Obesity - Prevention

and Dr. med. Nina Buschek Updated on

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

More posts by Christiane Fux All content is checked by medical journalists.

There is a familial predisposition to being overweight. Still, obesity is not fate. A healthy diet and physical activity are the essential building blocks of a healthy weight. An active lifestyle also helps people who have lost weight maintain their weight and turn off the infamous yo-yo effect.

nourishment

A balanced diet is the basis for a healthy life - even for slim people. Those who tend to be overweight, however, have to pay double attention to what and how much they eat. Because with the right diet you can significantly reduce the risk of obesity and the diseases it causes. For example, high sugar consumption increases the risk of developing diabetes.

It also makes sense to limit fat consumption and to consume predominantly valuable fats that contain polyunsaturated fatty acids. These include oils such as olive oil or rapeseed oil, but also high-fat sea fish. Overall, experts recommend that people who need to watch their weight prefer to consume foods with a low energy density. These are those with a high water and fiber content, but low fat and sugar content.

Move

The second important antagonist for impending or existing obesity is exercise. An active lifestyle helps burn excess energy from food. However, newcomers to sports tend to overestimate the burning effect. Half an hour of intensive Nordic walking burns 150 to 250 kilocalories, depending on your body weight and the intensity of your running. So for a pizza you have to sweat for two and a half to four hours. Only those who do not reward themselves with food after exercise will have a long-term slimming effect or ensure that they do not get fat in the first place.

We recommend an active lifestyle that integrates a lot of exercise such as climbing stairs and walking into everyday life, and at least 30 minutes of endurance training at least five days a week. But that's not enough to lose weight.

Mental balance

There is no scientific evidence that stress makes you fat. However, there are some indications for this. For example, many people eat more when they are under emotional pressure and so gain weight.

Studies have also shown that people who don't get enough sleep are at increased risk of being overweight. And a major reason for a disturbed night's sleep is stress. Stress could also lead to obesity in this connection.

In any case, it seems to be particularly worthwhile for people who tend to be overweight to slow down their lives with targeted stress management or relaxation techniques (progressive muscle relaxation, autogenic training).

pregnancy

A crucial element of obesity prevention begins in the womb. The metabolism of the child is calibrated during pregnancy and early childhood. This also includes blood sugar, insulin production and even messenger substances that regulate appetite. If a lot of sugar gets into the unborn child's body via the mother, the baby gets used to the high values ​​and craves for supplies for a lifetime.

This risk is particularly great if the mother is overweight herself or if she gains weight during pregnancy. There is a particularly high risk if the pregnant woman develops gestational diabetes, which often happens unnoticed. The hormonal change causes the blood sugar levels of an otherwise healthy woman to derail. The affected children are usually born as little heavyweights and are at high risk of obesity and diabetes from birth.

A healthy diet during pregnancy and regular blood sugar checks are therefore important protective measures for the child.

Childhood and adolescence

Diet in the first few years of life makes a decisive contribution to preventing obesity. During this time, eating behavior is programmed and the foundation for certain preferences is laid. A fat child is more likely to become a fat teenager and later a fat adult.

Upbringing is also an important factor, as it has a decisive influence on lifestyle: Is sport a natural part of life? What and how much is eaten? It is also unfavorable when children are given something to eat as a quick consolation in the event of grief or displeasure. Such behavior is memorized - and it is difficult to get rid of it in later adult life.

Tags:  news symptoms gpp