Debunking Weight Loss Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction

You may have noticed that there is a lot of consciousness about weight, body build, figure and health in our society. People are willing to spend money just to look fit. Naturally a whole new type of products and services are being developed to meet this demand. You need to balance the energy you spend with the energy you get from the foods you eat to maintain your body weight. But people, who are obese are looking for a new weight reduction method that will miraculously melt away accumulated body fat. So you find that reducing regimens are promoted as quick remedies. Unpleasant realities such as changing diet and eating patterns, exercise and the need for will power are ignored. The result is a lot of disillusionment, loss of money and faith.

Let us examine some of the fallacies people have about weight reduction. Some obese people think that everything they eat turns to fat; they are fated to be fat while others are lucky to be slim. As you know, everything eaten in excess of the body's expenditure turns to fat. So you find obese people frequently tend to nibble at high calorie snacks and take soft drinks when they watch TV or play a game of cards. But they hardly spend any energy for physical activity at work as also in leisure hours. On the other hand, the slim person tends to eat well at meals but does not need snacks in between meals, and drinks water rather than soft drinks to quench thirst; the activity level is generally higher. Thus it is the life style that decides how fat or thin you will be.

Another misconception is that it is dangerous for an obese heart patient to lose weight. As you know, obesity puts an extra burden not only on the heart, but the whole body. So weight reduction is not only desirable but also a vital need for such a person. It is important to impress on such a patient that she should seek guidance and supervision of a well qualified dietician or a physician, to lose weight.

There are obese people who skip meals in the hope of losing weight. But it usually results in their being too hungry to control food intake at the next meal. Eating small three or four meals permits you to exercise judgement and reduce food intake.

There are so many new reducing diets you hear or read about. Some are dangerous and most do not result in a sustained weight loss. How will you decide if these are reliable? Whenever you see a new reducing diet, you should check if:

1. It is nutritionally balanced by using the daily food guide.
2. It is really low in calories.
3. It provides a variety of well-liked foods and you can keep it up.
4. It helps you to develop new eating habits.
5. It can be followed, with appropriate modifications, after you reduce weight to the desirable level.
6. It fits into your normal food budget.