What is Obesity – Foods that Prevent Obesity

What is Obesity – Foods that Prevent Obesity.

Obesity can be seen as the excessive accumulation of fat that can be abnormal to health.

Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight for height that is commonly used to classify overweight and obesity in adults. It is defined as a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of his height in meters (kg/m2).

Various Foods That Prevent Obesity

Obesity can be prevented by the kind of diet you eat and the manner and time the food is been taken. This article will guide you on how to reduce obesity with the following method and diet.

Healthy eating

Calories is very important for weight while some  food make it easier for us to keep our calories in check. Eating healthy is one of the major key to good health as well as maintaining a healthy weight.

What to Eat

These are the types of food to be eaten in order to prevent obesity.

1. Whole grains (whole wheat, steel cut oats, brown rice, quinoa)

2. Vegetables (a colorful variety-not potatoes)

Whole fruits (not fruit juices)

3. Nuts, seeds, beans, and other healthful sources of protein (fish and poultry)

4. Plant oils (olive and other vegetable oils)

Drink water or other beverages that are naturally calorie-free.

Food that are to be limited in order to reduce or prevent obesity include:

 1. Sugar sweetened beverages (soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks)

2. Fruit juice (no more than a small amount per day)

3. Refined grains(white bread, white rice, white pasta) and sweets

Potatoes (baked or fried)

4. Red meat (beef, pork, lamb) and processed meats (salami, ham, bacon, sausage)

Other highly processed foods, such as fast food.

How Much to Eat

This solely depends on Age, gender, body size and level of physical activities. And these qualities determine how many calorie you need a day to remain fit and healthy.

It is always difficult for people to know how much calories is needed so it is better to adopt habits that will help you avoid overeating and skip some of the high calorie, low nutrient foods that are most strongly linked to weight gain, such as sugar sweetened beverages, refined grains, and potatoes.

How to Avoid Overeating

Eat breakfast.

It is always known that skipping a meal is an easy method to reduce calories, but also skipping breakfast usually backfires when hunger comes raging back mid day, often leading to overeating.

Choose small portions and eat slowly. Slowing down at meals and choosing smaller portions can help to avoid overeating by giving the brain time to tell the stomach when it’s had enough food. 

Eat at home

Fast food, restaurant meals, and other foods prepared away from home tend to have larger portions and be less nutritious than the foods we cook for ourselves.

Eat mindfully

Taking time to think about why you’re actually eating is an easy way to avoid needless calories. Hungry? Make the healthiest food and drink choices possible.

Not really hungry? Choose something else to do or have a piece of fruit instead of a full meal. When you do eat, focus all of your senses on the food, so that you can truly enjoy what you are eating. 

Classes of Obesity

Obesity is separated into 3 classes according to the increased health risks associated with increasing BMI levels: 

class I (BMI 30– 34.9)

class II (BMI 35– 39.9) and 

class III (BMI ≥ 40). 

The obesity class guides treatment options: therapeutic lifestyle changes (e.g., increases in physical activity and reductions in dietary intake) should be considered for all obese people, whereas the use of more aggressive approaches to weight loss (e.g., pharmacotherapy or bariatric surgery) are reserved generally for people with more extreme obesity (class II or III) and those with additional risk factors.

Symptoms of Obesity

Symptoms of obesity include the following:

1. breathlessness

2. increased sweating

3. snoring

4. inability to cope with sudden physical activity

5. feeling very tired every day

6. back and joint pains

7. low confidence and self esteem

8. feeling isolated

Some of the symptoms of obesity might not be seen physically but it can rather cause serious harm to your health, such as high blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol levels (fatty deposits blocking your arteries). Both conditions significantly increase your risk of developing a cardiovascular disease, such as:

coronary heart disease, which may lead to a heart attack

stroke, which can cause significant disability and can be fatal

Another long-term problem that can affect obese people is type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that just under half of all cases of diabetes are linked to obesity.

 The main symptoms of diabetes are:

feeling very thirsty, going to the toilet a lot, especially at night, extreme tiredness

Obesity can contribute to many other chronic conditions, including some cancers, some asthma, back problems, chronic kidney disease, dementia, gallbladder disease, gout, and osteoarthritis.

Being overweight or obese is also associated with dying prematurely.

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