5 Ways to Reach a Healthy Weight

Diets aren't the way to go when it comes to losing weight. That's because they create temporary eating patterns — and, therefore, temporary results. Most dieters gain back any lost weight when they go back to their old eating habits.

So what's the best way to drop excess weight? Create a new normal!

Weight loss is most likely to be successful when people change their habits, replacing old, unhealthy ones with new, healthy behaviors. Here are 5 ways to make that happen:

1. Exercise. Regular physical activity burns calories and builds muscle — both of which help you look and feel good and keep weight off. Walking the family dog, cycling to school, and doing other things that increase your daily level of activity can all make a difference. If you want to burn more calories, increase the intensity of your workout and add some strength exercises to build muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even when you aren't exercising.
2. Reduce screen time. One reason people get less exercise these days is because of an increase in "screen time" — the amount of time spent watching TV, looking at the computer, or playing video games. Limit recreational screen time to less than 2 hours per day. If you're with friends at the mall, you're getting more exercise than if you're IMing them from your room.
3. Watch out for portion distortion. Portion sizes are bigger than they used to be, and these extra calories contribute to obesity. Another key factor in weight gain is that more people drink sugary beverages, such as sodas, juice drinks, and sports drinks. So choose smaller portions (or share restaurant portions) and go for water or low-fat milk instead of soda.
4. Eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day. Fruits and veggies are about more than just vitamins and minerals. They're also packed with fiber, which means they fill you up. And when you fill up on fruits and veggies, you're less likely to overeat when it comes to high-calorie foods like chips or cookies.
5. Don't skip breakfast. Breakfast kick-starts your metabolism, burning calories from the get-go and giving you energy to do more during the day. People who skip breakfast often feel so hungry that they eat more later on. So they get more calories than they would have if they ate breakfast. In fact, people who skip breakfast tend to have higher BMIs than people who eat breakfast.

Reference: The Nemours Foundation

Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight

Why is physical activity important?

Regular physical activity is important for good health, and it's especially important if you're trying to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight.

• When losing weight, more physical activity increases the number of calories your body uses for energy or "burns off." The burning of calories through physical activity, combined with reducing the number of calories you eat, creates a "calorie deficit" that results in weight loss.
• Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake. However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity.
• Most importantly, physical activity reduces risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes beyond that produced by weight reduction alone.

Physical activity also helps to–

• Maintain weight.
• Reduce high blood pressure.
• Reduce risk for type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, and several forms of cancer.
• Reduce arthritis pain and associated disability.
• Reduce risk for osteoporosis and falls.
• Reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

How much physical activity do I need?

When it comes to weight management, people vary greatly in how much physical activity they need. Here are some guidelines to follow:

To maintain your weight: Work your way up to 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or an equivalent mix of the two each week. Strong scientific evidence shows that physical activity can help you maintain your weight over time. However, the exact amount of physical activity needed to do this is not clear since it varies greatly from person to person. It's possible that you may need to do more than the equivalent of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to maintain your weight.

To lose weight and keep it off: You will need a high amount of physical activity unless you also adjust your diet and reduce the amount of calories you're eating and drinking. Getting to and staying at a healthy weight requires both regular physical activity and a healthy eating plan.

Obesity: Strategies and Solutions

There is no single or simple solution to the childhood obesity epidemic, but learn what states, communities, and parents can do to help make the healthy choice the easy choice for children, adolescents, and their families.

For States and communities

• Assess their retail food environment to better understand the current landscape and differences in accessibility to healthier foods. 
• Provide incentives to existing supermarkets and farmers' markets to establish their businesses in low-income areas or to sell healthier foods.
• Expand programs that bring local fruits and vegetables to schools.
• Put salad bars in schools. 

• Pursue a “Spectrum of Opportunities” to help early care and education facilities in their jurisdictions support optimal nutrition, breastfeeding, physical activity and screen time standards and practices.

• Enroll elementary, middle, and high schools in USDA's Team Nutrition program and apply for certification through the HealthierUS School Challenge.
• Increase access to free drinking water and limit the sale of drinks with added sugars in schools by establishing school wellness and nutrition policies.
• Support breastfeeding in hospitals and the workplace.
• Create and maintain safe neighborhoods for physical activity and improve access to parks and playgrounds.
• Support quality daily physical education in schools and daily physical activity in child care facilities.

For Parents

• Follow the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics and limit media time for kids to no more than 1 to 2 hours of quality programming per day whether at home, school or child care.
• Visit the child care centers to see if they serve healthier foods and drinks, and limit TV and video time.
• Work with schools to limit foods and drinks with added sugars, fat and salt that can be purchased outside the school lunch program.

