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Overweight – A Global Issue And What It Takes To Be Fit

This content has been Medically reviewed by Dr. B Padmavathi, MBBS, DGO – Preventive & Social Medicine Obstetrician and Gynecologist

Introduction

Overweight Definition

Overweight cannot be defined specifically. It is the weight above or over what is recommended for a healthy body. Overweight may mean having extra muscle, bone, fat or water. BMI (Body Mass Index) is mostly preferred to define overweight. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. It’s an estimate, and may differ from individual to individual.

Statistics of Overweight

Some recent WHO global estimates are as follows.

  • In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults aged 18 years and older were overweight. Of these over 650 million adults were obese.
  • In 2016, 39% of adults aged 18 years and over (39% of men and 40% of women) were overweight.

Being overweight and obese are linked to more deaths worldwide than being underweight. Globally there are more people who are obese than underweight.

Overweight vs Obesity

Overweight individuals may have extra muscle, bone, fat or water. BMI is the preferred parameter to define who is overweight and who is not. BMIs in the range of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight. It usually does not have any health consequences as such, if taken care of at the right time. Overweight, if overlooked, leads to obesity. Obesity is a condition where BMI is greater than 30. Obesity can result in various comorbid conditions and health consequences.

Screening And Assessment Of Overweight

Although the measurement and analysis of body weights and heights have been recognized as general indices of health for many years, it is only relatively recently that the World Health Organization (WHO) has set out criteria for assessing underweight and overweight in both children and adults (WHO 1995).

 

BMI (Body Mass Index)

BMI is used as a preliminary confirmation method for obesity or overweight. It is the most appropriate simple indicator by which weight-for-height can be related to health outcomes. WHO (1995) therefore proposed the use of BMI to monitor both undernutrition and overweight. However, BMI alone cannot be used to predict health status as it does have some setbacks and limitations.

Weight and Height Measurements

Height (ft.in.(cm)) Male Female
4’11” (150 cm) 90 – 110 lb (40.8 – 49.9 kg) 86 – 105 lb (39 – 47.6 kg)
5’0″ (152 cm) 95 – 117 lb (43.1 – 53kg) 90 – 110 lb (40.8 – 49.9kg)
5’1″ (155 cm) 101 – 123 lb (45.8 – 55.8 kg) 95 – 116 lb (43.1 – 52.6 kg)
5’2″ (157 cm) 106 – 130 lb (48.1 – 58.9 kg) 99 – 121 lb (44.9 – 54.9 kg)
5’3″ (160 cm) 112 – 136 lb (50.8 – 61.6 kg) 104 – 127 lb (47.2 – 57.6 kg)
5’4″ (163 cm) 117 – 143 lb (53 – 64.8 kg) 108 – 132 lb (49 – 59.9 kg)
5’5″ (165 cm) 122 – 150 lb (55.3 – 68 kg) 113 – 138 lb (51.2 – 62.6 kg)
5’6″ (168 cm) 128 – 156 lb (58 – 70.7 kg) 117 – 143 lb (53 – 64.8 kg)
5’7″ (170 cm) 133 – 163 lb (60.3 – 73.9 kg) 122 – 149 lb (55.3 – 67.6 kg)
5’8″ (173 cm) 139 – 169 lb (63 – 76.6 kg) 126 – 154 lb (57.1 – 69.8 kg)
5’9″ (175 cm) 144 – 176 lb (65.3 – 79.8 kg) 131 – 160 lb (59.4 – 72.6 kg)
5’10” (178 cm) 149 – 183 lb (67.6 – 83 kg) 135 – 165 lb (61.2 – 74.8 kg)
5’11” (180 cm) 149 – 183 lb (67.6 – 83 kg) 140 – 171 lb (63.5 – 77.5 kg)
6’0″ (183 cm) 160 – 196 lb (72.6 – 88.9 kg) 144 – 176 lb (67.6 – 82.5 kg)
6’1″ (185 cm) 166 – 202 lb (75.3 – 91.6 kg) 149 – 182 lb (67.6 – 82.5 kg)
6’2″ (188 cm) 171 – 209 lb (77.5 – 94.8 kg) 153 – 187 lb (69.4 – 84.8 kg)
6’3″ (191 cm) 176 – 216 lb (79.8 – 98 kg) 158 – 193 lb (51.2 – 62.6 kg)
6’4″ (193 cm) 182 – 222 lb (82.5 – 100.6 kg) 162 – 198 lb (73.5 – 89.8 kg)

 

Body Weight in kilograms and body height in meter measurements is one of the indicators.

