Let me have men about me that are fat…….Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look. He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.
a quote from Caesar by William Shakespeare)
That was in Shakespearean era, when being fat was considered noble.
Also here in Nigeria till the late 70s, being fat was considered a sign of good life. Young girls before marriage were sent to fattening rooms, to add some flesh for the benefit of their husbands. The Igbos call it “idu ngbede”.
Then came the 80s, 90s, etc, girls became obsessed with figure-8. Every girl wanted to look like a wall-gecko. Girls after eating will induce themselves to vomit, so as not add weight, thereby inadvertently suffering from bulimia.
Then came the era of excess oil money, Nigerians started eating fast foods like Americans, with its attendant obesity.
Then the Internet exploded, and bombarded everyone, with the disadvantages of overweight. Everybody wanted to be slim again.
Then, I wrote my series on “overweight and obesity “, stating the associated hazards. Everybody is asking me now, how to lose weight.
But, there was one text that struck me from Lagos, it simply stated “Doc, I cannot lose weight, so how do I lose weight “ Yes he explained later – “ my weight is 113.5kg and my height is 1.65 meters. I have tried all remedies no success. Please help me”
I calculated his Body Mass Index (BMI) that is weight in kg divided by (height in meters squared), it was 42.
Remember the medical facts about BMI.
BMI of less than 25 = normal.
BMI of 25 to 29.5 = overweight.
BMI of 30 or above = obesity.
So tell me, how do I advise someone with a BMI of 42. Who told me, he is not obese, only has overweight challenge. That he looks smart, though big like a boxer, with broad shoulders and long arms. Probably the long bones were responsible for his overweight, he reiterated.
Now let us get down to brass tacks.
Let me state some established medical facts.
i) Excess of input over output equals fat, and you cannot do much about your energy wastage, either input or output.
ii) All you can control is what you eat and what you do: your total energy intake, and total output needs.
iii) To slim down, you must eat less and, or do more. If your activity is already moderate, it will be hard for you to do more without eating more.
iv) But, if you are overweight BMI of 25 to 29.5, your activity is probably well below moderate.
v) Some studies of overweight people suggest that, in fact, they eat less than others – but do much less.
vi) Many overweight people would like to escape the choice of eating less or doing more.
The blame game by overweight people.
People who are overweight try to blame something else, outside their control, they blame
1) their heavy bones,
2) their heavy family,
3) their hormones, and
4) even their body water.
But
1) Variation in bone density cannot account for more than 10kg weight difference.
2) Though overweight does “run in families”, it may be due more to acquired eating habits than genetic factors.
3) Hormonal malfunctions can cause obesity, in very rare cases, but these show themselves clearly, in other bodily symptoms.
4) The body water level is very well regulated, except in very hot weather and in some illnesses.
Besides – even if a person had heavy bones, an inherited tendency to heaviness, hormonal malfunction and too much water in his body, he would still lose weight if he ate less, and got more exercise.
Intact hormonal disorders are often the product of obesity, so a sufferer who slims loses the disorder.
Dieting
• Losing weight is not easy. It demands controlled eating habits, discipline, patience and a change of attitudes.
a} Do not be tempted by any promise of easy weight loss – there are no miracles.
b} Adopt a definite diet plan and stick to it.
c} If you need advice, get it from the Physician.
d}. Once weight is lost, keep a constant check, and deal with small gains as they occur.
Some diet fallacies
Ignore any claims that you can lose weight by:
1) Drinking less fluid.
2) Drinking more fluid.
3) Taking less salt.
4) Drinking no coffee, tea or soft drinks.
5) Eating grapes because “they convert fat into energy”.
6) Eating eggs because they “use up more calories than they contain “.
7) Eating heavy meals, so as to “avoid nibbling” in between.
8) Adding lemon juice or vinegar or vegetable juice to your normal diet.
9) Changing from sugar to honey or glucose.
10) Eating some kinds of fat and not others – that is, as a way of losing weight, rather than as a measure against heart disease.
11) Also ignore advise to take “diet pills” or “mud baths” use weight reducing garments or skin preparations, or have hormone injections or message.
Whatever you do please be medically guided.
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