Obesity Solutions

• Make a plan for life style change that you can work on and try incorporate and stay on
• Have a log or history of what you are eating
• You may need behavior intervention, see Mary Jo Vanhorn's webite
• Assess behavior changes to help you
• Behavior based weight loss interventions can lead to improvement in weight status, do group or alone sessions to address behavior eating, stress eating
• Food intake changes
  
  • Inappropriate food selections, and perception of less responsibility for healthy behavior may lead to central fat distribution in our bodies
  • One research study showed that rural community individuals become obese due to inappropriate food selections as they age.
• Slow down when eating
  
  • Slow down when eating may lead to decrease in BMI and waist circumference
• Exercise/activity increase 30 min or more of mod to vigorous physical activity each day. Start slow and increase
• Weight loss is recommended for management of type 2 diabetes,
• BMI: rec: 18.5 to 24.9
• Moderate to low alcohol intake
• When you are ready reach out, there are individuals to work with you on behavior, choices, activity, nutrition and other needs.

Your health care provider has identified with you that you need life style management changes or you have identified you need to change and become more healthy

Identify what you can correct

• What are the correctable issues
• Make a graph of your weight over the last 10 years
• Make a list of what you will benefit from with weight loss
• Find an individual, group or support system if that will help you
• Make a list of foods you eat each day for one week

• Thyroid problems, check blood work
• Cushing's syndrome
• Medications

• Packaged foods with preservatives (may lead to obesity)
  
  • May lead to weight gain and increase in abdominal circumference
• Canned foods with high salt (sodium)
• Foods with high sugar content, read the labels
• Consume less potatoes and rice and more vegetables

• Fresh fruits, not canned
• Vegetables, frozen or fresh, not in can
  
  • Increase in vegetables give you more fiber
  • Skip the potato and rice and have 2 vegetable sides
• Fruits and Vegetables at least 5 portions
• Protein-fish, chicken, beef, turkey, not packaged with preservatives
  
  • Serving protein for women 5oz and men 7 oz.
• Eat more healthy fats-20% of your caloric intake
  
  • such as avocados
  • olive oils
  • coconut oil
  • nuts
  • Identify serving size and consume right portions
• Fast foods with preservatives may increase obesity

• Average about 8 glasses per day for the healthy individual
• If you have heart condition, ask your health care provider
• Will maintain hydration and healthy organ function in your body

• High intake alcohol daily leads to weight gain
• Associated with liver and other organ failure
• If controlled and only occasional will lead to less weight gain

• With this amount of sleep will help with weight control
• Research shows sleep patterns improve with weight loss.

• If you have no exercise/activity schedule start with 10 min per day
• Each week increase by 5 min. Start with walking
• Add what you can each week
• You may want to look for a trainer to meet with each month or more
• Trainer may help you put an exercise program together that will help
• Goal should be 30 to 45 min. per day for 5 to 7 days per week
• This will increase your cardiac, respiratory and musculoskeletal fitness
• Inactivity:
  
  • May lead to blood clots in your legs and then stroke
  • Respiratory stress due to a blood clot in the lung
  • There are deaths related to inadequate physical activity and especially significant for those ages 40-69.

• Decide before you go what you are going to order
• Order first
• Order the good protein, vegetables and fruit
• You can look on-line at the restaurant menu and decide early

This chemical is found in foods to help preserve and is linked to health risks which may affect the endocrine system and interfere with hormones in our body. This chemical may cause reproductive issues resulting in preterm delivery or fertility problems. Other health care issues may worsen with asthma, obesity, and behaviors.

The primary exposure to this chemical is from fast food consumption and frequent eating out and not preparing home foods. It may be found more in hamburger and meat sandwiches. Phthalates may lurk in processed and packaged foods.

Individuals that eat more whole foods rich in nutrition, fruits, vegetables and proteins with lower glucose (sugar) and lower salt will have less chance of pththalates. There is also less chance of contamination with phthalates when storing foods in steel or glass containers and not plastic.

It is also reported that easily accessible, low cost energy dense foods may lead to high calorie intake and weight gain. The alternative is to make more of our meals at home or look for alternative ways to eat whole foods not packaged.

Contributing to obesity is the lack of knowledge about products, lack of knowledge about reading labels, habitually making the same wrong choices.

Some suggestions are to color code our foods, to help individuals make choices, maybe we will see this in the future. I will keep you posted.

Epidemiology of obesity:

• Risk factors: low physical activity
  
  • Sedentary life style
  • Calorie dense, poor nutrient foods
  • Chronic disease
• When you are ready for a plan, reach out to those that can help.
• Agree on a plan

1. ASK
2. ASSESS
3. ADVISE
4. ASSIST
5. AGREE