Obesity is a huge issue in the western world. In both the UK and the US, there is a massive problem with weight gain among both males and females. With over 40% of the population now obese, what can we do to make a positive change? It would appear that our culture encourages indulging in fatty foods and resting, when we should be exercising. There is no wonder that people in the western world find it difficult to lose weight. Often starting on a healthier routine can be the largest obstacle. People aren’t motivated to start and so never do. That in itself means that few people in our culture are successful in losing weight.
The latest research suggests that people in the US have got bigger in less than ten years. The average size of people back in 1999 was tiny compared to statistics in 2012. The results show that over that period, the average waist size of people in the USA grew by over an inch. The unhealthy weight gain of people in the USA may be a result of many troubling cultural habits. Few people in the country bother to take up a regular training routine. Over 44% of the country work in jobs where they sit behind a desk. When you sit for hours on end, your body burns zero calories. That means that people eat as though they plan to run a marathon, yet sit still for a matter of hours. It is not a surprise that people in the US are gaining such a significant amount of weight.
One thing that you may not realize about weight gain is the impact sleep has on your waistline. Healthfit24 advice suggests that you should sleep more if you want to lose weight. When our body does not get the rest that it needs, it starts to look for other energy sources. The main source of energy other than sleep is food and nutrients. If you start to feel hungry throughout the day, even when you have eaten, you should think about your sleep pattern. Our busy lifestyles and social culture means that few people get the right amount of sleep each night. On average, we should sleep nine plus hours per night. The fact is that the average American gets just under seven hours of sleep each night. That means that we are getting by without a normal level of sleep. Our bodies then need to find a way to stay awake. Often the answer is food meaning that people gain a lot of weight.
When you carry a lot of weight around your waist, you increase the chance of a heart attack in the long term. Storing fat around the middle of your body is one of the least healthy types of weight gain. This type of weight gain can also lead to cancer, diabetes and strokes. When you begin to gain weight in this area, that is a sign that you need to change your lifestyle for the better.
There are many ways that you can change your lifestyle. Adding a little cardiovascular exercise to your daily routine will mean that you are healthier in an instant. Changing what you eat and when you eat will also help. Eating large meals after 7pm will make weight gain easier. Instead, try and eat your evening meal at around five or six. Doing so will mean that your body can process the food better and so you will gain less weight in the long run. Other things you might want to try include drinking more water and getting more sleep. Both of these changes will mean that you lose weight, whilst staying healthy.
