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More than half of adults are overweight, officials urge you to manage your weight

How to turn "being fat ruins everything" into "being fat-free and light"

Citizens train under the guidance of a coach at a fitness club in Zhengzhou. Photo by our reporter Deng Fang

Not long ago, the National Health Commission, together with 16 other departments including the Ministry of Civil Affairs, launched the "Weight Management Year" campaign, clearly stating that starting from 2024, they will strive to achieve a significant improvement in the public's awareness and skills of weight management and a more popular healthy lifestyle within about three years.

The World Health Organization lists obesity as one of the top ten chronic diseases, and the harm it brings is well known. my country ranks first in the world in the number of obese people, and more than half of adults are overweight. Some people around us have been unable to take the "first step" to lose weight. There are also many people who are trying to lose weight, but often complain that "the more they lose weight, the fatter they get" and "drinking cold water can make them gain weight." So for ordinary people, how can they lose weight effectively? What are the common misunderstandings? In this regard, the reporter conducted a survey.

Psychological support is important

Body mass index (BMI) is a commonly used standard for measuring the degree of fatness and thinness of the human body at home and abroad. It is calculated by dividing the weight (kg) by the square of the height (m). According to the current relevant standards, Chinese adults with a BMI less than 18.5 are underweight, between 24.0 and 28.0 are overweight, and BMI greater than or equal to 28.0 are obese.

“Taking antidepressants,hormoneDrugs, hormones involved in energy metabolism regulation such asinsulinPeople with abnormal levels of thyroid hormones, as well as those with a family history of obesity are prone to obesity. "On July 24, Zhao Yanyan, deputy director of the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (East Campus), told reporters that in addition to pathological reasons, common obesity-causing factors for the general public are mostly unreasonable diet structure, lack of sufficient physical exercise, overeating and lack of sleep.

"It is difficult to change long-established eating, sleeping and exercise habits. People tend to stay in their comfort zone and lack the necessary psychological support and motivation," Zhao Yanyan added.

Last year, Luo Yiming, a 40-year-old Zhengzhou citizen, reduced his weight from 97 kg to 78 kg in 8 months under the guidance of a doctor. "At first, it was really uncomfortable to force myself to exercise regularly and give up some of my favorite foods, but after forming a habit, I started to enjoy this state." Luo Yiming said that in addition to perseverance, the reshaping of his own cognition, the strengthening of psychological construction, and the encouragement from his family all provided him with a strong spiritual motivation.

As his weight changed, his lifestyle and mental state changed a lot. His friends also said that he had been "reborn" and "younger and younger". "For me, it's not so much about stepping out of my comfort zone as it is about moving from one comfort zone to another," Luo Yiming said with a smile. Under his influence, some of his friends also became "addicted" to exercise. They exercised together, encouraged each other and shared experiences, forming a virtuous circle. Losing weight became a pleasant thing.

More and more industry experts believe that enhancing self-motivation and finding and building a psychological support system are becoming increasingly important in the process of losing weight. Losing weight is no longer "a one-person thing."

Scientific weight loss should pay attention to

Compared with "walking", "controlling your diet" seems much easier. Among the patients Zhao Yanyan has come into contact with, there are many who rely solely on dieting to lose weight. It does work in the short term, but it is easy to rebound. "In fact, excessive dieting will reduce the metabolic rate and put the body into 'starvation mode', which makes it more difficult to lose weight." Zhao Yanyan said.

In recent years, a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, the ketogenic diet, has gradually become popular in my country. Zhao Yanyan said that although this method can help some people lose weight quickly, long-term adherence may increase the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, and people with renal insufficiency should be especially cautious.

Among the patients that Sun Yan, the chief therapist of the Sports Medicine Department of the Third Provincial People's Hospital, has come into contact with, it is not uncommon for them to suffer from malnutrition and decreased immunity due to dieting or a monotonous diet. In severe cases, it may even cause anorexia nervosa.

