How does extra weight affect health?

Cardiovascular disease: Being overweight puts a serious strain on the cardiovascular system, causing hypertension, stroke, or heart attack.

Problems with the spine and joints: osteochondrosis, hernias appear in the spinal column, and the joints become deformed and inflamed.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, pancreatitis, cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, and liver failure.

Metabolic disorders: diabetes develops.

Sometimes health problems begin to appear at a young age, while other times they "catch up" in adulthood. Either way, it’s only a matter of time until they appear.

What changes physically with weight loss?

Between losing weight and seeing the health benefits, you will feel rewarded.

Allergies will become less prominent. Excess weight puts a serious strain on the adrenal glands and the respiratory system, which provokes the development of allergies or even bronchial asthma.

Food will taste better. Overweight people don’t have properly functioning taste buds.

Quality of sexual life will improve. With a decrease in body mass index, testosterone levels rise.

Snoring, which is often caused by excess weight, will disappear. Easier breathing and less shortness of breath, which is freeing.

Enjoyment of physical activity — training enhances the formation of endorphins (hormones of happiness), and you quickly get used to them.

Stop craving sweets. Tastes change if you stick to a healthy diet, you don't want sweets as much as before. A slimmer figure will give you self-confidence, which will have a positive effect on life in general.

How do you know how much excess weight you have?

To determine if there is excess weight, you calculate the body mass index (BMI). This is done by dividing the weight in pounds by the height in inches squared. If BMI is 30 or higher, you must first consult an endocrinologist, find out the reason for the BMI level, determine if a disease already exists, and then start losing weight.

BMI values:

• Under 19—weight deficit
• 19–25—the norm
• 30—overweight
• 40—obesity;
• Above 40—severe obesity

How do you lose weight correctly?

You need to lose weight wisely so that you don’t harm your health. Otherwise, you might lose weight too quickly, which is short-term and can negatively affect skin, hair, and nails. Fat deposits disappear from the abdomen and thighs, face, arms, but also from the neck, muscle tissue gets thinner, and the skin ages. To avoid this, exercise and drink plenty of water while dieting.

Reduce your calorie intake. Include cereals, protein foods, vegetables, fruits in your diet. Eliminate fatty, smoked, salty, and baked goods. Plan fasting days where you only drink kefir, for example. Check your weight on the scale every morning. Find out more about your body and check your levels of essential vitamins and minerals to make sure you are getting enough. You will find out exactly which trace elements are in deficit so that you can consult your specialist to choose the necessary vitamins and minerals.

23 March 2021