Obesity is one of the most pressing problems of the modern world. In some countries, it has already reached epidemic proportions. In our country, approximately 47% of men and 52% of women live with excess weight. Excess weight is not just an appearance defect. It can cause many physiological or psychological disorders. To get rid of fatty deposits, you must first change your eating habits.
What are the dangers of obesity
Obesity is caused by the fact that the amount of food entering the body of a modern person significantly exceeds that necessary for energy production. As a result, unspent residue is transformed into fat. The quality of the products consumed also matters. If the basis of the diet is easily digestible carbohydrates, these will certainly be deposited in the form of unsightly folds.
Excess weight should not be seen simply as a visual disadvantage. It is a risk factor for the development of many diseases. The more adipose tissue develops, the stronger its destructive effect on the body.
Please note: overweight patients are three times more likely to suffer from diabetes mellitus and twice as likely to suffer from pathologies of the liver and cardiovascular system than people of normal weight.
Obesity is a systemic disease; it can affect the functioning of all internal organs.
Among the diseases caused by being overweight:
- hypertension;
- Alzheimer's disease;
- beatings;
- arthritis;
- male impotence;
- phlebeurism;
- angina;
- 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.
Obesity has been scientifically proven to increase the risk of developing breast, thyroid, colon, gallbladder and kidney cancer. The most clearly visible connection is between excess weight and malignant tumors of the esophagus, as well as the endometrium. On average, body fat reduces a person's life expectancy by 12 to 15 years.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that obese people have an impaired metabolism, which slows down the weight loss process. But the situation is reversible. It is possible to "lose" even the heaviest weight. To do this, you must first change your diet. The biggest mistake many people make is trying to give up food altogether. As a result, periods of fasting are replaced by breakdowns. The weight returns in even greater volumes and health problems arise. 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 be left without essential substances, amino acids and vitamins. An incorrectly chosen diet can cause serious endocrine disorders, disorders in the functioning of the liver, heart and other organs.
The basic nutritional rules for normalizing weight are as follows:
- the daily calorie content ranges from 1700 to 2000 kcal. It is calculated individually taking into account the patient's sex, age, height, build and physical activity;
- limit the consumption of foods containing fast carbohydrates and animal fats;
- fill the diet with fiber, which is low in calories, but fills the stomach for a long time, creating a feeling of satiety;
- The recommended daily protein intake for an adult with average physical activity is 0. 75 g per 1 kg of weight;
- split meals make it easier to control the feeling of hunger. It is recommended to eat 5 to 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 per 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 snacks are prohibited.
Please note: the norm is considered to be a monthly loss of 3 kg of weight due to fat. Faster weight loss puts a lot of stress on the body!
A healthy diet against obesity must be combined with measured physical activity. You should start with 10 minutes of exercise, gradually increasing the duration and complexity of the exercises.
The listed rules should be especially strictly observed during the first month of treatment. Then the body adapts to the new diet and daily routine. The risk of breakdowns and a return to previous eating habits will decrease.
Prohibited and authorized products
Obese patients are usually recommended to consult 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 rigor of this diet, it allows you to eat varied and tasty foods. The list of acceptable products is very long. We present the main ones to you in table form.
| product group | allowed | forbidden |
| flour products | black or wholemeal bread (up to 150 g per day) | White bread; baked goods; puff pastry |
| meat | lean beef; rabbit meat; chicken meat without skin and fat; turkey; (any, up to 150 g per day) | pork; goose; duck; mutton; smoked meats; sausages; stew; living room |
| fish | low-fat types (up to 150 g per day); seafood (up to 200 g per day) | all fat breeds; salted and smoked fish; canned food |
| vegetables | cabbage; cucumbers; radish; zucchini; pumpkin; tomatoes; turnip; greenery; seaweed | potato; carrots (occasionally allowed); pea |
| Accompanying dishes | buckwheat; pearl barley; barley groats; green beans | Pasta; rice; semolina; legumes |
| eggs | boiled | fried eggs; fried omelette; |
| fruits and berries | sour fruits and berries; jelly; moss | grape; bananas; figs; Appointment |
| beverages | coffee; tea; natural sour fruit and berry juices; mineral water; rosehip decoction | sweet compotes; jelly; packaged juices; a soda |
| seasonings | herb sauces in weak broth; tomato sauce; white vegetable sauce | Mayonnaise; mustard; Horseradish; ketchup |
| milkman | kefir; rotten milk; cottage cheese (all low fat) | hard cheeses; Sour cream; whole milk; cream |
It is good to draw up 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.
