Are you doing anything for yourself, stuck in this major health epidemic?

Health is such an enormous topic to cover and talk about, and its very important to make sure you have a clear cut topic of what you want to deal with.  In every pocket and corner of the world, people are unable to escape the terrible wraths of health problems.

Some of the most prevalent health concerns even in this 21^st century that we live in are stress, anxiety and depression, nutrition, strokes, eating disorders such as anorexia and obesity, asthma, gastrointestinal problems, alzheimer's, heart disease, accelerating ageing, premature death, cancer, birth defects, allergies, genetic problems, bladder, ‘kidney and urinary tract problems’, ‘bones, muscles and joint problems’, glands & hormone problems, infections, learning & emotional problems, sight, speech & hearing problems, skin problems, stomach, intestine and liver problems, teeth and mouth problems;  and this list goes on!!! 

At times when a person is depressed, he may turn to food for emotional comfort and in addition to that there is always the side effects of the antidepressant medications that lead to weight gain and many other negative side-effects. According to Dr. Anoop Misra-Chairman of a diabetes hospital at Fortis Healthcare, one of India’s biggest private hospital chains, “We are sitting on a volcano.” http://bit.ly/2NjmNEg

Eating disorders refers to a group of medical conditions that have an unhealthy focus on eating, dieting, losing or gaining weight and body image. Obesity and eating disorders are very common amongst young girls and women who are conscious about their body image.

The sad reality is that most of the people (the vast majority of working adults) from the western hemisphere as well as from the east are sleep deprived! Developing nations are rapidly urbanising and mimicking the trends and lifestyle of the west-making the same FOOD CHOICES as them! What this means is that there is little concern for something so relevant for health and that's getting adequate rest!! What is really needed is an adoption of a smart choices, choice of healthy food and mindful eating.    

Obviously impacting the body’s clock, this lack of sleep causes many physical as well as mental health issues. 

                 

One of the most alarming problems that people seem to be taking for granted is their ‘weight’ and wait that’s not all! It has severe consequences such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases and failure and even osteoarthritis. The ironic factor is that although obesity is a very common urban phenomenon, it also exists in rural India as well. It goes without saying that these people have a hard time controlling their impulses, which leads to unhealthy behaviour and a serious weight gain. They have a harder time resisting foods that are of higher-calories, craving for unhealthy meals and difficulties in controlling impulses.

In short obesity can be defined as having body mass index (BMI) of more than 30. So many factors such as one’s age, ethnicity, sex, muscle mass, etc. can play a very important role in the relationship between the BMI and the body fat. One very important factor is that BMI doesn't distinguish between muscles, excess fat or even bone mass.

So, what is BMI?

BMI is a calculation that takes a person’s weight and height into account. It is further evaluated in terms of the fat distribution via the waist-hip ratio and total cardio vascular risk factors. Fighting obesity is a challenge many people have overcome and continue to fight on a daily basis.

How do you diagnose Obesity?

You may have to visit a doctor for this and he/she will prescribe that you undergo certain tests such as skin-fold thickness to measure the body fat and body fat distribution, screening tests such as ultrasound, waist to hip comparisons, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). Certain blood tests may also be required to test the cholesterol and glucose level, diabetes screen, liver function test, heart test such as electrocardiogram and thyroid tests.

Some of the medical conditions that lead to weight gain include hypothyroidism (having an under-active thyroid) where the thyroid gland doesn't produce enough of certain essential hormones; polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-a condition where there is an imbalance of female reproductive hormones; osteoarthritis –conditions that cause pain and may lead to inactivity; Prader Willi Syndrome- which is a rare condition where an individual is born with excessive hunger causes. 

Of course, besides this its important to know that there are  a complex mix of genetic, psychological and environmental factors that can lead to a person’s risk of obesity.   

Many people rely on a number of medications – atypical antipsychotics which can cause weight gain. Some of these include antidepressants, steroids, atypical antipsychotics, hormonal contraception, insulin and certain anticonvulsants (phenytoin and valproate).

When did Fruits become a potential source of FAT?

YES, Indeed they are and that's because of the high amount of fructose contained in them! When fruits are definitely healthy for you what could go wrong? The downside here is that all fruits contain a certain amount of ‘fructose’ – i.e. a type of sugar that adds to the flavour of the fruit. It is strongly linked to obesity and diabetes than even glucose! 

Even Celebrities Face Obesity

Some of the famous Hollywood Celebrities who got ‘fat’ are Kelly Clarkson, Jessica Simpson, Matt Damon and Mariah Carey. Some of the Bollywood Celebrities who have faced this include Farah Khan, Mukesh Ambani, Vidya Balan, Sonakshi Sinha, Bappi Lahiri and Adnam Sami.  

Recently, a Frenchman –Kevin Chenais lost 100 kilos during his yearlong treatment at Saifee Hospital. Under the treatment of Dr. Lakdawalla he has managed to lose 91 kg (295-weight when he landed in Mumbai-206kg Current weight)

Desk jobs are one of the main culprits, people become lethargic and face obesity. They work for long hours in front of their computers and are not engaged in active jobs. Some of the common causes include:Poor diet – which is inclusive of high calories and fats. A sedentary lifestyle where people are people are involved in less physical activities and insufficient exercise. A combination of excessive food energy as well as lack of physical activity is one of the major causes of obesity, although a limited number of cases are because of medical reasons, genetics or even psychiatric illnesses.

One of the most important measures of heart health are triglycerides. They are extremely critical for cholesterol and blood pressure levels. It is a type of fat (lipid) contained in the blood that may even give rise to heart disease later on in life. How do they reach the body?

