Overweight & Obesity
Overweight is defined as a BMI (body mass indicator) of 25 to 29.9.
BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese.
Obesity is reaching abnormal proportions all over the World.
More than 2 in 3 women in the United States are overweight or obese. [1]
The proportion of overweight adults in the EU varied in 2019 between 37 % in Italy and 58 % in Croatia for women. In 2019, the proportion of women in the EU considered as being overweight fell with increasing education level.[2]
- Genetics - There is a strong genetic component to the likelihood of having obesity
- Fetal programming and early life
- Hormonal adaptations to weight loss
- Gut microbiome
High rates of obesity may be partly attributable to functional alterations in the gut biome. It is hypothesized that Bifidobacterium plays an anti-inflammatory role. In contrast, Staphylococcus may be implicated in triggering low-grade inflammation leading to the development of overweight and obesity.
- Circadian rhythm
- Sleep health[3]
Women having IVF and having overweight or obesity are significantly related with:
- reduced pregnancy rate and
- higher miscarriage rate
Overweight and obesity means higher risk for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol.
Certain % of cancers is attributable to obesity (7% of all cancers in women diagnosed in 2007).
Excess body weight is a well-known risk factor for heart disease and ischemic stroke.
Being overweight in midlife increases risk of Alzheimer's disease for 35%, vascular dementia 33%, or any type of dementia 26%; even higher risk is observed for obesity. [4]
How can I start losing weight?
If your BMI result shows overweight or obesity analyze your lifestyle. Can you do something yourself or you need help of a doctor?
There is no shame in asking for help – a doctor, a friend, a neighbor,….
MAKE A PLAN how you’ll change that:
- PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Start with physical activity if you don’t practice it. Walk is the best solution for people that are not very active.
Maybe you can’t move for more than 5 minutes. Maybe you can walk only with the help of others or with walking frame. It’s ok, just start with as much as you can each day first 5 days. Then add each day another minute of activity.
You can’t walk? Then move any other part of your body -as much as you can as long as you can - one day after another.
YOU CAN DO IT!
Having a daily step goal such as 10,000 steps/day is an important predictor of increased physical activity.
Those attempting to lose weight or maintain weight loss should undertake 60–90 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (such as brisk walking) or 35–45 minutes of vigorous activity (such as high-intensity interval training) per day.
- FOOD & DRINKS
The biggest problem in modern society is WAY TOO MUCH SUGAR and that sugar is added to almost everything.
The second biggest problem is that people don’t realize that white carbohydrates are like many sugar cubes for our body.
Find our tips for a healthy meal.
You will be surprised how much you can do just by crossing certain foods and drinks from your list of foods & drinks.
Don’t forget that your body needs nutritients, vitamins and minerals. Fast food and sugared drinks contain far too few nutritients to be considered high quality source of fuel your body needs.
- Your initial WEIGHT-LOSS GOAL SHOULDN’T EXCEED 5-10% OF YOUR BASELINE WEIGHT (in 6 months)
- PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
Don’t underestimate your psychological problems like depression, anxiety, decreased self-esteem etc.
BE HONEST TO YOURSELF – what problem, which emotion is actually eating you down deep in you, buried under the tons of barricades? It may be the trigger for your weight control.
Seek the help of an expert.