Archive for November, 2009
Lose Weight to Improve Health
The need to lose weight and body fat can reduce the risks of certain ailments. Health can be adversely affected by the influence of excess weight. The risks of obesity may contribute to the probability of serious debilitating health conditions and even life-threatening diseases. Some well known health issues are found to be directly connected to excess body weight.
Obesity is a major risk factor for creating heart related problems. Medical studies reveal that risks of both coronary heart disease and heart attack increase with being overweight. Research and statistics show that obesity, especially excessive stomach fat increases the risk of heart disease. Diabetes is another health disorder which is directly connected with excess body fat.
Though inherited genes, age, and other such factors must be considered, a great majority of people who suffer from diabetes are found to be overweight. Ongoing research seeks to better understand the connection between obesity and Type 2 Diabetes. Researchers suspect that being overweight may alter
cellular structure which cause the cells to become insulin resistant.
Type 2 Diabetes is a condition where the body does not respond properly to insulin, which is a hormone secreted from the pancreas. When someone has more fat than muscle, insulin can become less effective. The cells that produce insulin must work harder than normal to keep blood sugar levels regulated, which might eventually lead these cells to become impaired or non-functional. Additionally, excess weight in the abdomen area can place stress on you and cause bladder leakage.
Being overweight can increase your chances of experiencing bladder leakage due to the build up pressure in the midsection. The extra pressure makes your bladder more likely to leak. Actions that typically prompt episodes of bladder leakage include laughing, sneezing, coughing or kneeling. Obesity can noticeably worsen bladder leakage if you had symptoms prior to gaining weight. The good news is that losing weight can often reduce its severity. Besides bladder leakage, obese people also run the risk of developing gallstones.
Research has shown that those who have excess fat around their stomach (abdominal obesity) may be at a greater risk for developing gallstones than those who carry excess fat mainly around their hip and thigh areas. There are various other health consequences of being overweight that adversely affect the thyroid gland or contribute to cause gout.
The CDC list a number of other possible health risks attributable to obesity. Being obese causes an increased risk for developing serious and potentially lethal health problems, which can include high blood pressure, and strokes. Gradual sustained weight loss can lower the risk of these health disorders.
Rapid weight loss such as crash dieting or losing an enormous amount of weight quickly can be counter-productive in reducing health risk. Slower paced weight reductions are healthier and should be supported by an exercise regimen. A reduction of body weight to more normal levels can lower disease risk. Losing weight gradually over a six month time span is a realistic goal that can significantly improve your life and your overall health.
By: Doyle Chandler
About the Author:
Doyle A. Chandler write articles on various topics one of which is Health and Self-Improvement. To learn more on this topic Doyle recommend you visit the Dieting and Health Resource sections located at: http://www.TheShopRomp.com
The Best Way to Lose Weight: 10 Small Steps To Improve Health
We all eventually make resolutions to either lose weight, stop smoking, or just join a gym. At some point we realize we need to be proactive about our health. While people commonly set high goals, experts say that setting smaller goals are just as, if not even more, important.
Small steps are achievable and therefore build momentum and incentive to keep working towards your higher goals. A good method of goal setting is to have a high goal with a set of smaller achievable milestone goals along the way. This is the best way to lose weight and keep it off!
These are some beginner goals. Here are 10 you could incorporate immediately:
1. Resolve to stop gaining weight. Even just a pound or two every year adds up and over time can become seem overwhelming. Resolve to at least stop adding fuel to the fire.
2. Walk more. You don’t have to start by adding miles to your day. Just add a bit here and there. Walk to the local store instead of drive. Take the stairs. Use a pedometer to keep count of your steps. (2,000 steps = one mile). Just keep adding steps until you have an extra 1,000 to 2,000 each month. When you’ve built up to taking 10,000 steps on most days you’ve really hit a high goal. So you can see a 100 steps here or there each couple of days adds up to 1000 or more a month and before you know it you’ve made a huge change!
3. Never miss breakfast. Breakfast gets the metabolism going and that helps turn you into a calorie burning machine all day long.
4. Drink more water. In fact, try replacing most of your juices and pop with water. That’s a quick easy way to take a lot of calories out of your diet.
5. Eat Salad! Make sure to eat at least one green leafy salad every day as part of a meal. Salad (with fat-free or low-fat dressing) helps fill you up and will help you eat less heavy caloric foods during your meal.
6. Cut off the fat. Simply put, fat has a lot of calories. And the calories you don’t burn in a day get stored as fat. When shopping buy lean meats such as poultry without the skin, buy more fish, and get to low-fat dairy products such as cheese, milk, and yogurt. When cooking use a nonstick pan with only a small dab of oil or butter. If you do buy a big thick steak, cut off the fat after you grill it.
7. Eat more fibre. Grainy cereals & breads, fruit & vegetables, and nuts are good sources of fibre. And fibre help you digest food better as well as keep your digestive system cleaner.
8. Downsize. Keep a track of your portion sizes and slowly reduce them over the months and weeks ahead. A spoonful here and there over the weeks and months ahead will allow your stomach to slowly shrink, so that you will still feel full as you reduce your food intake.
9. Resolve to lose from 5 to 10 pounds. The health benefits are massive! Lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and less cholesterol are all side effects of moving towards your optimal weight.
10. Keep a journal of what you eat. Include when you eat and don’t forget to write down what you drink as well as a lot of unnecessary calories come from drinks. Once you keep a track of what you eat you will notice areas where you can improve.
If you are looking for the best way to lose weight you will find it comes down to no one thing. Follow these ten tips and pretty soon you’ll be moving from milestone to milestone and you’ll reach that goal you’ve set!
Find out more on how to lose weight fast.
By: Niall Traynor
About the Author:
Niall Traynor writes helpful tips on health, diet and fitness.