Example of daily menu
Breakfast
- boiled meat (100 g)
- baked beets
- coffee without sugar
Lunch
- vegetable stew
- baked fish (100 g)
- fruit jelly
Dinner
- borscht without meat (150 g)
- low fat cottage cheese
- dried fruit compote
Afternoon snack
- fresh apples
Dinner
- garlic carrot salad
- 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 too strict diets include the exclusion of so-called fast carbohydrates. The principle of creating a plan is similar to "Table No. 8" described above. Such restrictions are really useful. They allow the body to receive 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 represent up to 80% of the daily diet. Such food quickly saturates, takes a long time to digest, thereby relieving a person from hunger. In addition, processing plant and animal proteins requires a lot of energy - it accounts for 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 nitrogen compounds that are excreted by 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 complete abstinence from carbohydrates, is not recommended for beginners. It is allowed to consume only fats, proteins of plant and animal origin. The goal of such nutrition is to introduce 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, in addition to carbohydrates, a person stops consuming fiber, vitamins and microelements contained in excluded products.
It is possible to lose weight on such a diet, but doing so through complex physiological changes is undesirable. The diet was initially developed for epilepsy patients because a link was established between ketosis and a decreased frequency of seizures. The keto diet is not recommended for weight loss, but only for therapeutic purposes.
In any case, before following this diet, it is best to consult your doctor. Not everyone can impose 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 and restrictive diet during childhood. The foundations of metabolism are laid during intensive growth. Lack of nutrients can lead to underdevelopment of the skeleton and internal organs and cause chronic diseases.
In adolescents, a lack of fats and carbohydrates causes poor synthesis of sex hormones. As an adult, this can cause an unstable menstrual cycle and reproductive dysfunction.
During menopause, most women gain weight. This is because hormonal imbalance affects all processes in the body, including fat metabolism. Strict diets during menopause are not only harmful, but also useless. You can only stop weight fluctuations by taking estrogen medications recommended by your gynecologist.
Limited nutrition for pregnant and lactating women is strictly prohibited. Lack of nutrients during pregnancy can harm the progress of the pregnancy. In addition, malnutrition often leads to the birth of a weakened child with neurological, immune problems and developmental delays.
In a breastfeeding mother, the weight generally returns to normal on its own after a year, since the accumulated reserves are "used" by the body to produce milk with a reasonable and balanced diet. Dietary restrictions can cause hormonal imbalance and even greater weight gain.
There are certain diets for patients with certain chronic illnesses. Among the pathologies:
- gastritis;
- heart disease;
- ulcer;
- intestinal diseases;
- kidney problems;
- liver and gallbladder pathologies;
- pancreatitis.
People with diabetes and thyroid dysfunction cannot independently experiment with nutrition. In these cases, weight correction is carried out under the strict supervision of the attending physician, who selects a therapeutic regimen suitable for the patient.
How to lose weight without dieting
In most cases, to lose weight, it is not necessary to force the body into strict restrictions. Just minimize the consumption of fast foods, processed foods, cream cakes and other unhealthy foods.
Following a few 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 also help reduce appetite;
- Exercise will help speed up your metabolism. It is enough to devote 10 to 15 minutes a day to exercises;
- eat often, in small portions. Don't eat while reading or watching TV. This way you can get distracted and eat way 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 take place faster;
- have a good night;
- do not finish eating "by force". It is good to take short breaks while eating; if you feel full, you have enough food.
Between lunch and dinner, you can suck on a few slices of dark chocolate with a high cocoa butter content (at least 70%). You can replace it with several dried fruits, you must chew them slowly. Thanks to this, the brain receives a signal that there is enough glucose and the appetite decreases.
Obesity is not just a harmless cosmetic defect. This is a dangerous pathology that can lead to disability and premature death of the patient. It is necessary to normalize weight, but a thoughtless desire for an ideal figure can harm a person's health no less than fat deposits. You need to lose weight correctly, under the supervision of a qualified nutritionist.