Waist Circumference

Waist circumference measurement is one of the most reliable screening methods. The procedure is to stand and place a measuring tape around your waist, just above your hip bones. Measure your waist circumference just after you breathe out. The measurement of waist circumference is often found to be more valuable than BMI itself. As per the general survey a man’s waist should be no more than 40 inches. While if you’re a woman it should not be more than 35 inches (except in the case of pregnant women).

Waist to Hip Ratio

Waist to hip ratio is also an important criterion. The hip measurement indicates the degree of fat accumulation around the hips and this deposition of abdominal fat accumulation may have other health impacts.

The waist-to-hip guidelines differ by gender because men tend to carry extra weight in their bellies, while women show it more in the hips and buttocks. Men with a waist-to-hip ratio higher than 0.9 may have too much abdominal fat. Women with a number higher than 0.85 are carrying too much weight.

Root Causes Of Overweight

Dietary Patterns

The increasing westernization, urbanization and mechanization occurring in most countries around the world also affects diet quality and dietary patterns. Individuals may be overweight due to overeating, frequency of eating, a diet high in carbohydrates, low protein and saturated fat; unhealthy food choices, and more processed foods.

Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviors, and Sleep

Various behavioral and environmental factors such as high energy density diet, increased portion size, low physical activity and adoption of a sedentary lifestyle as well as eating disorders are considered important risk factors for being overweight.

Specific to the issue of weight gain, a lack of sleep increases insulin resistance, downregulates the satiety hormone leptin, upregulates the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin, and increases hunger and food intake. One study identified that lack of sufficient sleep (at least 6 hours) may compromise the efficacy of typical dietary interventions for weight loss and related metabolic risk reduction.

Insufficient physical activity is one of the important risk factors of being overweight. Work-related activity has declined over recent decades in industrialized countries due to modernization, convenient services, and high standard of living, resulting in weight gain.

Age and Gender

Gender differences play an important role in the patterns of weight gain and the development of overweight. Hormonal differences between men and women before menopause and hormonal changes in women during menopause also play a role.

It has been observed that in the perimenopausal and postmenopausal periods, many women experience alterations in body weight, total body fat and body fat distribution. Older people generally have more fat than younger adults do. Because relatively more fat accumulates in the abdomen and less fat at the extremities as people age.

Lifestyle And Nutritional Examination

Primary reasons for weight gain are, consuming more calories than usual or reducing the amount of physical activity. However, some people seem to gain weight even when they are eating and exercising the same as always. Let’s look deeper at possible reasons for weight gain.

People need to be educated about the modern lifestyle factors that prevent effective weight management. Becoming overweight or obese appears to have become an unavoidable consequence of living a modern lifestyle.

Recent Changes in Lifestyle

Some factors such as changes in lifestyle behaviors may impact one’s weight, like too much dining out, office parties and more. Highly processed, frozen and ready to cook foods are some of the unhealthy foods we eat every day.

Occupational Factors

Occupational factors such as working in a BPO, maintaining late-night shifts, and those who work long hours and indulge in late-night snacking are at risk. Cortisol, the so-called “stress hormone,” increases in our body when we’re stressed out. This hormone, in turn, increases our appetite. Add to that the tendency to reach for comfort foods at times of stress, and you have the perfect recipe for weight gain. Pressures and demands of work may also affect eating habits and activity patterns of people, which may lead to overweight and obesity.

Dietary Patterns

There are numerous conveniently located eating establishments that promote dining away from home, providing a high variety of foods and unreasonably large portion sizes. Obesity continues to increase due to overeating, frequency of eating, a diet high in carbohydrates, low proteins and saturated fats.

Family History

Family history is a consistent and independent risk factor for many common chronic diseases. Being overweight could be due to family history. Evaluating family history helps assess health risks, initiate interventions, and motivate behavioral changes.

Familial predisposition constitutes a part of a substantial medical history, in which the clinician outlines the occurrence of hereditary diseases as well as more commonly occurring diseases such as cancer, diabetes mellitus and CVD (Cardiovascular Diseases).

Psychological Factors

Depression on its own can cause changes in weight as well. Although there is great interest in understanding the interactions between stress and being overweight, research has focused on the role of stress in weight gain and in determining whether stress controls where in the body the fat is deposited.