Its simple! When they body doesn't NEED any type of calories, it automatically converts them into triglycerides. These are stored into fat cells which later are released by hormones for energy between meals. However, if you do eat more calories than required (and more than you can possibly burn) –specifically the easy calories calories such as fats and carbohydrates you may be suffering from hypertriglyceridemia (high triglycerides).

Triglycerides	Cholesterol
They are different types of lipids circulating the blood	They are different types of lipids circulating the blood
Triglycerides store unused calories and provide the body with energy	cholesterol is used to build cells and certain hormones.
Because triglycerides and cholesterol can't dissolve in blood, they circulate throughout your body with the help of proteins that transport the lipids (lipoproteins).	Because triglycerides and cholesterol can't dissolve in blood, they circulate throughout your body with the help of proteins that transport the lipids (lipoproteins).

   

Take care of your Health – BEFORE ITS TOO LATE- Best way to LOWER your TRIGLYCERIDES

Exercise Regularly	It is very important to imcorporarte physical activity in your daily life(at least 30-45 min) on ALL days of the week!
Cut Back on Calories	Extra calories are like adding heavy bagadges to your already pending task of losing weight.They always get concerted to triglycerides and stored as fat. By reducing your calories you automatically reduce your triglycerides!
Lose Weight	If your overweight, its probably time you start prioritising your health and losing those extra kgs! This will help lower your triglycerides, boost your self esteem and make you feel good about yourself!
Choose the ‘Healthier fats’	Contrary to belief, all fats are not bad!
Limit on ‘Alcoholic’ drinks	Although not everyone engages in this, the people who do need to be very wary of the amount of calories & sugar that alcohol has on the body. It has an extremely potent effect on triglycerides and even just a ‘small’ amount can raise your triglyceride levels!!
Choose the Healthy FATS!	It is important to choose the healthier fats, rather than succumbing to the ‘unhealthy ones’. So which are these? These are the plant-based foods and oils that are primary based as a source of this fat. They can be Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats which in fact are called ‘heart healthy fats’! These should ideally be included in the diet in moderation. Some of the popular food items rhat can help improve your blood cholesterol level are nuts (almonds cashews, peanuts, peacans). Vegetable oils (canola oil, (olive oil, peanut oil), almond butter and peanut butter and avocado.
	Plant based foods & oils are the source of this type of fat. Unlike monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat can decrease your risk of heart disease by decreasing your blood cholesterol levels.
	In fact, Omega-3 fatty acids (a type of this fat) has been shown to be very helpful in decreasing the risk of coronary artery disease, also lowering the blood pressure levels and guarding the heart against irregular heartbeats. These (omega 3 fatty acids) can easily be found in salmon, trout, sardines and herring. They are also found in food items such as walnuts, tofu, roasted soy beans and soy nut better, vegetable oils (sunflower oil, corn oil, sesame oil, safflower oil and soybean oil. It can also be found in margerine.

Who is at the TOP?

The US is right at the top and always has been for the past 30 years. It is the superpower of obesity (and fast-food!). In fact the entire world in in the middle of a major obesity epidemic and predictions only indicate that it will worsen. Whether its Qatar, the Pacific islands, the Middle East,Saudi Arabia, Australia, Canada, Egypt, China, Japan or Scandinavia there’s no escaping!

Strange but true historical facts!!!

·       Obesity was historically viewed as a sign of prosperity and wealth amongst the high officaials in Europe during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance; and also in the Ancient East Asian Civilisations.

·       There are bizarre societal perceptions that being overweight or even obese is a sign of good health. What is surprising is the example of how China and other regions within Asia as well as Africa believe that having a bigger and more robust figure is actually a sign of wealth!!!

·       The sign of a chubby baby being a sign of wealth and health in China for instance has not yet gone away.

Isn't it a common phenomenon that obesity runs in families? Obese children often have obese siblings  and often that reflects on their parents. These genetic characteristics are deep rooted and this is mainly because families live in the same environment, have similar attitudes and eat similar foods.

One of the most common mistakes that we all make is that all calories release the same amount of energy. Ironically. This isn't true! Calories go through your body and they have profound effects on your hormones, metabolism and brain chemistry. Of course it is easy to say that fat calories burn differently from sugar calories.While fat calories speed up your metabolism, they also have to be burned.They do not even store because they spike insulin the fat storage hormone.

Fat works on the brain to cut your appetite so that you eat less overall during the day.Sugar and carb calorie do the exact opposite-they spike insulin are quickly laid down as a dangerous belly and organ fat and promote fat storage.Essentially you're your metabolism slows down and and you hunger pangs increase .

There are mounds of evidence available to support this! So, it is very important to pay attention what you eat, rather than how much you eat to determine whether you lose or even possibly lose weight!!! So can you EAT FAT and GWT THIN at the same time?  

One of the most important things that you can do to personalise your diet, even if you do not understand much about the different types of fats and their effects on the body, is to pay close attention to YOUR OWN BODY! YES! Some bodies require a higher-fat and lower-carb diet while another diet could be purely based on healthy starchy veggies, bean and whole grain.

WE essentially have 20,000 genes in our body and we cant be a victim of our parents or grandparents for our weight or even health problems. We need to take full control of the situation in hand. 

First of all you have to remember,ALL DIET WORK &  ALL DIETS FAIL! Its all dependent upon our own determination and willpower to burn those calories!

Your fitness, diet and health is ALL in your hands if you just pay close attention to it!