Alma Jones

Being overweight is not simply a problem about looks; it’s also a problem about health. Everyday, millions of people suffer from heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes, all of which are related to being overweight. Just being ten pounds overweight can greatly increase your risk for all the above diseases.

Stroke and heart disease used to be a disease of the old; now, because of the increasing incidence of obesity, more and more young adults have these conditions.

We should fight weight problems. I hear of stories about how other overweight people do not want to lose weight because they “love themselves.” Unfortunately, they are missing the point: it’s not about how they look; it’s about how they are risking their health.

The calculation of BMI and determination of weight problems were not established to provide a compass for outer beauty; they were instituted because beyond a certain range, the risk for heart disease or diabetes or stroke rises steeply.

Aside from weight, waistlines have also been in the limelight. Again, this is not because big waistlines are not pretty; it’s because studies have shown that abdominal girth, more than arm or thigh circumference, is significantly related to your risk for stroke or heart attack. This means that having a big gut will have a greater impact on your health than having big thighs.

In the spirit of fighting obesity, here are more tips to help you in your weight management scheme:

• Download a food exchange list. Study it. Study it like you’re preparing for an exam, because if you pass the test, you lose the weight. Knowing how many calories are in one teaspoon of oil, or remembering how many calories are in one slice of pork, is going to help you lose weight. Hey, it’s worth the effort. You did it to pass highschool; why not do it to get that weight you’ve always wanted?

• Stay away from fast food. Although fast food chains are now showing us healthier choices, the truth is, most of what you’ll want to eat from them are the unhealthy ones. So what if they serve a salad if you’ll still order a double cheeseburger with large fries?

• Eat more fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables have a lot of fiber, which give bulk to food without packing in calories. In other words, it may look like you’ve eaten a lot, but you’ve only consumed a few calories. A cup of rice can have the same calories as 5 cups of greens! A cup of vegetables has around 50 calories.

• Learn how to cook. Home-cooked food can be a lot healthier than takeout food. You are in control; you know how much oil is in that bowl of soup; you know when to scrimp on mayonnaise or when to give it more. You also get to cook more vegetables in a healthy way, because takeout vegetables are usually stir-fried for convenience.

Click here to know what to buy from the groceries and to read more tips.