• Provide plenty of fruits and vegetables, limit foods high in fat and sugars, and prepare healthier foods at family meals.
• Serve your family water instead of drinks with added sugars.
• Make sure your child gets physical activity each day.

Difference Between Overweight and Obesity

Overweight vs Obesity

Globally there are more than 1 billion adults who are overweight and at least 300 million of these people are suffering from obesity. There are major risks of being overweight and being obese. These are type 2-diabetes, hypertension tendencies and cardiovascular problems, stroke and many kinds of cancer. The main reasons for such high saturation of fats are serious eating disorder and consumption of high saturated fats, sugar and no work out. People who are above the normal weight are often called as overweight or suffering from obesity. However, there is a fine difference between being overweight and obesity.

An overweight person is one who weighs more than that is normal or needed to be fit. Overweight is actually when a person weighs much more than the weight that is considered as healthy according to one’s age and height. However, obesity is a term which is used when a person has a body weight due to the accumulation of fat in the body.

According to the medical dictionary, over heaviness is being overweight. Hence when a person makes his physical appearance more fat as compared to what is required for the normal fitness and health of the body we call him to be overweight. An overweight person has a body mass index (BMI) of 25.0 to 29.9. However, obesity is a state when excessive amount of body fat is stored in the body as compared to the mass. The body mass index of an obese person is 30.0 to 39.9. A person who has a BMI of 40.0 or above is considered as terribly obese. The Body Mass Index or BMI is a method that uses the height and weight to measure the amount of fat that is normal for a person to perform his daily activities. For calculating BMI, we divide the weight of the person in kg by height in meters squared. This is for inches and pounds.

When food supplies are plenty and lifestyle is moderate people plunge into every mouth watering food they like. The result is that around 64% of the adult population of United States is considered overweight. Hence, overweight is a factor that is now found in almost all age groups. Obese on the other hand quite near to being overweight. It is when a person possesses more fat than what is required for the normal functions of the organ. Our body needs fat for reproduction, hormonal, immune systems, energy for activities we perform on a daily basis. The excess fat that’s collected causes obesity.

Why Fast Food Is Bad For You?

Eating too much fast food is considered to be a leading cause of obesity, hypertension, and heart disease.

Fast food restaurants are popular because they serve tasty convenient foods for a reasonable price. Many people visit these restaurants frequently to eat their main meals. They don't realize that these type of food items are bad for health.

Here are some reasons why fast food is bad for your health.

Fast food contain more calories.

Majority of junk foods are loaded with calories. Large portion size and high fat content are the main reasons for the high energy content.

An average person need to consume about 400-600 calories in a mealtime. (If he takes 3 main meals and 2 snacks.) The calorie content of many items are far more than that level.

For example; KFC chicken pot pie have 790 calories. If you eat that and drink 300ml of Pepsi, which contain 170 calories, you will have a total of 960 calories.
A McDonald's Big Xtra Hamburger with cheese have 810 calories. A Burger King's Club Chicken Sandwich is loaded with700 calories.

Think that if you eat 220 more calories a day, you will gain one pound of extra fat in your body in two weeks time. That means, 24 pounds in one year. That is a lot of weight gain. So, don't visit those restaurants more than once a week.

Fast food contain more unhealthy fat.

Most of the convenient foods contain high levels of saturated fat. This type of fat is mostly derived from animal products such as meat, eggs and butter. Palm oil and coconut oil also contain significant amounts of saturated fat.

Eating too much saturated fat can increase bad cholesterol level in the blood. Elevated levels of cholesterol is the main cause of heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular diseases.

Another type of fat presents in these food is called trans fat, which is the worst type of fat. We do not need to eat trans fat, even in tiny amounts.

Consumption of trans fat is linked to elevated levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood. In addition, it can lower the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) in you body.

Fast foods are high in sodium.

Sodium plays several important roles in our body. We need to consume certain amount of sodium everyday.

However, taking too much salt is bad for the body. It can cause high blood pressure, obesity, and osteoporosis. In addition, experts believed that over-consumption of salt is linked to increased risk of developing bowl cancer.

An average adult need to consume about 1200mg sodium per day. Many of the convenient foods contain far more than that amount.

For example; KFC double down sandwich contain 1880 mg of sodium. Similarly, McDonald's Angus bacon and cheese contain 2070 mg of sodium.

Imagine you eat one of these items for your one meal time. then what are you going to eat for the rest of the day?

Eating too much fast food is bad for your health because they contain more calories, more unhealthy fay, and more salt. They can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, and coronary heart diseases.

Reasons Why Obesity Is a Real Problem

Obesity is a growing health problem that affects many people including children of all ages. Obesity is bad for our health for many reasons.

Here are 10 main reasons why obesity is really bad.

