Weight loss has been made a complex topic in the lives of many people. Did you know, “How to lose weight” is one of the most asked questions on Google. In fact, that weight-loss question ranks at number 7. This is not surprising as the World Health Organisation (WHO) presents grim facts about obesity and being overweight:
- Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975.
- In 2016, more than 1.9 Billion adults (18 years and above) were overweight and 650 were obese.
- Most of the world’s population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
- 38 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2019.
Obesity Vs Overweight.
Overweight and obesity are abnormal fat accumulation which may impact health. Body fat can be measured in several ways. The basic and most common way is body mass index (BMI). This can be calculated from height and weight. Other methods that measure body fat are waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and body composition.
WHO defines people who have a BMI greater than or equal to 25 as overweight. You are obese if your BMI is greater than or equal to 30.BMI is a rough guide as it does not correspond to the same degree of fatness in different individuals. Personally, I prefer measuring body fat percentage (body composition). Body fat percentage is the ratio of fat to total body weight. A healthy body fat percentage for men ranges from 5% to 20% and for women 15% to 31%.
Obesity and overweight are preventable.
It is not all dark and gloom. The good news is that many lifestyle diseases including overweight and obesity are preventable. We can do something to change this situation. We may not be able to control the food system; however, we can be proactive and make healthier lifestyle decisions. There are simple actions people can take to prevent obesity and overweight. Firstly, people could limit eating refined fats and processed sugar. Processed foods are the biggest threat to a healthy diet. Secondly, people could increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Eating more unprocessed macronutrients leads to a healthy lifestyle. Finally, people could engage in regular exercise. WHO recommends 120 minutes of moderate exercise for adults.
The Missing Link In Weight Loss Advice.
Many people reading this article know and understand the information about weight loss. Limiting processed foods, eating more healthier foods, and exercising should be our goal. Why are billions of people still struggling with their weight? The short answer to that is habits. I was one of the overweight people a couple of years ago. My weight was a struggle since my childhood days. I started playing soccer and started to control it well. When I entered adulthood, starting to work, and getting married, I started to neglect my health. Late nights filled with processed sugar and fast foods were the order of the day. For the first time in my life, I weighed over 100 kilograms. It was uncomfortable and I needed to change.
Habits Change The Weight Loss Game.
I love soccer. What I love more is a great comeback story. My team may be losing in the first half and the coach makes a game-changing substitution in the second half that wins the game. For the longest time, it seemed like I was losing the weight loss game. Everything changed in my life when I started learning about habits. A simple definition of habits is an acquired behavior pattern followed until it has become almost involuntary. There is nothing wrong with most weight loss advice. The only piece of information needed is that people need to take that advice and transform it into habits. We should stop looking at healthy living or losing weight as an event. Healthy living is a lifelong process!