One thing is for sure, though. Our body needs both the muscles as well as the fats. Both are the two storehouses of energy. While muscle gives us strength, fats provide us the cushion against impact besides the necessary temperature.

Actually, the muscles require energy to function. On the other hand, the fats also release energy for metabolism (the process of breaking down vitamins and proteins to carry out different physical functions). This power is got from the food that we consume.

Actually, our bodies store the fats as adipose tissues which are veritable storages of energy.

Besides the adipose tissues, energy is also stored in the lean muscles. Whenever there is a need for energy, the body seeks them from these two storehouses.

There are some extra fat deposits in our bodies besides the adipose tissues. These are required during exigencies. But these extra fat deposits are far different from the excess fat accumulation. The former is a necessity but the latter leads to obesity and the accompanying debilitating ailments like diabetes, arthritis besides various those of the heart.

When we keep on consuming too much of fatty substances but do not expend them as we should, then the excess fat gets deposited in different parts of our bodies. For example, in males the excess fat is deposited in the tummy area while in the females it is seen prominently in the thighs, tummy, chin, breasts and cheeks.
DOES STARVING HELP IN CHECKING OBESITY?

This is a frequently asked question (FAQ). In other words, doesn’t starving really reduce weight?
The answer is both ‘Yes!’ and also ‘No!’ There is also this warning: Too much of everything is bad!
Now, do keep reading…

Starving (fasting) once a week does help in expediting the metabolism process. But, starving daily will lead to malnutrition.

When we begin starving, the body draws the required energy from both the muscles as well as the fats. After some time, the body blocks the adipose tissues, and starts getting energy from the muscles. This is the naturally activated mechanism of our bodies to preserve the main storehouse of energy – the adipose tissues or fats.

Therefore, under this circumstance when we do physical activities we are burning away our lean muscles – a vital energy reservoir. Undoubtedly, there will be weight loss. But it is a negligible loss. The reason is that the primary bank of energy – the adipose tissue – has still remained untouched.

The body will tone down the pace of metabolism at this juncture simply because there is no scope for utilizing the external input of energy.

Now the danger zone: A person cannot remain without food for long. The moment he/she starts consuming, the body will deposit the required amount in the adipose tissues.

However, the person keeps on consuming fatty substances. When the person doesn’t do any physical exercise to complement the consumption process, then the excess fat gets deposited beyond the adipose tissue. This leads to obesity.

PERSONALITY TRAITS: FOUR IN NUMBER

A personality is made up by four processes: What we think of ourselves; what others think of ourselves; what we show to others as we are; and what we actually are!

Whatever the process may be or whatever the combination of processes can be, one thing is for sure, though.

We are what we think. In fact since the days of yore, depending on the state of our minds we can solve all our ailments.

It has been found that a chubby toddler growing up to be an overweight child has to face many types of discriminations at the social level.

Right from the school stage, such a child understands willy-nilly that he/she is not up to the mark – be it physical or intellectual exercises. Slowly but surely, the child starts suffering from inferiority complex. As the chubby toddler grows up, these mental pressures assume psychological ramifications.

The psychological strain is the cause of several physiological problems. Just because the teenager cannot perform like the peer group (and that’s primarily due to the accumulation of fat in the body), the youth starts having inferiority feelings.

During the teenage stage, the accumulated fat manifests into obesity! Obesity brings in other complications like high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis besides other ailments.

WHAT PARENTS MUST NOT DO!

However, the parents should curtail the habit of supplying their children with chips, ice creams or any form of pastries on weekends to compensate for their failure to give time to their children on other days. This is done by the parents in the hope that it would compensate for their folly. But, this is how they are presenting their children with a lifetime of diseases!

It is in the childhood stage that the fats cells (adipose tissues) actually form their ultimate shape.

During adolescence the fat cells remain constant; but if there is a continuance of the gobbling habit. The fat cells assume abnormal shapes.