Consequences of Overweight

Obesity

Obesity is defined as a condition where abnormal or excessive fat is accumulated in the body. It is a worldwide epidemic that contributes to numerous chronic diseases and early mortality. If one overlooks and continues a sedentary lifestyle with low physical activity, an overweight individual will become obese eventually. There would be an increase in BMI. According to the WHO definition obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 and above. An increase in BMI ultimately results in a risk of noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, gout, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, cancer (endometrial, breast, ovarian, prostate, liver, gallbladder, kidney, and colon).

Overweight and Type 2 Diabetes

It has been observed that approximately 80% of adults with diabetes are overweight. People who are overweight are more likely to develop this disease. It may be that being overweight causes cells to change, making them resistant to the hormone insulin.

Is Heart Disease Linked to Overweight?

People who are overweight or obese often have health problems that may increase the risk of heart disease. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar are the leading causes of cardiovascular disease. Excess weight gain may result in changes (fat deposition) in the arteries supplying blood to the body. These may hamper the heart’s functioning. 25% of coronary heart disease burden, 22% of the stroke burden and 46% of the hypertensive heart disease burden is attributed to overweight and obesity.

Are High Blood Pressure and Overweight Related?

High blood pressure is linked to overweight and obesity in several ways. Having a large body size may increase blood pressure because your heart needs to pump harder to supply blood to all your cells. Excess fat may also damage your kidneys, which help regulate blood pressure.

Is Osteoarthritis Linked To Being Overweight?

The relationship between excess weight and the development of osteoarthritis is very prevalent. It has been observed that extra weight may place extra pressure on joints and cartilage, resulting in wear and tear. In addition, people with more body fat may have inflamed joints, raising the risk for osteoarthritis.

Overweight and Infertility

Being overweight has detrimental influences on several human body functions including reproductive health. It has been observed that hormonal changes may occur in your body. Overweight affects both genders. Women may face challenges in becoming pregnant; chances of conceiving decrease. There are chances of PCOS too. For overweight men, levels of natural hormones change. It may lead to a drop in testosterone, which can lead to infertility.

Untrained Weight Loss And Its Drawbacks

Immune Response

All the calorie burns should be combined with sensible and routine exercise. It should be done under supervision. Decreasing calories dramatically may weaken your immune system. Consuming less than 1200 calories a day can starve your body of much-needed nutrients and your hormone levels may be negatively affected. It has been seen in several studies that the hormone leptin decreases with starvation. When leptin is reduced metabolic rate reduces and initiates an inflammatory response throughout the body.

Muscle Strength and Fat Loss

During weight loss, it is usually mentioned “Preserve Muscle While Losing Fat”. When an individual loses weight, it will be both muscle and fat. Successful weight loss is to preserve as much muscle as possible, or possibly even gain some. You need to monitor the percentage of fat loss and muscle mass. Muscle is vital to your success of losing fat.

The goal should be fat loss, while preserving muscle mass. Make sure you exercise and give your muscles a reason to maintain themselves. If you don’t exercise, your body is going to shed that unneeded muscle. Force your body to preserve it and even grow it by giving it consistent stimulation.

Water Loss

During a weight loss program, one usually monitors the intake of carbohydrates. When you cut back on carbs, your body isn’t retaining as much water, plain and simple. Muscle is composed of 70 percent water; the tissue adapts to dehydration and your muscles shrink and start to atrophy. If you lose intermuscular water, at first it’s not a big deal. But after a few weeks, the structural integrity of your muscles is hampered. There is metabolic dysfunction of BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and insulin sensitivity that comes with losing muscle. There is a need to monitor the fluid intake so that there is perfect electrolyte balance to preserve the health of the muscle.

Thermoregulation

When you lose weight, you experience thermoregulation (modulation of body temperature). It is due to a change in body fat percentage and in the metabolism of the body. Overweight people maintain a warm body temperature, heat dissipates across their skin slowly. The body of an overweight individual has a small surface area to volume ratio. Heat is held in the body and lost through the skin.

A thin person with a large surface area to volume ratio gains and loses heat rapidly. An overweight person may have a higher percentage of body fat, acting as an insulator which facilitates heat retention. So you are losing weight and in the process shaping a body; it should be under supervision, because thermoregulation of the body should be taken care of.

