When an individual has excess fat that might affect their health, they are said to be obese. The condition that the individual is going through is referred to as obesity. Obesity is a body disorder that increases the risk of other health challenges such as some types of cancer, arthritis, high blood pressure, stroke, metabolic syndrome, heart diseases and abnormal cholesterol levels. Ordinarily, you can’t determine if you are overweight unless you visit a doctor or health specialist. Doctors use BMI (Body Mass Index) to determine if you have a high body mass Index for your age. For every age and height, there is an appropriate weight range healthy for an individual. Undoubtedly, our body needs a certain amount of body fat within a healthy range. For good health, there is a need to balance calorie intake and energy expenditure.
Hello, you are welcome to Healthy Life Side. When you take good care of your health, you will be better mentally, physically and emotionally. We are delighted to be of help in your journey to be healthy. If you do not see our posts often, kindly signup to our newsletter to see more of our content. Below is detailed information on the causes of obesity and how to prevent it.
Causes of obesity
The consumption of food high in carbohydrates
The consumption of food high in carbohydratesCarbohydrate increases blood glucose level, and it causes the release of insulin from the pancreas. This leads to the growth of fat tissue, and eventually, it causes weight gain. Research has shown that simple carbohydrates such as sugar and fructose contribute more to rapid weight gain. Unlike complex sugar gotten from brown rice, grains and pasta, simple sugar is easily absorbed into the bloodstream.
Unhealthy diet
Nothing happens overnight, including obesity. It takes time to happen. An individual does not become overweight just in one day. Obesity is the result of an unhealthy or poor diet. For instance, drinking too much alcohol over a long time can cause you to become overweight. Alcohol contains a lot of calories that build up in the body. Similarly, high consumption of soft drinks and food high in fat can cause obesity.
Lack of physical activity
Physical activity is a significant contribution to weight control. However, some people’s jobs involve sitting at a desk for a long time. If you find yourself in this position, you need to have a schedule for work-out or exercise. It is necessary to use the energy provided by food. The extra energy is stored as body fat.
Genetics
Genetics is one crucial factor related to obesity. A person can be obese if both of his parents are obese. In the placenta of a pregnant woman, there is the presence of leptin hormone. It serves as the control button that alerts the brain to eat less. If the body fails to produce enough leptin, the brain will lose control. This will expose such individuals to a high risk of obesity.
If obesity is such a high-risk factor that opens the door to other health issues, it is necessary to find ways through which you can prevent them.
How to prevent obesity?
Avoid high consumption of processed food
Processed food has been changed one way or the other from its natural state. You can’t completely avoid it, but its consumption can be reduced to the minimum. The most harmful processed food that exposes individuals to high risk is ultra-processed food. They are chemically processed. Therefore, they are high in sugar, trans fats, artificial ingredients and refined carbohydrates. This makes it the major cause of obesity, and it eventually causes serious illness. Chemically processed foods are low in nutritional value. Examples of processed food includes; frozen food, instant noodles, pastries and more. The list is endless, and these foods contain less dietary fibre and fewer vitamins.
Eat more dietary fibre
Eat more dietary fibreHealthy eating has several benefits, such as the reduction of obesity. Fibre-rich food will keep you satisfied for an extended period. It prevents you from putting up weight even if you consume more. Fibre-rich food prevents your body from absorbing calories which usually contribute to excessive weight gain. Dietary fibre can be majorly found in vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains. Aside from helping to prevent obesity, it also lowers the risk of heart diseases and certain types of cancer.
Avoid overeating
One significant contribution to weight gain lies in overeating food. To decrease the chance of overeating, you need to recognise what triggers the desire for more food in you. For instance, if chocolate is likely to trigger overeating, it’s a good idea for you to avoid chocolate. Instead, you can go for a healthier option like veggies or apples. To stay completely away from the temptation of overeating, ensure you are not keeping unhealthy snacks like candies and cookies.
Engage in regular exercise
You must incorporate regular physical activity into your schedule. Irrespective of the nature of your job, it is essential to maintain a healthy weight. Physical activities will help to strengthen your heart and improve blood circulation. This helps to lower the risk of obesity and other heart diseases. When there is an increase in blood circulation in the body, oxygen levels will be increased, and there will be a reduced case of heart attacks. Exercise helps you to control and manage weight by burning calories. If you want to stay healthy, engage more in doing physical activity.
Keep away from sugary food
Sugar comes in various forms; some people don’t know how much sugar they consume daily. Globally, the rate of obesity is on the rise. For instance, drinks like sodas and juice are packed with fructose. When finished, they increase the desire for food because they contain fructose. Consuming too much sugary or sweetened drinks increases the risk of weight gain.
Drinking alkaline water
Drinking alkaline waterAlkaline water helps to reduce fat storage in the body. It also helps to increase the metabolic process going in the body. Therefore, the higher the metabolic process, the higher the speed at which the body uses the energy gotten from food. There will be no more for calories to build up, and there will be a loss in weight.
In conclusion,
In addition to the above points, overeating sugary things can expose an individual to developing cancer. When a diet is high in sugar content, our body begins to resist insulin which increases cancer risk.
What is your opinion about obesity? Please share with us in the comment section below. If you like this content, don’t forget to share and connect with us for similar information on healthful living. You can check out also our previous post such as “5 best options of magnesium supplements for sleep and energy“.
Stay hydrated! We drink ionised water.
Recommended books for further reading:
