Tips for Preventing Obesity

Learning to maintain a healthy weight is essential to a healthy life. Healthy eating habits, regular exercise and a realistic view of healthy body weight are essential elements in preventing obesity. Obesity is a growing epidemic in America that affects all age ranges. Learning healthy eating habits and exercise routines in childhood are the first steps to preventing obesity but certain steps can be taken to reduce the chances of obesity in adulthood.

As we age, our metabolism slows down, and with it, our ability to effectively burn calories. After age fifty, metabolic rates drop sharply; metabolism may drop by thirty percent over the course of a lifetime.

 

Busy adult lives also discourage regular exercise routines necessary for preventing obesity. Healthy eating habits often fall victim to the allure and convenience of processed or fast food. Obesity research indicates that losing weight as we enter middle age is simply harder than it is earlier in life. Preventing obesity is, ultimately, easier than attempting to lose excess pounds later.

We have so many reasons to avoid starting a regular exercise routine. Work, family, social engagements and the fatigue that comes at the end of a busy day all make exercising seem like...well...too much work. Most people feel that they are too tired to exercise, but routine exercise affords the opposite of what we might think; it gives us more energy and makes us less hungry. Exercise boosts the metabolism, and obesity research has proven that raising activity levels while eating properly is a more effective way to keep weight off than just changing eating habits. The recommended exercise level for obesity prevention and better health is thirty minutes of light to moderate exercise five times a week.

 

Not all of us are cut out for life at the gym, but literally hundreds of other activities are available. Take long walks, go swimming with the kids, climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator: once you start looking for little ways to get active, it's surprising how many options you have. Consult your doctor before starting an exercise program, especially if you're over age forty.

Staying active is very important as we age. Walking, swimming and other low impact activities can help keep weight down. Weight training helps keep muscle mass at healthy levels. Seniors with limited mobility may find water workouts/exercise helpful, and exercise programs that can be performed while seated in a chair are also available. Personal health issues and needs determine what form the exercise should take, and all exercise programs should be discussed with a health professional.

Of course, incorporating exercise routines into your daily schedule is only one side of preventing obesity. All the activity in the world won't help if you're living on fast food. A food diary is a great way to determine the changes you need to make in your eating habits. Keep track of everything you eat for a month, noting times, locations and amounts. List everything you eat and drink, including snacks and trips to the water cooler.

Now pick one of those habits and try to change it. When you're blood sugar drops in the afternoon and you feel like a sweet snack for energy, try foregoing it for something high in protein. Snacks high in sugar or carbohydrates make us feel good for a short period of time but alter our blood sugar so rapidly that we become hungrier than when we started. Take one issue at a time: trying to completely change your eating patterns at once can be overwhelming. Once you've replaced it with a healthier habit, go on to make another change. Set small goals rather than attempt to change a lifetime of food preferences in a month.

• Don't eat if you're not hungry.
• Never use food as a reward—offering dessert, as a reward for eating the rest of a meal, is a common mistake.
• Limit fast food and order small.
• Eat slowly. It takes several minutes for the stomach to feel "full."
• Limit TV time, computer time and video game time.
• Encourage active games—run and play together.
• Keep selections of fruit and vegetable snacks handy.
• Avoid preprocessed foods when shopping.

 

Read on to learn more about preventing obesity in children and teens.

 

 

 

Carter, J. (2002, May 21). Obesity threatens health gains of Americans over 50, report says. Associated Press.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases—Weight-Control Information Network. (2001, October). Understanding adult obesity [NIH Publication No.01-3680].