Who Can Go For Weight Loss

High Fat Mass

In recent decades, there has been an alarming increase in the rates of overweight individuals globally. As being overweight may lead to obesity, various health risks associated with obesity increase. Efforts have been made to properly quantify body fat in individuals.

Normally body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (PBF), and fat mass index (FMI) are convenient methods for assessing obesity. It has been observed that muscle mass and fat mass varies from individual to individual, and higher fat mass warrants weight loss. One needs to monitor the percentage of fat loss and muscle mass.

Post Pregnancy Weight

Giving birth is a life transforming moment for a woman. For many women, pregnancy causes lasting changes in the body. You may have a softer belly, wider hips, and a larger waistline. A healthy diet combined with regular exercise is the best way to shed the extra post-pregnancy pounds. Various factors such as stress and sleeplessness are major factors contributing to weight gain. Weight gain during pregnancy and continuing weight gain after doesn’t feel good, and it’s bad for your self-esteem. One can return to a healthy weight after delivery and get back in shape naturally and slowly with good diet and exercise.

Stubborn Belly Fat

Belly fat cannot be specifically targeted and reduced alone. When losing excess weight, you have to work on reducing your weight overall. If you do this, you’ll see the weight gathered around your belly reduce too. Numerous hormones contribute to belly fat, but none proves more powerful than insulin, your fat storage hormone. High levels of insulin tells your body to gain weight around the belly.

Impaired Infertility

Both obesity and overweight are increasing worldwide and have detrimental influences on several human body functions including reproductive health. The altered metabolic state affects the reproductive health in women, especially the effects of obesity on fertilit, and the management of infertility in obese and overweight women is important.

A number of differential conditions concur to affect a woman’s fertility. Obesity and overweight involves an abnormal and excessive fat accumulation that negatively affects the health of the body. It has been studied through various researchers that weight loss may increase the chances of conceiving.

Treatment for Overweight

Socio Economic Behaviour Changes

Personal behaviors beyond diet (physical activity, sleep, sedentary screen time, and stress) have also been independently associated with weight change in addition to diet, these elements have synergistic and likely cumulative effects on an individual’s ability to maintain or obtain a healthy body weight over the course of life.

Maintaining a healthy body weight or working to reduce your weight if you are overweight, can help to reduce your cholesterol levels, your blood pressure, as well as your blood sugar. Any form of physical activity is capable of producing positive adaptations on overweight and acts as an aid in its prevention and treatment.

Sleep deficiency is becoming widespread in both adults and adolescents and is accompanied by certain behaviors that can lead to obesity. Various studies have found that people with shorter sleep duration are more likely to be overweight or obese. 7-8 hours of sound sleep in must for adults to maintain healthy weight. Various studies have found that people with shorter sleep duration are more likely to be overweight or obese.

Encourage a Balanced and Healthy Diet

Diets that are considered “healthier” lead to better long-term weight maintenance, or at least mitigate weight gain typically associated with aging. In research it has been suggested that a diet should consist of a perfect balance of complex carbohydrates, fat, protein and fiber. Get in enough calories for your body size and activity level. Make sure those calories are nutrient dense; include healthy fats, protein rich diet and EFAs (essential fatty acids).

Lifestyle Modification

Start with small changes for a healthier lifestyle. An individual needs to become more active every day. Being active in life is essential for physical and mental wellbeing. Avoiding high intake of energy dense foods, fast food, large portion sizes along with rigid restraint in eating patterns. Limit consumption of alcohol and cease tobacco intake. In a meaningful conjunction of diet, exercise, and behavioral strategies, one can definitely have weight loss leading to a healthy, happy life.

Benefits of Weight Loss

Mental Wellbeing

Honest commitment towards health pushes your body to a good state of mind. It enhances one’s mental wellbeing. Working out releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins are responsible for that high you feel post-workout. They interact with the receptors in your brain and deliver a positive feeling in the body similar to that of morphine.

Clearer, Brighter Skin

Though you start your healthy routine with the sole intention of slimming down, an added bonus of weight-loss journey surfaces in the form of glowing skin. You can attribute your new complexion to the uptake in nutrients from all those fruits and veggies you’re likely eating and also to all that sweat literally pushing the junk out of your pores, encouraging greater detoxification.

Stress Relief

The things you do to lose weight, such as eating a balanced diet, exercising consistently, and getting lots of sleep are also some of the greatest ways to alleviate stress and anxiety.

