Weight loss: Weight loss is basically a reduction in total body weight, most commonly resulting from excessive eating, physical activity or both. Most cases of rapid weight loss mainly arise because of the permanent loss of fat, but occasionally, due to other factors, protein and other important substances in the human body may also be depleted rapidly. Weight loss usually occurs when the food intake is reduced; often, food intake is stopped, and this causes an increase in calories consumed, even though no physical change occurs.
The two major means by which we may lose weight are through dieting and exercising. A diet involves the replacement of necessary nutrients in our body with other food, or a reduction in size of some foods; it is often temporary, being abandoned after a certain period. On the other hand, exercise involves the use of specially designed equipment, often accompanied by certain psychological or emotional strategies in order to promote weight loss. It is important that dieting and exercise be done together, or they will have no effect. In some cases, they are done separately, yet it has been found that they are not effective individually, but each contributes to the total success of the other.
The quantity of calories consumed is the first step in a weight loss program. This can be done through dieting, which makes a change in eating habits and the amount of calories consumed per day. This leads to a weight loss of about one to two pounds per week, although further weight loss may occur if healthy foods containing proteins and carbohydrates are added to the diet, as well as reducing the number of calories taken in through diet. Another type of weight loss is through burning more calories than consumed through exercise, which results in weight loss of several pounds per week.
Other types of weight loss include the accidental and unintentional. Accidental weight loss includes the loss of weight through the simple irregularity of one’s eating patterns. For example, people may eat late at night for many reasons, which lead to an unplanned fast to get full before bedtime. This leads to an excessive consumption of calories. Such victims of this type of weight loss may conclude that they have ‘fat’ without having had proper consideration of their actual food consumption.
The second kind is due to nutritional deficiencies. This can be the result of improper dieting or a lack of knowledge on the foods that provide the nutrients needed by the body. This is especially common among young people in urban areas who do not consume good nutrition. This kind of weight loss causes the victim to feel uncomfortable and depressed, causing malnutrition and causing them to eventually gain back all the weight they have lost.
The third type of weight loss is total body mass reduction, or TBM. This is often accompanied by a change in eating habits alone, leading to an extreme decrease in calorie intake. This is usually associated with fasting, in which the victim experiences a state of depression as they fast. It may also be accompanied by physical exercise, or a combination of both activities.
However, what are the health benefits of modest weight loss? The first and most important benefit is the reduction of blood pressure. A decrease in blood pressure means reduced chances of heart attack and stroke, both of which are associated with high blood pressure. The other health benefits associated with the reduction of total body mass is the prevention of diabetes and cancer of the digestive tract. The reduction in both of these diseases is associated with a decreased risk of developing heart disease in later life.
There are other potential health benefits of losing weight, such as avoiding osteoporosis, reducing the risk of developing colon cancer and lowering cholesterol levels. Health experts also believe that losing some weight can lower blood pressure and increase the elasticity of the arteries, resulting in less cardiovascular and metabolic problems. Maintaining weight loss through exercise, diet and activity may also reduce the risk of developing psychological disorders like depression and anxiety.
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