Stop The Junk Food » Body Mass Index

The Very Low Calorie Diet Can Make You Lose Weight

NailaIntan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:40:15 +0000

About one-fourth of adult Americans are obese. This increases the risk of death from high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Traditional weight loss techniques like low calorie diets are recommended in order to lose 800 to 1500 calories a day. Combined with regular exercise, obese American will shed off those excess pounds in no time. Another method that brings significant weight loss in a short amount of time is the very low calorie diet or the VLCD.

The very low calorie diet or VLCDs are generally commercially prepared to lose 800 calories or less by replacing the usual food intake of the individual. This is not similar to the over-the-counter meal alternatives. The latter is said to serve as substitutes for a meal or two a day. The former, on the other hand, is used under proper and strict medical supervision. This is to produce the significant weight loss in a short period of time which moderately to severely obese Americans need.

The very low calorie diet or VLCDs are safe as long as they are taken under proper medical supervision from credible doctors. Patients with a BMI or body mass index amounting to more than 30 must resort to this method. BMI is a formula that takes into consideration the individual’s height and weight.

This is how you calculate a person’s BMI. A person’s weight in terms of kilograms is divided by his height in terms of meters squared. Patients with BMI ranging from 27 to 30 must also reserve the use of the very low calorie diet or VLCD for medical complications that are rooted from their obesity.

Take note that the very low calorie diet or VLCDs are not suggested for breastfeeding or pregnant women. This is also not suitable for children and adolescents. The only exception is when these individuals are going through specialized treatment procedures.

There is very little information available when it comes to the very low calorie diet or VLCDs in older individuals. Individuals over the age of 50 experience the depletion of their lean body mass, therefore resorting to VLCD may seem impractical.

Persons over the age of 50 cannot tolerate the side effects attributed to the very low calorie diet or VLCD because of the medical conditions that are dependent on the entire process. To resolve this, doctors look at it on a case to case basis. They evaluate the possible risks and the probable benefits of older individuals’ drastic weight losses. They also look into the medical problems these patients are experiencing and come up with other remedies.

The very low calorie diet or VLCD allows obese patients to shed off 3 to 5 pounds each week, reaching an average weight loss of 44 pounds for about 12 weeks. This is an improvement on weight loss when it comes to any obesity-related medical condition such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

One must combine the very low calorie diet or VLCD with exercise and behavioral therapy in order to increase weight loss and to also slow down weight regain. VLCDs are no more effective than those dietary restrictions which promise long term maintaining if reduced weight.

A number of patients taking on the very low calorie diet or VLCD for one month to 4 months are said to experience minor side effects like constipation, diarrhea, nausea and fatigue. No need to panic though because these conditions improve in only a matter of weeks.

The most common side effect in the very low calorie diet or VLCD is gallstone formation. Gallstones are evident in obese people to begin with but these are notorious when there is rapid weight loss. Research shows that the rapid weight loss also lessens the gallbladder’s capability to produce bile.

Obesity is a condition that requires dedication. In order to not harm his health further, the individual must resort to formal weight loss procedures such as the very low calorie diet or VLCD. This is an efficient solution which will result to healthy eating, regular exercising and improved perception on food.

Losing weight is a struggle to most people and often a cause of frustration. Losing weight must be coupled with the right diet plan and exercise programs. But did you know that even if you’ve never succeeded at losing weight before, even if you have stubborn fat deposits that don’t seem to bulge you can still lose weight and gain muscles if you know the right method to lose weight? Do you want to find out the best weight loss method that changed the lives of many overweight people? Find out here visit Weight Loss and Diet Programs.

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The Relationship Between Fast Food And Obesity

hanun — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 03:44:24 +0000

Today, fast food became a way of life. Some studies have shown that by just eating two fastfood meals a week, exactly what they ate didn’t seem to matter much. Breakfast sandwiches, fries, burgers and nuggets all meant a greater risk of obesity and it can increase the chances of obesity by 50%. It is not only fast, cheap and convenient, it also tastes good, making it harder to resist. It contains high levels of sodium, refined sugar, oil and refined flour. This combination alone can be harmful to one health as well as cause obesity.

Some fact show that Fast Food Cause Obesity?

Many doctors and experts are concern about obesity in today, with the rise in obesity they start to question and study whether fast food can cause obesity. There are many facts show that eating too many fast food meal per weeks will cause obesity. Some of the facts are:

- Obesity rates is increase every year

- Many people choosing fast food as their primary food

- Cheap and convenient, fast-food restaurants everywhere

- A lot of fast-food advertisements

It is little wonder that fast food and obesity go hand in hand. There have been countless studies that show that fast-foods are of poor and low nutritional value. The typical fast food meal consists of low quality carbohydrates, white bread, high levels of saturated fat and a sugary soda. Usually, it also has relatively low fiber content. Fast-food has high caloric density, before you know about it; you will have overeaten and put on weight. So it does cause obesity.

BMI and You

A lot of researchers report that fast food can cause obesity; especially those families that choose it as a meal more than three times a week do run a higher risk of obesity and larger BMI’s. The BMI, or body mass index, is a formula that doctors use to determine exactly how overweight a person is. A BMI of a number between 25 and 30 means the patient is overweight, if 30 or more is an indication of obesity. About 70% of adults in our country can be classified as overweight, and about 35% Adults is considered obese. These are very high figures and many of them having high BMI, when you know that obesity can lead to health problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Our lifestyle choices also might affect our body weight as well. For example, if you and your family members visiting the fast food chains frequently, then you have a tendency to keep less healthy and high nutritional choices in at your home. The absence of fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains can make the effects of the fries and burgers that much more severe. Some study show that slender teenagers know how to take balance food, example if they choose it on occasion will balance that choice by consuming fewer calories the rest of the day. But overweight teenagers don’t know or can not control to take balance food. While there is evidence to show that it causes obesity, it seems that other factors and choices come into play as well.

The Risk for Diabetes

Experts on fast food and obesity say there is now an alarming rate of cardiovascular disease and diabetes in the United States. These numbers have continued to rise in the past few years. A study found those who eating lots of fast food gained 10 pounds more than those who did so less often, and increases twice the chance of developing an insulin disorder that directly linked to diabetes. The sedentary lifestyle, are rapidly becoming one of the top causes for type II diabetes and coronary artery disease. The high carbohydrate content of fast-food may cause the bodies inability to produce the amount of insulin needed to deal with the sugar levels produced after a meal. This may lead to increase sugar levels and block arteries.

Some Improvement

While some fast-food restaurants have begun offering healthier alternatives, including fruit, whole-grain bread, lower-fat fries, salads, as well as bottled water, rather than sodas.

However, this seems to be a rather weak and slow response, even though it is a step in the right direction. But, it does show that even the fast food restaurants acknowledge that their food cause obesity.

Always make your good choice

If you are concerned about whether fast food causes obesity, you can take time to practice healthy lifestyle, make choices for healthy eating that do not have to include avoiding fast-food all of the time. You can balance the occasional burger with plenty of healthy food options in between, and make sure that you go for regular exercise as well. With some wise and healthy choices, you do not have to worry whether fast food will cause obesity to you.