In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, many people realised they had gained so much weight as a result of staying at home for months during the lockdown or not engaged in fat-burning activities while also eating more junk foods.
Health experts say unnecessary weight gain is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, cancer, hypertension, diabetes and other lifestyle-related ailments.
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A nutritional health coach, Dr Nnedimma Iwueke, while speaking on the myths of losing weight, said a healthy weight is an important factor in wellness and longevity, adding that weight loss is essential if we consume calories in excess of the body’s needs.
She said, for instance, there are many myths surrounding weight loss and people must understand that there are a whole lot of things to be considered.
She said some myths surrounding weight loss include:
All calories are not equal
She said this is what many people don’t understand, adding that the same quantity of food containing different components will yield different results when taken.
Vegetables, fibres and roughages are low in calories.
“This is basically because they contain mainly cellulose, which the human body cannot digest. On the other hand, greasy foods contain saturated fats which are high in calories. When consumed in higher amounts, the energy requirement of the body is easily met and the rest of it is stored as fat in the body. That is why we need to accompany exercise with nutritional intervention. Or else, it would amount to a waste of time,” she said.
Losing weight is not a linear process
The nutritional health coach said weight loss is simple but the underlying processes are rather a complex set of interconnected biochemical events.
“For instance, there is a hormonal part of it (the leptin cascade). There is the metabolic switchover part of it, involving the burning of stored fat. There is the detoxification part of it, involving the removal of free radicals generated from the burning of fat in order not to gain back lost weight. It is rather a convoluted process. However, the rules are quite simple, though often not obeyed,” she explained.
Supplements can help you lose weight
Nutritional intervention in obesity and overweight often requires much more than just exercise and eating right, she said.
According to her, better results are obtained by incorporating the use of dietary supplements, a sort of metabolic engineering. These supplements usually boost metabolic rate, leading to an appreciable burning of fat deposits and suppressing appetite, such that the body resorts to stored fat for its energy needs.
Obesity is by will power, not biology
Although obesity in some cases may have a genetic predisposition. However, this fact has turned into a lazy man’s excuse for many people who have given up on their weight or have not made any conscious effort to keep their weight within a healthy range, the expert said.
There is a suitable weight loss procedure for everyone, irrespective of their biology. Weight is an interplay of nature and nurture. You can nurture your nature!
Carbohydrates make you fat
She said every food value is important in body function: provision of energy, replenishment of tissues and many more. “However, the emphasis should be “a balanced diet”. An adequate amount of each food value is important. When carbohydrates are taken in excess of body needs, the rest is converted into fat and stored in the body, thus increasing body weight,” she said.
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