The Fit Indian Support

In an increasingly busy world, people are realising that they have very less time to focus on getting to and maintaining their ideal body weight. But many people don’t realize that the secret is to make small and manageable changes throughout different areas of their lives.

You don’t want to make your body deficient in a particular nutrient, and you want your new food intake to be sustainable over an extended period of time.

The Fit Indian is here to support you on your weight loss journey. Ensuring that you’ll not only lose weight but go on to build a healthy body, fueling it with the right levels of nutrition for a long period of time.

Following the right guidelines and diet plans and physical workouts will help reach your true goal.

Diet Assessment For Weight Loss

Our diet assessment is here to guide you to lose those extra pounds in the best way. You feel more confident about your appearance—and just feel better, period. All say, and it’s certainly true, that losing weight has many health benefits.

Diet plan for Fat reduction and Maintaining Lean Mass

As it is rightly said, chronic excess of dietary intake with reduced energy expenditure ultimately results in an increase of positive energy balance. This behaviour contributes significantly to prevalence of overweight, impairment of health, reduction in quality of life and increases health-care costs.

For a person trying to lose weight permanently, The Fit Indian Diet Plan and diet aids are of great value. Diet plans are personally developed by an experienced nutritionist for the individual. So come, be a part of The Fit Indian to reach your weight loss goals.

Weekly Menu Plan

Week 1 Week2 Week 3 Week 4
Early Morning
(6 AM – 7 AM)
Have 2 glasses of Warm Water diluted with 1/2 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar as soon as you wake up. Have 2 Glasses of Warm Water with 2 tsp of Flax Seeds as soon as you wake up. Have 1/2 litre of Water (stored overnight in copper bottle)
[AND]
Have 10 Almonds (soaked overnight and peeled before eating) as soon as you wake up.
Have 2 glasses of Warm Water diluted with few drops of Lime Juice and 1/4 tsp of Honey as soon as you wake up.
Approximate Calories 0kcal 50kcal 90kcal 5kcal
Breakfast
(8 AM – 10 AM)
Have 1/2 cup of Muesli with 1 cup of Skim Milk or Soy Milk and 1 Guava. Have 1 Whole Egg Spinach Omelette with 2 slice of Toasted Bread. Have 2 Ragi Idlis with Green Chutney and 2 Boiled Egg Whites. Have 1 bowl of Egg Poha and 1 Apple.
Approximate Calories 300kcal 300kcal 250kcal 300kcal
Midmorning
(11 AM – 12 PM)
Have 1 mug of Green Tea and 10 Almonds. Have 1 glass of Carrot Juice with a pinch of turmeric. Have 1 cup of cut Fruits. Have 1 glass of Tender Coconut Water and 4 Walnuts.
Approximate Calories 90kcal 90kcal 130kcal 160kcal
Lunch
(12:30 PM to 2:00 PM)
Have 1 cup of Corn and Sprouts Salad and 3 Phulka with 1 cup of Vegetable Curry. Have 1 small cup of Cooked Millet Rice with 1 cup of Mixed Vegetable Curry and 1 Grilled Fish Fillet. Have 1 sliced Cucumber and 1 cup of cooked Brown Rice with 1 cup of Minced Chicken Methi Curry. Have 1 cup of raw Vegetable Salad and 2 Methi Parathas with 1/2 Chole Curry.
Approximate Calories 400kcal 400kcal 350kcal 380kcal
Snack
(4:00 PM to 5:00 PM)
Have 1 cup of Tea or Coffee with 2 Oats Crackers
[AND]
After 30 minutes, have 1 Fruit of your choice.
Have 1 mug of Green Tea and a handful of Boiled Chana. Have 1 cup of Tea or Coffee with 2 small Khakra. Have 1/2 cup of cut Pineapple and 1 cup of Green Tea.
Approximate Calories 180kcal 120kcal 150kcal 100kcal
Dinner
(7:00 PM to 8:30 PM)
Have 1 cup of Chicken Soup and 1 cup of cooked Dhalia Vegetable Upma. Have 1 cup of Corn and Pomegranate salad and 1 Ragi Roti with 1/2 cup of Plain Curd. Have 2 Phulkas with 1/2 cup of Plain Dal and 2-3 steamed Baby Carrots. Have 1 cup of Palak Soup and 1 Jowar Roti with 1 cup of sauteed Chicken with Vegetables.
Approximate Calories 220kcal 330kcal 230kcal 330kcal
Bedtime
(9:00 PM to 10:00 PM)
Have 1 glass of Buttermilk before going to bed. Have 1 glass of Water and 2 Walnuts, 1 Date before going to bed. Have 1 glass of Water and 1 Dry Fig, few Raisins before going to bed. Have 1 glass of Jeera Buttermilk before going to bed.
Approximate Calories 100kcal 70kcal 60kcal 100kcal
Total Calories 1400kcal 1400kcal 1400kcal 1400kcal

Specially Designed Workouts

Aerobic

Regular walking or jogging 5 days a week 30-40 minutes is advised. Swimming is also a good option being a hobby and full body activity.