And, when the input (intake of the bad-fat food) keeps on unabated, the adipose muscles fail to store them. This dangerous accumulation of fats ultimately poses the threat to the very health and life of the person concerned.

RATE OF FORMATION OF FAT CELLS

The fat cells multiply in two ways. The fastest pace of the fat cells formation is during the initial growing years of a person. Secondly, the fat cells grow in number in accordance with the rise in pace of the storage capacity of the cells.

Normal children (slim and athletic) generally have three times less in the number of fat cells than those in their obese counterparts.

The fat cells that a child possesses remain constant for life after attaining the adolescence phase. Researchers have therefore concluded that the feeding habits of a child ultimately determine the lifetime number of fat cells of a person.

Therefore, parents must always remain alert as to what their children consume. Overfeeding can doom their loving future generation to a lifetime of obese effects!

ARE OBESITY IN TEENS SAME AS OBESITY IN OLDER AGE?

No, they are not the same!

The adipose tissues have an auto mechanism that regulates the feedback in the fat cells (hypothalamic region of the body). More the amount of the fat cells, the higher is the deposits of the fat accumulation in the body.

Here we must make a difference of obesity of people in their middle age or older stage. This happens owing to the enlargement of the already present fat cells. This syndrome is called ‘Hyperbiophy’.

Patients suffering from hyperbiophy demonstrate a peculiar insulin secretion syndrome. Their bodies secrete excess insulin. It is the same as the process researchers have identified in animals having wounds (lesions) in the hypothalamus – especially in the ventromedial nuclei portion).
The latter (Hyperbiophy) is medically curable. More often than not, the former develops resistance to medical techniques.

STUDIES ON FAT ACCUMULATION ON MICE & MAN

Medical detectives have come across astounding similarities in mice and man insofar as the physiological and behavioral changes are concerned. This refers to the synthesis of fat acids, as well as the fast pace development of insulin production (hyperinsulinism) of human beings.

Surplus synthesis of the fat acids is caused due to the fast process of syntheses of fat acids particularly in obese people. As a result, the fat continues to be deposited in the body. This extra fat is, however, never released; it remains to give rise to various diseases.

Secondly, in obese people there is a remarkable reduction in the number or the strength of the lipase that is hormone sensitive and plays a pivotal role in the reduction of the adipose tissues (that store the fat). Hence, the fat that gets accumulated is not removed.

The Nutrition Foundation of India (NFI) carried out a survey of 4,300 children in Delhi recently. The survey focused on middle and upper middle class families.

The survey conducted by the College of Home Science, Mumbai, demonstrated that 65 per cent of the obese respondents were girls. It, therefore, showed that boys are less prone to obesity compared to girls.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, has pinpointed the ailments connected with obesity like heart ailments to be the primary cause for the rise in death rate among the youth. Following the study, the AIIMS study warned that such non-communicable heart diseases caused by obesity will shoot up the death rate among the youth from the then present nine per cent to 33 per cent.

The NFI survey found that 3.9 per cent of them fell within the category of ‘plain obese’ while as much as 26 per cent of those surveyed were overweight!

It also found out that about 30 per cent of the obese adults were as obese as the children. The NFI also pointed out that in India the specter of obesity is more among the middle class; and that too among the women than the men. Its studies found out that more than 50 per cent of the people interviewed were obese women while one-third of the respondents were males.

The scenario is equally dangerous everywhere. Another survey was conducted among 1500 students by the Subharti Medical College in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, recently. It showed that nine per cent of the respondents were obese.

SINGAPORE MODEL: THE BEST WAY TO TACKLE KIDS OBESITY

Singapore averted a major economic disaster through an innovative strategy. In Obesity among the school kids shot up from two per cent in the late 70’s to 17 per cent by 1992.

This prodded the health promotion board to go in for a major campaign. The schools were made the target points with the teachers transformed into the role of a focal agent.

The teachers were first trained.

Three strategies were focused upon: The teachers were promote and change the lifestyles of the children by making exercise a daily habit with them; to impart healthier eating habits to the school children; and to modify the menu of the school canteens.

This brought about a sea-change what with obesity falling below 10 per cent by 1998.

The surfeit of advertisements, movies, the Internet, television besides other infotainment media has brought about a craze among the teenagers across the world to gain the sexy well-shaped physique. This syndrome starts right from the school stage, and it continues at a feverish pace till they reach the college stage. That’s the peak stage. They resort to extreme means to realize this single dream.

Now, you cannot blame them. In a way, it is good for it will give rise to a generation possessing a balanced body. Ultimately, a green head can be supported only by a well-built trunk (read body).

Well, the teenagers straightway get themselves enrolled in the neighborhood gyms. In most of the cases, it is peer-group pressure. Other factors may be proximity to their dwelling places, the costs besides the crowd that may be proceeding to the centre.

However, very few among them do the screening test about these training centres. Many factors lead them to be members of these physique-mold units.

Forms are filled up, the dough dished out, and the training started in the right earnest! They even gain in muscles, lose weight, feel exhilarated and proceed by themselves for a more rigorous regimen. The hi-tech equipments are there. They just need to throw themselves at these magical muscle-building paraphernalia.

But after the initial weeks, they start experiencing physical protests. This is because they have not cross-checked the interior getup of the gym.

Here lies the gray area. Various queries arise. Clearly, theses questions can be divided into three groups: Initial, food, and regimen.

The pertinent initial ones are: Where to go? Whom to approach? How to go about it?

HOW TO GO ABOUT LOSING FLAB? WELL BE THE DETECTIVE

Let’s tackle the last query first. You can get the right answer by doing a bit of a survey yourself. Be the detective. This is must for two reasons: After all you’re the paymaster and you are going to work with your precious and invaluable body. Obviously, you shouldn’t be the gambler!

First point: Looks don’t count, but setup does! And, that especially applies to the gymnasium you have chosen to be a member of.

HOW DO I GO ABOUT SCOUTING FOR THE BEST GYM?

Start by asking your friends, surf the net, and depend on your logic. Don’t just join because the crowd is rather hep! Don’t enroll because the fees are economical! Similarly, just because the setup is ideal should not be the reason for your joining the gymnasium! Else you’d rue the day you made the decision.

It always pays to be a bit patient, you know!

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First, is your body ready to go through the exercise regimen? Many simple tests pertaining to your heart, cholesterol, stamina, sugar level and thyroid issues must be undertaken. This is mandatory to chalk out the exact type of physical exercise schedule.

Then, is there a physical instructor to guide you? Having got the feedbacks, ensure that the gymnasium instructors give you the right type of exercises and the dietary details.

Next, is the gymnasium well equipped insofar as the equipments are concerned? Te hi-tech infrastructure should be well-oiled and properly working. So, check out the paraphernalia!

After that, judge the enrollment and monthly fees as well as the timings. The first two must fit your pocket! The timings do count. See to it that the timings do not boil up to give you the headache and unnecessary tension!

Finally, check out the chill-out point. That’s the place you’d finally go to after your workout. Besides, in today’s fast-paced world the nutritious meal you’ll have at the gymnasium canteen should be adequate enough to provide your body the nutritious elements. It’s therefore necessary that the morning-time grub is nutritious. So, brunch (breakfast doubling up as lunch) must be not heavy but wholesome (it must have the necessary calories and the vitamins and proteins).

WHAT YOU CONSUME MATTERS A LOT

The questions pertaining to the food that we consume are: Are supplements the answer? Isn’t there any easy way out? What about the fast foods? Will juice help? Can’t we depend on the natural food?

Beware! Your input (what you consume) must not only neutralize the energy your body has already spent or is going to expend (output) but also provide the backup energy levels. This can be done only by a proper dietary roster!

