More than half of the population in the world today is overweight. Obesity is one of the leading problems that faced by today’s generation. It is also one of the major risk factors for other illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure or hypertension. Because of this, obesity prevention has become vital in reducing health problems world-wide and in promoting better health.
Obesity prevention is greatly dependent on what you put in your body and how you utilize it. The two major factors that contribute to obesity, therefore, are unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity. The following are some tips on how to keep your weight down and stay healthy.
1. To maintain a healthy body weight, be conscious of what you eat. Know what foods are essential for good health and what foods may cause health problems such as high cholesterol levels or diabetes. Eat more of green leafy vegetables, fruits and whole wheat products. Eat less meat such as pork, beef and poultry. Lessen sugar and salt intake. Drink plenty of water and lessen intake of alcoholic drinks. Home cooked meals are better than meals at restaurant because you can control what is in it. And worse of all is eating in fast food places so try to avoid or lessen going to them.
2. Enjoy your meals. While you need it to survive, it does not mean it has to be done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Slow down and make it an enjoyable experience by having all your senses experience the food as you eat. Before your start eating, appreciate how nice your food looks and take in the smell the texture while you eat. It may sound like this process will make you eat more, but in most cases the opposite happens because you tend to eat more slowly and enjoy the food more so that you experience fullness early as well.
3. Do not starve yourself. Crash diets rarely work because the body takes this as a signal to conserve fat in anticipation of longer periods in between meals. It is a defense mechanism geared for survival. We may lose weight at first but it we gain more back faster. Eat several times a day, between three to five light meals which increases metabolism. This keeps you from starving but at the same time gives you enough energy for the day.
4. Exercise regularly and strive for an active lifestyle. Exercise also has other health benefits such as promoting a lower cholesterol level, and increasing bone and muscle mass on top of obesity prevention.
5. Limit your screen time. Do not spend too much time in front of the television. It leads to a very sedentary life. Most importantly do not eat while watching TV. Playing a video game is not a form of exercise. So limit your play time as well.
Follow these obesity prevention tips and you are sure to keep an ideal healthy body weight. Not only will you look good and feel good about yourself, but you will also reap the health benefits of keeping a healthy body.
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