach for a long time, creating a feeling of satiety;
- The recommended intake of protein per day for an adult with average physical activity is 0. 75 g per 1 kg of weight;
- separate meals make it easier to control the feeling of hunger. It is recommended to eat 5-6 times a day;
- the daily amount of salt should not exceed 5 g;
- exclusion of spices, herbs, smoked foods, pickles, spicy dishes that increase appetite;
- You should drink one and a half liters of water a day. Before each meal, you should slowly drink half a glass of liquid;
- Boil, bake or steam all dishes. Fried foods should be avoided;
- eat at the same time. Additional foods are prohibited.
Attention: the norm is considered to be a monthly loss of 3 kg of weight due to fat. The fastest weight loss is too much stress for the body!
A healthy diet for obesity should be combined with moderate physical activity. You should start with 10 minutes of exercise, gradually increasing the duration and complexity of the exercises.
The listed rules must be observed especially strictly in the first month of treatment. Then the body adapts to the new diet and daily routine. The risk of breakdowns and returning to previous eating habits will decrease.
Prohibited and permitted products
Obese patients are usually recommended the so-called dietary table no. 8. It is designed directly to reduce fat volume and normalize metabolic processes.
Attention: for patients with concomitant diseases of the cardiovascular system, liver and digestive organs, individual diets are selected!
Despite the strictness of this diet, it allows you to eat varied and delicious. The list of acceptable products is very extensive. We present the main ones in the form of a table.
It is best to write the menu in advance, buy all the products and divide them into meals. In this case, you will not have to prepare food "in a hurry" after work - this can lead to overeating.
Sample menu for the day
BREAKFAST
- boiled meat (100 g)
- roasted beets
- coffee without sugar
lunches
- vegetable stew
- baked fish (100 g)
- fruit jelly
dinner
- Borsch without meat (150 g)
- low-fat cottage cheese
- dried fruit compote
Afternoon snack
- fresh apples
dinner
- carrot salad with garlic
- buckwheat
Before going to bed, you should drink a glass of low-fat kefir.
Alternative diets
There are many options for low-carb diets. Not very strict diets include the exclusion of so-called fast carbohydrates. The principle of creating a diet is similar to "table No. 8" described above. Such restrictions are really useful. They allow the body to get all the necessary substances and burn stored fat reserves.
Another type of low-carb diet is strict. They exclude almost all products containing these substances. For example, the basis of a protein diet is protein. They make up to 80% of the daily diet. Such food saturates quickly, takes a long time to digest, relieving a person of hunger. In addition, the processing of vegetable and animal proteins requires a lot of energy - it takes up to half of the calories consumed.
Such diets are effective, but must be combined with serious physical activity. Otherwise, proteins not used for muscle mass form nitrogenous compounds, which are excreted through the kidneys. The load on the organs increases, creating the prerequisites for the development of urolithiasis.
Lack of carbohydrates negatively affects the condition of bones, skin and hair. From these chemical compounds, the body produces glucose, the main nutrient for the brain. Experiencing a lack of energy, the body begins to use not only subcutaneous fat, but also muscle tissue for its production.
The popular keto diet, which involves a complete abstinence from carbohydrates, is not advisable for beginners. It is allowed to consume only fats, proteins of plant and animal origin. The purpose of such food is to put a person into a state of ketosis. This is a type of metabolism in which the body uses ketone bodies (subcutaneous fat derivatives) instead of glucose. The diet is also harmful because, along with carbohydrates, a person stops consuming fiber, vitamins and trace elements included in the excluded products.
It is possible to lose weight on such a diet, but doing so through complex physiological changes is undesirable. The diet was originally developed for patients with epilepsy after a link was established between ketosis and reduced seizure frequency. The keto diet is not recommended for weight loss, but only for therapeutic purposes.
In any case, before going on this diet, it is better to consult your doctor. Not everyone can set restrictions on their diet.
For whom are diets contraindicated?
For many diseases, as well as during certain periods of human development, strict diets are contraindicated.
First of all, you cannot adhere to a low-calorie, restrictive diet in childhood. The basis of metabolism is laid during intensive growth. Lack of nutrients can cause underdevelopment of the skeleton and internal organs and cause chronic diseases.
In adolescents, the lack of fats and carbohydrates provokes the wrong synthesis of sex hormones. In adulthood, this can cause an unstable menstrual cycle and reproductive dysfunction.
During menopause, most women gain weight. This is due to the fact that hormonal imbalance affects all processes in the body, including fat metabolism. Strict diets during menopause are not only harmful, but also useless. You can stop weight fluctuations only by taking estrogen medications recommended by your gynecologist.
Restricted food for pregnant and lactating women is strictly prohibited. Lack of nutrients during pregnancy can negatively affect the course of pregnancy. Also, malnutrition often leads to the birth of a weakened child with neurological and immune problems and developmental delays.
In breastfeeding mothers, the weight usually returns to normal on its own within a year, as the accumulated reserves are "used up" by the body to produce milk with a reasonable and balanced diet. Dietary restrictions can provoke hormonal imbalance and even greater weight gain.
There are certain diets for patients with certain chronic diseases. Among the pathologies:
- gastritis;
- heart dissases;
- ulcers;
- intestinal diseases;
- kidney disorders;
- liver and gall bladder pathologies;
- pancreatitis.
People with diabetes and thyroid dysfunction cannot independently experiment with food. In these cases, weight correction is done under the strict supervision of the attending physician, who chooses a therapeutic diet suitable for the patient.
How to lose weight without dieting
In most cases, to lose weight, it is not necessary to force the body with strict restrictions. It is enough to minimize the consumption of fast foods, processed foods, desserts with cream and other unhealthy foods.
Following some simple rules will help you achieve your ideal figure:
- drink enough clean water. This will not only provide the cells with the necessary amount of moisture, but will also help reduce appetite;
- Exercise will help speed up your metabolism. It is enough to spend 10-15 minutes a day on exercises;
- eat often, in small portions. Do not eat while reading or watching TV. This way you can get distracted and eat much more than you need;
- spend more time in the fresh air, breathe more deeply. In this way, the tissues are saturated with oxygen, metabolic processes continue faster;
- get a good night's sleep;
- do not finish eating "by force". It is good to take short breaks during meals; if you feel full, then you have enough food.
Between lunch and dinner, you can nibble on a few slices of dark chocolate with a high cocoa butter content (at least 70%). You can replace it with some dry fruits, they should be chewed slowly. Thanks to this, the brain receives a signal that there is a sufficient supply of glucose and the appetite decreases.
Obesity is not just a harmless cosmetic defect. This is a dangerous pathology that can cause disability and premature death of the patient. It is necessary to normalize weight, but a thoughtless desire for an ideal figure can cause no less harm to a person's health than fat deposits. You should lose weight correctly, under the supervision of a qualified nutritionist.