After all, you’re planning to sweat out the flab for the lean muscles and also willing to spend time and the extra dime! That too after spending more than 14 summers in idle luxury! If you gobble up much more than what the body needs, you’ll be only doing a disservice to your physique! Hence the need of a balanced diet!

The third group of questions is rarely asked by the teenagers. That causes the maximum damage to their bodies.

How?

In their enthusiasm the first timers compete with their compatriots (the senior ones) right from day-one to lift more weights or excel the pumping. The body takes much more pressure than it should be. As a result, either the person feels tired or fails to understand why they get burnt out while the others can keep on going on.

On the other hand, they feel shy of asking or there isn’t anyone to approach to clarify their doubts. The inevitable results are two: they drop out, or they carry on their distorted exercise schedule.

If the first happens, the candidate is saved of any danger. If the second syndrome takes place then their bodies face the risk of over-stress. Ultimately, it may lead to adverse effects.

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IS OVERWEIGHT THE RESULT OF OVERNUTRITION?

Yes, it is! The determining factors as to whether a child will grow up to be an obese person are set in the childhood stage. Doting parents, money power, rising economic status and wrong conceptions are to be blamed for the erroneous ideas about the health of kids. Till the other day, a fat child was mistaken to be a healthy infant. That is not so nowadays.

The culprits are two: Changed eating culture and sedentary lifestyles. The duo combines to present a person a lifetime of health catastrophes.
Hormonal imbalances are not the prime reasons for the obese syndrome among Indian kids while it is so in some other nationalities.

It is a good sign that parents are now slowly but surely becoming aware of the fact that overweight is a bane not a boon. Following the explosion of information via various media forms, the awareness about a balanced diet leading to the ideal health has been adequately broadcast. This is despite the fact that the fast food culture is still ruling the roost.

Simply because the parents make the time for their children during the weekdays, what with many parents even having to slog out on the weekends, the parents attempt to make up for their guilt by treating their children to junk food. Now, junk food is nothing but full of bad calories that adversely affect the consumers.

Fast food caters only to the palate; but not to the health! On the other hand, these high-calorie and low protein food stuff does not complement the requirement of the body. Consumed over a period of time, it weakens the natural immunity system of the body.

THE FOUR-FOLD STRATEGY

The future generations can be surely brought out of the booby trap of obese syndrome simply by following the four-fold strategy.

These are:

* More information and a concerted follow-up action about healthy lifestyle at the school-level;
* Less of TV viewing;
* More of physical activity; and
* Better food

It is high time that all attempts are made to make the younger generation be in touch with Mother Nature. They should feel the earth, eat healthy and naturally produced food, do more physical work and shun fast food, sedentary activities including watching TV or surfing the net!

Have digestible food items.

Take lots of roughages, green vegetables and fresh fruits.

Mixed salads are the best recommendations.

Drink lots of water.

If you can, drink milk.

Can I have sweets?

If you wish to have sweets, check it out with your physician. This is a must because if there is a strain of diabetes in your family, it is always advisable to stay away from sweet dishes, and that includes the natural items too like sugarcane or other fruit juices. Remember, vegetables have a natural sweetness.

What NOT to eat?

Avoid non-vegetarian items that are chilled. Instead go for freshly cut non-red non-veg items.

Don’t take artificially flavored aerated liquids.

Stay away from acrid, putrid foods.

Say – NO – to pickles, curd or other sour items.

If you are a diabetic, don’t have sweet dishes.

In case you cannot drink milk, choose cheese or other milk products.

The best thing you can do for your baby as well as yourself is to eat a healthy and well balanced diet. This ensures that you have to make small changes to your diet during your pregnancy.

The first trimester

You are not alone if you find that it is difficult to maintain a well balanced diet
during the first trimester. Due to some uneasy feelings, women tend to have trouble
in eating and subsequently suffer weight loss.