Strength Training

This type of exercise builds muscle, which burns more calories than fat even when you are not exercising. Aim for two to three sessions of strength training weekly, on alternate days.

Stretching

Aim to do stretching exercises at least three times weekly, including before your other workouts. Stretching also promotes better circulation.

Supplement Therapy

Multivitamins

Multivitamins ensure adequate nutrition and correct deficiencies. It has been observed that they boost the metabolic rate of the body.

Green Coffee Bean

Caffeine in green coffee helps regulate hormones that boost thermogenesis, a process that burns calories to produce heat during digestion.

Garcinia cambogia

The skin of Garcinia Cambogia contains high levels of hydroxycitric acid (HCA). Garcinia Cambogia may also increase metabolic activity, further promoting weight loss.

Green Tea

It is an antioxidant. Various studies have shown green tea extract as fat burner, boosting the effects of some fat-burning hormones.

Conclusions

Overweight is an epidemic threatening millions of people globally. In an increasingly busy world, people are realising that they have less time to focus on and maintain their ideal body weight. The increasing westernization, urbanization and mechanization occurring around the world is leading to people being overweight. The various root causes of overweight are dietary patterns, physical activity, sedentary lifestyle, sleep, age, gender and occupational factors.

Being overweight may lead to health complications like obesity, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis and infertility to name a few. Individuals who are overweight could be back in shape and lead a healthy life with minor changes such as encouraging a balanced and healthy diet, healthy lifestyle, socioeconomic behaviour modification and regular physical exercise.

The Fit Indian is here to support you on your weight loss journey. Ensuring that you’ll not only lose weight but go on to build a healthy body, fueling it with the right levels of nutrition for a long period of time.

Following the right guidelines and diet plans and physical workouts will help reach your true goal.

Compiled by

Dr. Vrushali Pulate ( PhD in Bioprocess Technology)

Technical Content Director and Product Head
Pyrite Fitness Pvt. Ltd.

Her research interests are biosurfactants, pharma biotech, food sciences, analytical chemistry with five international publications in peer-reviewed journals. Awarded research fellowship DBT- India (2007-2009) and UGC-SAP- Delhi India (2009-2014).

Frequently Asked Questions

No overweight and obesity are different. They are defined scientifically through BMI. A person is deemed overweight when he/she has a BMI of 25.0 – 29.9 kg/m2 . Whereas a person with a BMI > 30kg/m2 is regarded as an obese person.

Overweight is when one has more weight than what is considered normal, it may be due to gain of extra fat, bone, muscle or water. One must never overlook extra fat gain as it may eventually lead to obesity.

Being overweight actually may not have any direct consequences.If there is weight gain (fat mass) gradually, it may lead to obesity which may ultimately lead to various health conditions.

If one adheres to a balanced diet and physical activity one can lose weight over a period of time. It also depends upon the body fat percent and BMI, so it is individualized, one can be back in shape approximately in 6 months to 1 year.

Dietary modifications comprising perfect balance of complex carbohydrates, fat, protein and fiber has been proven to promote weight loss and get back in shape in good time.

As such overweight is not a health condition. One has to monitor the food intake and energy output, being mindful is the key, it is not mandatory to take medications.

Balanced diet may result in weight loss. Along with it any physical exercise helps in energy expenditure.There are better results if the two are combined.

Overweight has been like an epidemic now days. As per a WHO survey more than 1.9 billion adults are overweight. Of these approximate 39% of men and 40% of women are overweight.

Different ways for the prevention of weight gain are encouraging a balanced and healthy diet, regular physical exercise, maintaining good sleep habits, basically maintaining good lifestyle changes.

Overweight individuals may be having muscle mass or fat mass. When one loses weight the weight loss should be of fat mass only and not muscle mass. The aim for weight loss must be breaking down fat lipids and triglycerides stored in the body.

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