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 body weight. Being overweight is not just an aesthetic defect. It can cause many physiological or psychological disorders. To eliminate 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 that needed for energy production. As a result, the unspent residue is turned into fat. The quality of the products consumed also matters. If the basis of the diet is easily digestible carbohydrates, these will certainly settle in the form of unsightly folds.
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.
Attention: Patients with excess body weight are three times more likely to suffer from diabetes mellitus and twice as likely to suffer from pathologies of the liver and cardiovascular system, compared to people with normal weight.
Obesity is a systemic disease; can affect the functioning of all internal organs.
Among the diseases caused by excess weight:
- hypertension;
- Alzheimer's disease;
- shots;
- arthritis;
- male impotence;
- phlebeurysm;
- angina pectoris;
- respiratory system diseases;
- depression;
- apnea (sudden cessation of breathing during sleep);
- heart attack;
- gallbladder pathology;
- osteoarthritis;
- diseases of the digestive system;
- atherosclerosis;
- menstrual irregularities.
Obesity has been scientifically proven to increase the likelihood of developing breast, thyroid, colon, gallbladder and kidney cancer. The most clearly visible connection is between excess weight and malignant neoplasms of the esophagus, as well as 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 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 main mistake many people make is trying to give up food completely. As a result, fasting periods are replaced by breaks. The weight returns in even greater volumes and health problems arise. A professional nutritionist should select 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 selected 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 varies 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 fullness;
- 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 5-6 times a day;
- the daily amount of salt must 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 snacks are prohibited.
Attention: the norm is considered to be a monthly loss of 3 kg of weight due to fat. Faster weight loss is very stressful on the body!
A healthy diet for obesity must be combined with dosed physical activity. You need to 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 burnout and returning to previous eating habits will decrease.
Prohibited and permitted products
Obese patients are usually recommended the so-called diet table No. 8. It is directly designed to reduce the volume of fat and normalize metabolic processes.
Attention: for patients with concomitant diseases of the cardiovascular system, liver and digestive organs, individual diets are selected!
Despite the rigidity of this diet, it allows you to eat varied and tasty. The list of acceptable products is very extensive. We present the main ones in tabular form.
| product group | allowed | prohibited |
| flour products | brown or wholemeal bread (up to 150 g per day) | White bread; bakery products; browse |
| meat | lean beef; rabbit meat; chicken meat without skin and fat; turkey; (any, up to 150 g per day) | pig; goose; duck; mutton; smoked meats; sausages; stew; salò |
| 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; zuchinis; pumpkin; tomatoes; turnip; green; seaweed | Potato; carrots (occasionally allowed); green pea |
| Side Dishes | buckwheat; Pearl barley; barley semolina; green beans | pasta; rice; semolina; legumes |
| egg | boiled | fried eggs; fried omelette; |
| fruits and berries | acidic fruits and berries; jelly; mousse | grape; bananas; figs; at your place |
| drinks | coffee; you; natural juices of sour fruits and berries; mineral water; rosehip decoction | sweet compotes; jelly; packaged juices; drink |
| condiments | herb sauces in a weak broth; tomato sauce; white sauce with vegetables | Mayonnaise; mustard; Horseradish; Ketchup |
| dairy products | kefir; curdled milk; cottage cheese (all low fat) | hard cheeses; sour cream; whole milk; cream |
It is a good idea to write the menu in advance, purchase 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)
- baked beets
- coffee without sugar
Lunch
- vegetable stew
- baked fish (100 g)
- fruit jelly
Dinner
- meatless borscht (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. Diets that are not too strict include the exclusion of so-called fast carbohydrates. The principle of creating a diet is similar to the "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 proteins. They make up up to 80% of the daily diet. Such food quickly saturates, takes a long time to digest, relieving a person from hunger. Furthermore, the processing of plant and animal proteins requires a lot of energy: this absorbs up to half of the calories consumed.
Such diets are effective, but they must be combined with serious physical activity. Otherwise, proteins not used for muscle mass form nitrogen compounds, which are excreted through the kidneys. The load on the organs increases, creating 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. Having 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 vegetable and animal origin. The purpose 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 (derivatives of subcutaneous fat) instead of glucose. The diet is also harmful because, along with carbohydrates, a person stops consuming fiber, vitamins and microelements contained in the excluded products.
It is possible to lose weight on such a diet, but doing so through complex physiological changes is not desirable. The diet was originally developed for patients with epilepsy, as a connection was established between ketosis and decreased seizure frequency. The keto diet is not recommended for weight loss, but exclusively for therapeutic purposes.
In any case, before embarking on 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, it is not possible to adhere to a low-calorie and restrictive diet during childhood. The basis of metabolism is laid during intensive growth. Lack of nutrients can cause the skeleton and internal organs to underdevelop and cause chronic diseases.
In adolescents, a lack of fats and carbohydrates causes improper 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 only stop weight fluctuations by taking estrogen medications recommended by your gynecologist.
Limited nutrition for pregnant and breastfeeding women is strictly prohibited. Lack of nutrients during pregnancy can negatively affect the course of pregnancy. Furthermore, malnutrition often leads to the birth of a weakened child with neurological and immune problems and developmental delays.
In breastfeeding mothers, weight normally 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 cause hormonal imbalance and even more weight gain.
There are some diets for patients suffering from certain chronic diseases. Among the pathologies:
- gastritis;
- heart disease;
- ulcer;
- intestinal diseases;
- kidney disorders;
- liver and gallbladder diseases;
- pancreatitis.
People with diabetes and thyroid dysfunction cannot independently experiment with nutrition. In these cases, weight correction occurs under the strict control of the attending physician, who selects 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, 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 will also help reduce appetite;
- Exercise will help you speed up your metabolism. It is sufficient to dedicate 10-15 minutes a day to exercises;
- eat often, in small portions. Don't eat while reading or watching TV. This way you can distract yourself and eat much more than necessary;
- spend more time outdoors, breathe more deeply. In this way the tissues are saturated with oxygen, the metabolic processes proceed faster;
- sleep well at night;
- don't finish eating "by force". It's good to take short breaks while eating: if you feel full, it means you have enough food.
Between lunch and dinner you can suck on a couple of slices of dark chocolate with a high cocoa butter content (at least 70%). You can replace it with dried fruit, to chew slowly. Thanks to this, the brain receives a signal that there is sufficient glucose supply and 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 the thoughtless desire for an ideal figure can cause no less harm to a person's health than fat deposits. You need to lose weight correctly, under the supervision of a qualified nutritionist.