Prevention of dehydration and malnutrition are of utmost importance in this trimester.

Calories

Everyday you have to consume nearly 300 additional calories, during pregnancy.
In case your weight gain is very slow, you must eat smaller meals. Also, marginally increase the fat component of your diet. You must eat whenever you feel hungry.

Calcium

By the time you reach second trimester, you will need around 1500 milligrams calcium everyday, for your bones and your baby’s as well. This content is present in more than one quart of milk.

Fiber

Constipation, is a general pregnancy related problem, and it can be avoided by consuming fibers. Fibers are present in vegetables, whole grains and fruits. Metamucil and Citrucel, which are fiber supplements of fiber are safe to consume during pregnancy.

Iron

There is generally a deficiency of iron with women who start off their pregnancy. Dark green leafy vegetables and meats are provide healthy amounts of iron. Iron supplements are best avoided as they cause internal problems such as constipation, cramping and diarrhea.

Vitamins

Folate is among the most important vitamins, and if you have a sufficient amount, you can avoid vitamins totally – just confirm the fact with your doctor.

Protein Intake

if you have a normal healthy diet The protein intake is not a problem, unless you are a strict vegetarian.

Pregnancy leads to altered appetite; and this necessitates a change in the dietary regimen of the expectant mother.

Strict vigil must be maintained with respect to the nutritional roster for two reasons: (i) the mother’s health; and (ii) the wellbeing of the child as its health is largely dependent on the overall physical condition of the mother.

An expectant mother enjoys natural weight gain during her pregnancy. This weight gain can vary from 10 to 12 kg. Such weight gain is absolutely normal.

Underweight & Obesity: Both dangerous for Pregnancy

While a gain in weight of up to 12 kg during pregnancy is deemed normal, on the other hand, underweight and obesity both pose serious consequences for the expectant mother.

That stage is termed as ‘underweight’ when the expectant mother suffers 10 per cent less than the ideal weight.

Obesity in pregnancy may lead to diabetes and hypertension.

Pregnancy & Obesity: Desired Weight Gain

The desired overall weight gain by obese women during their pregnancy period is 7.7 to 8 kg.

Heart burn during Pregnancy

Heart burn can be a sure sign of gastric. It is a common symptom during pregnancy. A pregnant woman should opt for six-seven small meals during the day instead of the normal three square meals daily.

Pregnancy: Nutritional Requirements

Two things must be kept in mind, viz., the nutritional requirements vary in each stage of pregnancy; and secondly, the nutritional requirements differ from person to person.

An expectant mother should have 2500 calories daily. It can be acquired from the following dietary schedule: Plenty of fruits leafy as well as vegetables; three glasses of milk; 100 grams of protein; and 100 grams of fat.

Many cannot consume milk. Such expectant mothers should be given cheese and/or yoghurt besides similar other high calcium food items daily.

Don’t ever bend during Pregnancy!

Yes, that’s quite true. Since the expectant mother’s body as well as that of the foetus is rather fragile, the patient should not resort to physical movements that put sudden pressure on the back and the tummy areas. So don’t pick up weights or any thing from the ground. Such drastic movements may lead to cramps or even to major damages of the spinal cord like split disk.

So, what is the way out?

Simple! Use a hook-fixed stick to pick up objects.

Secondly, ask a member of the household to manage the movement of the heavy objects.

Thirdly, avoid low chairs, beds or toil seats as it is quite difficult to get up from such low-level sitting apparatuses. Just have them raised a bit or to your comfortable level.

All that a mother does influences her child. But, that’s after the baby has grown up. The most crucial point is the stage when the child remains in the womb of the mother. That is actually the most determining period of a baby. The foetus gets directly influenced by the mother’s actions. Hence is the need for giving the expectant mother the proper environment.

FOETUS ADOPTS MOODS OF THE MOTHER

Researches on the psychologies of expectant mothers globally have shown that the foetus adopts the moods of the mother. There are also reports of parents programming their would-be children to be wiz kids. Mention may be made of the chess wizards – the Polgar sisters.

