Miracle diets do not exist, but some tips can help you lose weight and keep it off.
- Adult overweight and obesity are caused by excess body fat.
- They can be caused by psychological or genetic factors, but also by chronic diseases.
- The number of obese people has doubled in France since 1997.
Nearly one in two French people is overweight or obese, according to a study by the League against obesity published in 2021. In both cases, the diagnosis is made from the body mass index, which corresponds to the weight divided by the height squared. When the figure obtained is greater than 25, doctors speak of overweight and obesity when it exceeds 30. Beyond a simple number, both overweight and obesity pose health risks. This can make some people want to shed a few pounds, and a few tricks can help make it happen.
What are the risks of overweight and obesity?
The causes of obesity and overweight are multiple, as are their consequences. In both cases, there is an increased risk of suffering from other pathologies, in particular cardiovascular, such as arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction or even heart failure. But the risks of chronic disease are also higher for the people concerned: type 2 diabetes, gallstones, sleep apnea or osteoarthritis. Their consequences are also psychological, particularly for victims of grossophobia.
As summer approaches, miracle diets flourish on the Internet and in magazines. But when it comes to weight loss, there is precisely no miracle recipe. To the American media Eat thisSandy Younan Brikho, dietician, explains: “Most diets are restrictive, hard to follow, and impossible to sustain long term.” Rather than restricting yourself, you have to rebalance your diet.
A more balanced diet
The dietician thus recommends eating more… vegetables. They should fill half the plates, because they increase satiety, and thus allow you to eat less, while providing many essential nutrients. “You will lose weight over time by automatically reducing your intake of other high calorie foods”, she warns. At the same time, we must remain attentive to the feeling of satiety, which is sometimes ignored. “In today’s culture, we tend to eat until we can’t breathe, adds Jesse Feder, nutritionist. I always tell my patients to stop eating when they feel full.”
Know how to compose your plates
Specialists insist: you have to eat everything, but balancing the portions. Protein should be consumed at every meal, with portions of 25 to 30 grams. As for starches, it is more interesting to choose them complete, because they allow you to be satiated longer. On the other hand, sugar must be limited as much as possible, especially added sugars, which are hidden in prepared dishes.
Weight loss also involves reducing physical inactivity: you have to move more every day and practice regular physical activity.