Obesity epidemic and problems with fad diets
Despite general equality, widespread nutritional awareness, and clear medical advice, the obesity epidemic seems to be getting worse rather than better, in most of the developed/Western world. Being overweight is linked with poor health and a shortened life, yet many struggle to stay trim. Fad diets are popular, promising rapid weight loss for a special occasion; some people choose intensive exercise programs as well, worried about heart health.
The biggest problem with sudden, drastic changes to lifestyle is that they are difficult, perhaps impossible to maintain. A further problem is that if weight is lost too rapidly, the metabolism will slow down, meaning that it becomes easier than ever to gain it all back again, and more, when more normal eating habits are re-established.
Losing weight gradually and healthfully
While you might not want to hear this, it remains true that the only way to lose weight permanently and to stay healthy is to take it slowly, and carefully. What you need is not a quick-fix solution, but a gradual change to your lifestyle, incorporating the kind of foods that provide all the nutrients you need without excess calories. There are no absolute requirements to anybody's diet: if you can't bear carrots, then forcing yourself to eat them because of their health benefits, or as part of a weight-loss plan will simply cause stress, and potentially create a new set of health problems.
There are, on the other hand, some products - I hesitate to call them foods - which should be avoided entirely, not just when you want to lose weight. There are others which should only ever be consumed in moderation. There are also principles which should be followed by anybody hoping to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and to reach - eventually - a weight where they feel comfortable and fit.
Avoid entirely:
- Anything containing hydrogenated fats, or labelled with any amount of trans fats. While there's a tiny amount of naturally occurring trans fat in some animal products, the artificially created ones are serious health hazards. They were part of margarines and other processed foods back in the 1980s and 1990s when experts believed saturated fats to be the worst evil, but are now, thankfully much rarer than they used to be.
- Anything containing artificial sweeteners. This may seem counter-intuitive; so many 'diet' products have reduced or eliminated sugar and replaced them with calorie-free aspartame or saccharine, or similar. But research has shown that artificially sweetened products, particularly 'diet sodas' increase blood sugar - and lead to weight gain - more rapidly than those with sugar.
- Sweets and other junk food with little or no nutritional value. While a little chocolate or cake now and again is fine, most sweets and candy contain nothing but sugar, flavourings and other additives. Even those which advertise 'real fruit juice' are primarily empty calories. They should have no part in the diets of anybody hoping to stay healthy, and particularly not anyone hoping to lose weight.
Keep for occasional treats only:
- Anything containing refined sugar. There's nothing wrong with the odd treat now and again. Don't deny yourself a slice of cake at a party, or a small bar of chocolate once a week, or even a regular Sprite at a restaurant, on occasion, if those help to make your life enjoyable. But if you're eating sugar-laden foods every day, you'll find it hard to lose weight, and may find yourself craving more and more sugar. It's an additive substance, so it's not a good idea to cut it all out immediately. Instead, if you have a sweet snack in the mornings, substitute with a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts. If you like a dessert after dinner, try stewed fruit with no added sugar, and a spoonful of natural yogurt.
- Deep fried foods. Again, there's probably nothing wrong with the occasional doughnut, or portion of chips (fries). But if you eat them regularly - more than once a week - you're taking in excessive calories, and may also be consuming trans fats which are often used in deep frying at restaurants. Try to aim for once a month at most, if you can't resist deep-fried products.
- Refined grains. White bread, white rice, white pasta... these foods, often treated as staple products, are high in empty, starchy carbohydrates and low in any kind of nutrition. Beware those which claim to have 'added vitamins'... the truth is that in refining them, all important natural vitamins and minerals were removed. So a handful of the cheaper ones are put back in again, to fool people into thinking they are healthy. Once again, moderation is the key. If you have a portion of refined grains once a week, and enjoy it, then it's unlikely to do any harm. But if you eat white bread every day at breakfast, and white pasta or rice at dinner, you need to find a healthier substitute. While grains in general are not recommended for those trying to lose weight, at least brown rice and wholegrain wheat products will provide some nutritional value, and will also fill you up more rapidly than their white equivalents.
Eat regularly:
- Vegetables, fresh or lightly cooked. Even if you think you don't like vegetables, there are many possibilities - you could try some new ones, if you dislike salads, and the standard boiled peas, carrots and beans. Try raw carrot sticks made from small, sweet carrots, or thinly sliced courgettes (zucchini) stir-fried in a little olive oil. If you don't like the texture of vegetables, you could make soup, blending the flavours together. You should aim for at least three or four portions of different kinds of vegetables every day - and that does not include potatoes, which are a starchy staple.
- Fruit. Most people enjoy several kinds of fruit, and they should be inexpensive and widely available in season. If you have a banana and some fresh orange juice with breakfast, an apple mid-morning, and some other fruit after your evening meal, then you've had four portions of fruit without any effort. Some people are concerned about the fructose (natural fruit sugar) but if you're avoiding refined sugar, three or four pieces of fruit each day should be fine. Aim for organic and/or locally produced if possible.
- High quality protein. Protein forms the building blocks of life, enabling children to grow and all of us to maintain strength. Complete protein is most easily found in animal products: meat, fish, eggs, and milk products. Vegetarians and vegans can find plenty of protein so long as they eat, daily, some form of legumes (beans or lentils) and nuts. Try to buy them in the most natural form you can: minced beef rather than ready-made burgers; pieces of chicken rather than pre-processed chicken meals. If you eat legumes, buying them dried in bags is very economical; you can soak and cook large quantities at a time and freeze in usable portions.
- 'Good' fats. A few decades ago, fats were demonised by some doctors and nutritionists, convinced that eating fat made people fat. This logic turned out to be flawed, and we now know that it's vital to have some form of fat at every meal. That doesn't mean eating thick butter or piling cream on fruit salad, but it does mean using, in moderation, olive or coconut oil for cooking, olive oil for salad dressings, and eating oily fish and nuts several times per week.
Exercise moderately
Being sedentary is not good for our health, our hearts or our waistlines. But that doesn't mean we need to join a gym or do two-hour workouts every day. If you simply want to maintain good overall health, then two or three hours of moderate exercise per week - spread over, perhaps, three or four days - is fine. It's important to choose something you enjoy: perhaps a team sport, or dance classes, or going for a brisk walk with a friend. Possibly the best all-round exercise is swimming.
Lose weight as a side effect
If you follow these guidelines, gradually adjusting your diet (and that of your family, if you are responsible for what others eat), then you should find that you get more energy, and start to sleep more soundly. If you aim for a healthy lifestyle, your weight should slowly adjust to where it should be, based on your genetics and body type. Don't be tempted to leap on the scales every day; true weight loss will be slow and steady, probably no more than 500g (about 1lb) per week. Try to weigh yourself at the same time of day, no more than once a week, and remind yourself that it probably took years to gain your extra weight - so allowing many months or even years to lose is far more natural and healthy than aiming to get rid of several kilograms in just a month.