In the world of medicine, prevention is always better than cure. This is why so many medical professionals now do outreach work, helping to inform the general public about the various diseases they are at risk of, with the hopes of ensuring they make changes to their lifestyle so that they can avoid these diseases in the first place. Never is this more important than with obesity. Obesity is costing the world billions of dollars and someone has to be done.
Why Obesity Is so Costly
Obesity is expensive for a variety of reasons. This includes:
- The cost of treating the illnesses that have developed because of obesity.
- The fact that people who are morbidly obese often cannot work, which means they have to accept welfare payments instead.
But there is more to it as well. There is a significant emotional cost associated with obesity as well. People feel isolated, have few friends and a very low self-esteem. Meanwhile, their friends and loved ones have to deal with the reality of watching someone they care about literally eat themselves to death.
Clearly, obesity must be prevented. And the reality is that it is highly preventable as well.
How to Prevent Obesity
Key to preventing obesity is eating the right foods in the right amount and getting plenty of exercise. It is all down to simple maths: the body uses a number of calories per day to sustain itself and if you eat more calories than that, you will put weight on. The three keys in obesity prevention are diet, calorific intake and exercise.
It is important to eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and unrefined carbohydrates. Choose wholegrains and brown carbohydrates as much as possible. Try, as much as possible, to steam or grill your food as well, as this helps to prevent weight gain. You also have to have the willpower to stop yourself from eating when you are full and from no longer mindlessly snacking. Get rid of junk food, high fat snacks and ready meals, as these tend to be filled with nothing but fat, salt and sugar.
You can try calorie counting in order to make sure that you don’t overeat. Work out how many calories you should consume in order to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable manner.
Finally, you must exercise in order to remain healthy and keep your weight right. You should do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week as a bare minimum. You can do one full session of two and a half hours a week, or you can split it over a number of days. When you exercise, you burn calories, your appetite regulates itself and your metabolic rate increases.
What If it’s too Late?
Sometimes, it is too late for prevention. Since over 1 billion people are now overweight in the world, it is clear that solutions need to be found for them as well. This is why there are now a great many bariatric procedures that people can take advantage of. However, it is important to make sure that you understand that this is a last resort option.