Their father is on record saying that he and his wife programmed the entire process of their birth. He was determined to make them chess champions, and he succeeded in his mission! There are further reports of children easily learning the foreign language which their mothers kept on reading during the conception stage.

Mention may be made of the umpteen cases of adverse effects on foetus owing to the negative circumstances prevailing at the conception stage. Hence is the need for building up the proper environment for the mother and child.

MEANS TO BUILD UP THE PROPER ENVIRONMENT

The expectant mother should be kept in right humor. The right environment is the ideal means of shaping her mind and thereby her body so that the foetus can have the idyllic grooming environment. In these aspects, the patient can herself be the determining factor. The other family members can help her realize the ideal backdrop for the ‘D’ day!

The first thing to be borne in mind is that the expectant mother must have the right habits! The mother should not sit pensively or remain idle. Instead, she can try her hand on designing table cloths and drawing or painting.

She can choose to read light stories instead of heavy themes. Avoid storylines that have murder, vendetta or sorrow or mental game-plans as themes.

Physicians generally prescribe trace elements like zinc, besides iron, vitamin D, folic acid, and calcium.

These supplements can be obtained from drugs you can get from the chemist’s. But, the better way is to have them from the natural sources.

Moreover, overdose of the nutrients can have an adverse effect on the patient.

Protein & Iron supplements during Pregnancy

The vegetarians can go for legumes and nuts which are good repositories of iron and protein. Others can consume meat.

Drink lots of Water during Pregnancy

Water is a natural purgative agent. It helps in getting rid of the waste materials through the anus and the urinary tract. Moreover, an expectant mother should drink lots of water. It aids the digestive process.

Remember water and wax therapies help to grease the joints.

What Not to Eat during Pregnancy

The expectant mother should not be allowed to have sour food items like curd (especially at night-time) or pickles or even or bitter items like the bitter gourd among others.

It has, however been generally noticed that most of the expectant mothers have an aversion towards coffee and fried food items. But some of them crave for sweet food. There are also cravings for abnormal food longings.

Few listed food items that not to be taken during pregnancy.

* Seafood and Raw Meats including sushi – all uncooked and seafood and rare meats should be avoided due to high risk of salmonella and listeria poisoning.

* hot dogs including Deli meats – these deli meats might be contaminated with listeria bacteria which may result in miscarriage or even a stillbirth. It’s safe to eat deli meats if you reheat them until steaming hot.

* Refrigerated smoked seafood – for the same reason of listeria contamination. It is safe if they are contained in cooked dishes. Canned and shelf-stable versions are safe to eat.

* Raw eggs – salmonella may present in raw eggs. Some Caesar salad dressings, homemade ice cream, mayonnaise and custards as well as Hollandaise sauces may be made with raw eggs. It is best to check with your server in a restaurant; if in doubt, it is best to avoid it. In addition, unpasteurized eggnog should be avoided.

* Fish high in mercury – avoid high-mercury fish such as King Mackerel, Swordfish, Tilefish and Shar. Also limit fish intake to no more than 2 servings per week. For more info – read Is it Safe to eat Fish during Pregnancy?

* Soft cheese – avoid the following soft cheeses: Camembert cheeses, Brie, blue-veined cheeses, and Feta, queso fresco and Panela, queso blanco. They are safe to eat if they are labelled pasteurized.

* Refrigerated pâtes or meat spreads – for the same reason of listeria contamination. It is safe to eat the canned or shelf-stable versions.

* Liver – liver is a rich source of iron. However it contains a high level of Vitamin A. Large amounts of Vitamin A can be harmful to the baby.

* Juices and Unpasteurized milk.

* Alcohol – many documented fetal abnormalities and birth defects have been associated with alcohol use during pregnancy.

Enjoy a healthy pregnancy!