Weight Loss Treatment Doctor

Why is the incidence of weight gain/overweight/obesity increasing?

Appetite and body weight are regulated by a highly connected gut-to-brain, neuroendocrine system that tracks all the changes in energy intake and expenditure, with the goal of ensuring energy and body weight balance. This system evolved principally to defend against food scarcity. The capacity to store excess energy as body fat is critical to survival. For most people, food is now cheap, plentiful, and highly processed (with lots of additives and preservatives to increase its shelf life) and tasty, with unending combinations of refined sugar, saturated and trans fat, and salt that are served up in ever-increasing portion sizes. Eating is the new smoking and favorite time pass, fueled by aggressive marketing and by dramatic changes in how individuals and families prepare and consume meals; they are increasingly eaten out or ordered in, with a marked increase in calories as compared with traditional home cooking. Increases in mean daily energy intake have occurred in tandem with reductions in energy expenditure at work, with a mostly sedentary lifestyle.

Why should one lose weight?

Obesity is an independent risk factor for chronic metabolic complications such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, polycystic ovarian disease, cardiovascular diseases, dementia, depression, disturbed sleep and sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and some forms of cancer. These patients have limited functional ability and quality of life due to the increasing and relapsing nature of obesity and related problems.

What are the helpful steps in your weight loss journey?

The most important step in your weight loss journey is your readiness to achieve your goal (weight loss, looking good, fitting well into clothes, running marathons, overall fitness, chronic disease risk reduction, reducing the future financial burden due to diseases, etc) by working on the root cause of it. Some small steps (not radical steps like losing weight in 7 days/losing weight fast by burning fat or following the crash diet at home – beware of such advertisements which promise you to burn your belly fat fast etc  as these are dangerous and the results are  generally short-lived)  which can be helpful in your weight loss  journey can be:

1. Dietary portion changes involve calorie restriction and macronutrient manipulation. Diet should be low in refined carbohydrates, sugars and fats and high in whole plant based food (high in fibre/protein).
2. Avoid packaged processed/ultra processed food/sugar sweetened beverages.
3. Quit tobacco and alcohol consumption completely.
4. Mindful and slow eating, eating only when you are hungry and avoidance of frequent snacking and skipping of meals.
5. Reduce portion size by switching to smaller bowls and plates.
6. Never eat directly from the packet.
7. Fill half of the plate with salad, one-fourth with protein and another one-fourth with whole grains /complex carbohydrates.
8. Switch unhealthy ingredients or methods with healthier options like replacing mayonnaise-based dressing in a salad with vinegar, fresh orange juice and olive oil dressing, high fat sandwich spread with hung curd with mint while making a vegetable sandwich, fried food with boiled/steamed food etc.
9. Avoid distractions while eating like watching television, chatting and reading.
10. Switch to healthier snacking options like having a whole grain flour sandwich instead of refined flour sandwich, fresh fruits instead of packaged food,  coconut water instead of milkshake, fruit yoghurt instead of ice cream, steamed snacks instead of fried snacks, roasted peanuts instead of chips.
11. Be mindful and  read food labels before buying packaged food in order to assess the nutritional value. Do not buy  products with high energy, sugar, cholesterol, trans fat and low fibre.
12. Remaining physically active by doing physical activity like a combination of 30 minutes of aerobics, 15 minutes of workplace activity and 15 minutes of muscle strengthening exercises is generally recommended.
13. Muscle strengthening should be incorporated 2–3 times a week, which includes push-ups, dumbbells, weight-lifting and knee flexion.
14. Taking the stairs, commuting through public transport, taking small walks to the grocery shop, joining fitness classes and taking walk breaks from work .
15. Maintain food diary/journal.