Health Matters: When It’s Time To Take Your Weight Management Seriously
This is a collaborative post
Britain’s waistlines are straining at an all-time high, with a staggering 28% of adults in England coming in at “clinically obese” while a further 36.2% are not obese, but fall into the “overweight” category. The reasons for this spike in obesity are as varied as humanity with common causes ranging from emotional and underlying issues of mental health and depression to a general lack of knowledge when it comes to healthy eating practices. An oversupply of cheap, readily available fast food isn’t helping and with our fast-paced modern lifestyles, we are fast catching up to the United States, on the obesity scale.
Not only is this causing a major national health crisis, but it is also costing the NHS around £4.2 Billion a year with an expected rise to an eye-watering £10Billion by the year 2050. So if you find yourself heading towards the side of the scale you’d rather not be, what options do you have to guide you back to a healthy BMI and a healthy self-image? We’ve unpacked a few.
FIRST, HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU’RE IN TROUBLE?
This should be a fairly easy question to answer, but sometimes we don’t realise how far along we are until we start seeing the (not so) subtle reactions from our friends or family members. Never forget that while we don’t always want to admit or even know the truth, a sideways glance from the sales assistant when you’re trying to force yourself into those jeans could also be a strong indicator. Although at times criticised, using the “Body Mass Index” or BMI for short, is still a relatively good way to see where you’re at and where you’d rather like to be. Individual results may vary based on overall body size but any excess amounts of visceral body fat can do way more harm to you than just your self-image. Visceral fat that lays around collecting at our tummies, thighs and bottoms can turn toxic over time and act as a catalyst for toxins causing further problems down the road. Your heart has to work harder, your lungs have to work harder and joints take a hammering besides. There is simply no way around it, it’s time to get moving and get rid of that saggy, excess body fat.
WHERE TO START?
If you’re worried about your weight, chances are you’ve been thinking about this for some time and so the best place to start, is with your GP. They can refer you to qualified dieticians for diet support and can also conduct tests to determine if your weight gain is solely due to overconsumption or if there is an underlying medical reason like poor functioning glands or food allergies.
HOW TO BEAT THE CHALLENGE
It is a common misconception that you’re required to go from couch potato to marathon runner in one fell swoop. That is certainly a recipe for disaster and could harm your overall health. If you’re serious about tackling this problem, then you need to invest in yourself and book an appointment with a trainer at your local gym. Find the trainer that works for you and tell them what your experience levels are if any, and what your concerns are. They can guide you to an exercise program that works for you and makes sense for where you’re at – they’re also great for helping you stay motivated and keep on track. If you can’t quite afford a trainer or you’re not “there yet”, no worries – you can start the clock by simply walking your way to fitness. Make sure that you choose the right shoes and off you go. It’s that simple. Of course, if you’re battling, you can learn about gastric band abroad that is offering many positive results for many people from all over the world – and if you do it outside of the UK, you can often save money and time and work in a holiday while you’re at it.
It doesn’t matter how you get started, only that you do. In the UK you have all the resources you need all around you and if your overeating is a mental challenge, be sure and mention this to your GP too – the help is there, all you need to do, is ask for it. I can also recommend the couch to 5k programme – something which I will be starting again shortly!