1. Obesity is the number one cause of type 2 diabetes. The chances of getting diabetes increases more than tenfold if your body weight is higher than normal. Diabetes do all the bad things to your body. It can give many problems to your eyes, kidneys, and heart.


2. Excessive weight gain increases the risk of developing high blood pressure. It is estimated that over 25 per cent of hypertensive cases are due to increased body weight. Losing weight can help normalize your blood pressure. That is why many doctors advise people to do exercise if they have high blood pressure.


3. Obesity is bad for your heart. It increases the risk of ischemic heart diseases that include angina and heart attack. Abdominal obesity or belly fat is the worst problem that can affect health of your heart.


4. Being obese can be a cause of obstructive sleep apnea. It is a respiratory problem in which breathing is stopped intermittently during sleep. As a result, oxygen supply to the brain is cut off hundreds of time during sleep. It can cause many health problems such as bad memory, poor concentration and hypertension.


5. Overweight is associated with high levels of cholesterol in the blood. It increases the levels of triglycerides and bad cholesterol (LDL). In addition, fat people usually have low levels of good cholesterol (HDL). This pattern of cholesterol profile is a leading cause of atherosclerosis. That means narrowing of blood vessels that leads to heart attack.


6. Another reason why obesity is bad is, it can cause acid reflux. This condition is also known as gastro oesophageal reflux disease (GORD). In this condition, acid in the stomach is leaked backwards into the esophagus causing heart burn.


7. Gout is a medical problem that affects joints. It causes painful arthritis that can affect toes, ankles, and other joints. The reason for joint inflammation is deposition of uric acid crystals in the joint cavity. People with obesity have greater risk of getting gout.


8. The lifetime risk of cancer is high among obese people. They have more chance of getting breast, bowel and esophageal cancers.


9. Overweight can aggravate osteoarthritis which is a common joint problem due to wear and tear. Increased body weight puts more stress on joint surfaces causing damage.


10. Heart failure is one of the bad results of morbid obesity. Excess weight gain is an independent risk factor. That means, even if you are healthy otherwise, being fat places you at risk of developing congestive cardiac failure.

Obesity Facts You May Not Know About

Obesity is a worldwide health problem that has been increasing dramatically. Better understanding of body weight issues is important for a healthy life. Here are some facts about obesity that you may not know before.

• The incidence of obesity in the world has doubled in the past three decades.
• Obesity and overweight are the fifth leading cause of death worldwide.
• More than10 per cent of the world's population are obese.
• Two in three Americans are either overweight or obese.
• Obesity is a leading cause of diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and sleep apnea.
• About 45 per cent of the type 2 diabetes cases are due to excessive body weight.
• More than half of the obese people have obstructive sleep apnea, which can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, and road traffic accidents.
• Being overweight can increase the chance of getting certain types of cancer.
• Accumulation of extra fat in the belly region is more hazardous than fat in the buttocks and thighs. In other words, pear shape body is better than apple shape body. 
• Faulty eating habits is the number one cause of excess body fat.
• Fast foods play a major role in the development of overweight. Many people love junk food because they are convenient, tasty and cheap. However, these convenient foods have lots of calories.
• Over-consumption of sugar and other sweets is linked to too much weight gain in many cases.
• Soda and other calorie containing beverages such as energy drinks can make you to put on excess body weight.
• You may not know the fact that what we eat regularly is more important than occasional party foods.
• Eating an ice cream in a birthday party is less harmful than drinking a can of Pepsi everyday.
• Majority of people in the developed countries spend more money on meals purchased in fast food outlets.
• Soda is cheaper than bottled water in many supermarkets and vending machines.Soda can make you gain weight.
• One glass of beer contain approximately 80 calories. Drinking two glasses of beer daily can make you gain 20 pounds in a year.
• Lack of sleep is a well recognized cause of obesity. People who sleep for 8 hours a day have less chance of putting on weight than people who sleep for 6 hours a day.
• Too much stress in your life can make you gain excess weight.
• Less than half of the people in the US have adequate level of physical activity which is important to maintain a healthy weight.
• One in four Americans do not do any physical activities in their leisure times.
• Incidence of childhood obesity has tripled in the past three decades.
• More than 75 per cent of fat children will also be fat in their early adulthood.
• In general, academic performance of overweight children is less than that of normal weight children.
• Many overweight children are bullied by their peers at school. This may be the cause of learning difficulties among them.
• Children with extra body fat have more chance of getting problems in their joints.
• Fat kids usually have low self esteem.
• Kids need more than an hour of physical activity each day. Nowadays, many children are comfortable with television and computers. They spend long hours of time in front of the screen. They do not like outdoor play.
• Watching television for longer periods of time is a significant contributor of obesity in children.
• If both parents are obese, there is up to 80 per cent chance that their children become obese.