On March 4, 2022, we attended a webinar being among the highlights in the celebration of the World Obesity Day with the theme: “Everybody Needs to Act”. The 2022 campaign, according to the World Obesity Organization (WOO), is the third unified World Obesity Day, when WOO members and partners come together to call for change. Excess in weight, as we all know, is overweight and if left untreated, progresses to obesity which will eventually cause the development of life-threatening non-communicable diseases (NCDs). As a result, Filipinos should follow "Kumainment number 9: Panatilihin ang tamang Timbang" to avoid obesity and lessen, if not fully prevent, the likelihood of developing NCDs like diabetes, hypertension and cancer.
Alarmingly, Obesity has nearly tripled worldwide since 1975 according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2016, over 1.9 billion adults aged 18 and up were overweight. Over 650 million of these people were obese. In 2016, 39 percent of adults aged 18 and up were overweight, and 13 percent were obese. The majority of the world's population lives in countries where being overweight or obese kills more people than being underweight. In 2020, 39 million children under the age of five were overweight or obese. According to the Global Nutrition Reports, the Philippines has made no progress toward achieving the target for obesity, with an estimated 8.8 percent of adult (aged 18 years and over) women and 6.4 percent of adult men living with obesity. Obesity prevalence in the Philippines is lower than the regional average of 10.3 percent for women and 7.5 percent for men.
Madeline R. Vann of Everyday Health stated that while regaining weight may be possible to happen, it does not have to be. In fact, according to a recent National Weight Control Registry study, long-term weight maintenance is possible. Furthermore, if you want to lose weight and keep it off, you should increase your lean muscle mass. By continuing to build lean muscle, you can maintain or even increase your metabolism. Muscle has a higher metabolism than fat, according to Emily Banes, RD, clinical dietitian at Houston Northwest Medical Center. The next step is to combat hunger with more filling foods. According to Jenna Anding, Ph.D., RD, of Texas A&M University's department of nutrition and food science in College Station, Texas, foods high in fiber — think fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein — can help you feel full. The University of Pittsburgh study also discovered that women who were the best at controlling their weight were also the best at resisting the urge to binge on forbidden treats. There are numerous methods for avoiding daily temptations, such as planning ahead of time when eating out, eating out less, and removing your worst weaknesses from the house.
According to the University of Pittsburgh study, regularly counting calories is another sign of successful weight maintenance. A maintenance diet contains many of the same elements as a weight-loss diet. A meal-by-meal plan that you can stick to, even if it contains more calories than your diet plan, can serve as a guide to keep you on track. Experts also recommend at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week but stress that the more you exercise, the better you will be able to maintain your weight loss.
Evidently, there are numerous simple changes you can make that are easier to incorporate into your daily lives and will help you maintain your weight loss in the long run. As you progress through your journey, you will realize that controlling your weight entails much more than what you eat. Exercise, sleep, and mental health are all important factors. Weight maintenance can be easy if you simply adopt a new lifestyle rather than going on and off weight-loss diets.
PNFP Marie-Claire Gaas, RND
References:
1. World Obesity Day is on the horizon
https://www.worldobesity.org/news/world-obesity-day-is-on-the-horizon
2. Obesity and overweight
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
3. The burden of malnutrition at a glance
https://globalnutritionreport.org/resources/nutrition-profiles/asia/south-eastern-asia/philippines/#:~:text=The%20country%20has%20shown%20no,women%20and%207.5%25%20for%20men.
4. 12 Steps to Manage Your Weight
By Madeline R. Vann, MPH, Medically Reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH, Reviewed: April 3, 2009
https://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/weight-management.aspx
