What is Obesity and How to Fight It

What is Obesity and How to Fight It
By Carrie S Donald

No one would say obesity is attractive, nor healthy. Prevention of obesity is really a straightforward proposition. If you'll forgive the pun, prevention of obesity is truly worth many pounds of cure.

People of normal, stable weight may gain a few pounds over the holidays, partaking of all that holiday cheer. Cookies, fudge, delicious gravies and a few glasses of eggnog are all it takes to get you there. However, most people shed those pounds within a couple of months, once they return to normal eating habits. It all comes down to a reduction of calories.

Prevention of obesity should become your target when you find you've gained ten pounds or more and it doesn't come off. An alarm should sound off in your head when weight starts creeping on and you seem unable to lose weight. Now is the time to take action! It's far easier to lose ten or twenty pounds than a hundred!

Other signals that indicate a prevention program is necessary include finding that your clothes are too snug. Many people have sections in their closet, one their 'fat' clothes, with another for their 'skinny' clothes. Not only is this an unnecessary expense, but a psychological trick you're playing on yourself. It goes something like this. "Well, I guess I just have to accept it - people do tend to gain weight as they get older. What's one dress size anyway? I still look OK."

The trouble with this attitude is that you're putting yourself in denial. This means you'll not be motivated to prevent obesity, because you don't think it's possible. You might make a token attempt to diet, but you won't stick with the program. This is how that weight eventually balloons to an unmanageable problem.

So, the real core issue in the prevention of obesity begins in your mind. You must be motivated. Do you want to wait until the day when some little child in the grocery tells her Mom, "Look how fat that woman is!"? That's when it's useless to deny the fact. Prevention of obesity involves an early start.

If you need help in getting motivated, here are a few tips. Go online and calculate your BMI. Read up on the many health problems you may well face. Heart disease, poor circulation, diabetes and joint stress damage are just a few. Dig through old photo albums to find pictures of you when you were of normal weight. Tape that photo on the frig, at eye level, along with a picture of you now. Try on one of your 'skinny' clothes.

OK. Now you've got the motivation. You should first check with your doctor to be sure you don't have a medical condition, like a thyroid imbalance. If that's not the case, get ready to diet. Don't cut yourself any slack. Remember, prevention of obesity is your goal.

Losing weight always boils down to calories. How do you know how many calories you normally eat? Keep a food journal for one week. Write down every last cracker and soda that passes your lips. Get a calorie counter book. Ask your doctor to help plan a diet that's healthy and right for you.

Motivation is the key to prevention of obesity. With a radical dose of motivation, you'll lose that extra weight for good

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