In the view of professional doctors such as Sun Yan, the purpose of weight loss is to be healthy and fit rather than "thin", and the safest and most effective way to lose weight is still the "stupid method" - physical exercise. However, even among those who advocate weight loss through exercise, there are also misunderstandings. For example, some people think that they can lose weight as long as they "move". "In addition to ensuring the exercise time, the intensity of exercise is also critical." Sun Yan said that generally speaking, the heart rate during exercise reaches 60% to 80% of the maximum heart rate to be effective.

Running, badminton, tennis, cycling, boxing, rock climbing, etc. are all recognized as efficient fat-burning sports. Sun Yan reminded that people with a large base weight who lose weight through climbing stairs, skipping ropes, squatting and other movements will put a lot of pressure on the lumbar spine and knee joints. Such people are more suitable to use swimming, battle ropes, fixed equipment resistance training and other methods in the early stages of weight loss.

"Sports and diet adjustment are both indispensable." Sun Yan showed a weight loss plan to the reporter. In addition to the combination of "aerobic training + anaerobic training + strength training", the plan also lists the calorie intake ratio. That is, the ratio of protein, carbohydrates and fat is 5:3:2. There was an IT practitioner who was 180 cm tall and weighed 99.7 kg. After completing 30 classes according to this plan, he successfully lost 30 catties and reduced his body fat percentage.

Be cautious when taking weight loss medication

Some urban people with high work pressure and fast pace of life turn to medication for weight loss because they cannot resist the temptation of delicious food and lack time for exercise.

"Currently, there are two types of drugs approved for weight loss in my country. One type includes liraglutide, benaglutide and semaglutide. Their main functions are to suppress appetite, increase satiety, delay gastric emptying and gastrointestinal motility. They are prescription drugs." On July 25, Qi Yanxia, ​​pharmacist and deputy director of the Pharmacy Department of the Provincial People's Hospital, told reporters that the other type is an oral weight loss drug - orlistat, which is also the only over-the-counter drug used for weight loss in my country.

In June this year, the application for the marketing of semaglutide injection for long-term weight management was approved in my country, which quickly attracted attention. Is this drug, which was once popular in Europe and the United States and was known as "one shot to lose weight all over the body", really that magical?

"Semaglutide is a generic name, and NovoTai and NovoYing are its two trade names. The latter is approved for weight management." Qi Yanxia told reporters. It should be noted that semaglutide may cause side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation, andClinical TrialsIt shows that once the medication is stopped, the weight loss effect will weaken or even rebound.

"If you need medication, you must go to the hospital for a comprehensive assessment, choose medication combined with lifestyle intervention under the guidance of a doctor, gradually adjust the dosage and follow up regularly to monitor medication safety." Qi Yanxia emphasized.

As the saying goes, "There are thousands of tricks in the world, and half of them are for weight loss." Qi Yanxia reminded that even officially approved weight loss drugs have adverse reactions, not to mention some informal drugs and health products launched by medical beauty institutions, and Internet celebrity products without scientific basis. Consumers must not get carried away and blindly follow the trend.

Recently, a woman surnamed Shi from Shandong believed in the promises of a weight loss consultant and fell into the trap of "nesting doll marketing". She spent 170,000 yuan in three months to buy hundreds of weight loss health products. However, after losing more than 10 kilograms, Ms. Shi began to experience joint pain all over her body. She was eventually diagnosed with immune system disease and liver dysfunction by the hospital. She asked the company involved for a full refund but was rejected. The two sides have not reached an agreement yet...

"From the beginning of weight loss to maintaining it after successful weight loss, it is a long process." Zhao Yanyan said that one should not be impatient in losing weight, and certainly not at the expense of health.

It takes courage and perseverance to make up your mind to lose weight and take action, but hard work always pays off. When you look back after your success, you will find that all your persistence is worth it. (Reporter Zhao Daming)

Source: Henan Daily