Obesity is a chronic disease that’s characterized by excessive accumulation of body fat. Although it often begins in childhood and adolescence, it can occur at any age. It’s considered multifactorial, as it may be caused by genetics, medical problems, or lifestyle. What strategies help fight obesity?
The strategies to fight obesity can vary according to each patient’s needs. However, in general terms, they involve changes in eating habits and an increase in physical activity. In the following article, we share 3 recommendations.
Strategies to Fight Obesity
It’s highly likely that obese patients will develop other health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or arthritis, among others. In turn, these conditions facilitate the progression of the disorder and worsen its prognosis.
Fortunately, losing some weight is enough to improve or prevent obesity-related complications. Do you suffer from this condition? Below, discover a series of strategies that can complement your treatment. Put them into practice!
1. Exercise regularly, one of the strategies to fight obesity
Adopting a regular exercise routine is an important part of the treatment to fight obesity. Although it isn’t easy to stop leading a sedentary lifestyle, starting moderate physical activity favors weight control and helps control problems associated with this disease.
What you need to do:
- Initially, you can exercise for 150 minutes a week. However, when you gain more endurance, you can do up to 300 or more minutes.
- You can choose various types of training routines or sports activities. The most important thing is to be consistent and increase the intensity as your physical condition improves.
- Also, experts recommend increasing other forms of physical activity. For example, using the stairs, doing your chores at a faster speed, or walking your dog, among others.
2. Follow a healthy diet
A huge part of the success of obesity treatment depends on your diet. Therefore, it’s important to reduce your calorie intake and adopt healthy eating habits. Nevertheless, you should avoid drastic and restrictive diets, as they don’t provide long-term results.
Although they can help you lose weight in a short time, it’s very likely that you’ll regain the lost pounds due to the rebound effect. The best way to achieve a healthy and balanced weight is to follow a long-term and constant weight loss plan.
The type of diet can vary depending on your needs. The doctor or nutritionist may consider aspects such as age, degree of obesity, and underlying diseases. However, they usually advise the following:
- Firstly, reduce your total calorie intake. The normal amount is 1200 to 1500 calories for women and between 1500 and 1800 for men per day.
- Secondly, increase your consumption of foods that are nutritious and low in calories, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and seeds.
- Likewise, consume more lean proteins, such as those chicken, turkey, and fish provide.
- Also, consume low-fat dairy products.
- In addition, prepare healthy snacks with nuts, plain yogurt, seeds, and fruits, among others.
- Finally, limit your consumption of unhealthy foods, such as those that contain sugar, refined flours, and saturated fats, etc.
3. Change your behavior to fight obesity
In many cases, patients access a behavior change program. The main goal of this type of program is to modify the behavior and attitudes that don’t allow patients to maintain a healthy weight. This way, patients come to understand that weight loss requires permanent lifestyle changes.
A psychologist is the professional that usually carries out behavior change programs, also known as behavior therapy. This is because this professional has the skills to help the patient understand the risks of their illness and the situations that lead them to eat poorly.
The therapy can be either be individual or group. In fact, it’s also sometimes familiar, as the disease tends to affect several members of the same family. The plan includes strategies for managing food anxiety, stressful situations, and other emotions that are associated with this disease.
Are you fighting obesity? If so, apply all the mentioned strategies and start fighting for a healthier weight! Of course, remember to seek medical attention, as other treatment options can be decisive in overcoming this dangerous condition.
Via: MedicalNewsToday | HealthLine
