Being overweight is the biggest concern today and is directly linked to many illnesses. It is caused because of an excessive amount of body fat accumulated over time. The risks include type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, stroke, cancer, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, liver & kidney diseases and also pregnancy related complications. Other than these long-term risks, obesity also has short-term disadvantages. It was once considered a problem of high-income people but now the trend is shifting and it’s on a rise in low/middle-class people too.
Successfully losing weight and fighting obesity requires some serious commitment and lifestyle changes. Some people even may require medicines to lose weight in addition to diet and lifestyle changes. The most important goal is to set realistic and measurable goals.
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For adults, it’s recommended to set a goal of losing 5-10% of the current weight in 6 months as the best way to lose weight is to do it slowly. For overweight children, it’s good to maintain the current weight while regularly exercising and keeping a low-fat diet.
If you target losing 1-2 pounds of weight a week, you should cut calorie intake to at least 500-1000 calories a day. The recommended amount of calorie intake per day for men is around 1200-1600 AND 1000-1200 for women. Unless you are being monitored by your doctor, don’t take a calorie intake of fewer than 800 calories/day. The same does not apply to children and the focus in their case is to reduce the rate of weight gain.
Lifestyle changes are common for both adults and children in fighting obesity. It includes focusing on the balance of the energy you take in (calorie intake) and take out (exercise, physical activity), maintaining a healthy diet plan and adopting healthy lifestyle habits and being active.