Essay On How To Keep Obesity In Control

Obesity is a major health problem afflicting modern society. It has reached epidemic proportions during the twentieth century, and while heredity is one of the main contributing causes, obesity seems to be a symptom reflecting many ills in our society such as depression, frustration, a sedentary life style and a lack of nutritional knowledge. Given the dangerous side effects deriving from obesity, it is important to figure out ways to keep it in control; for obesity like alcoholism, is a constant threat ready to reappear at any time.
How then can we fight obesity? The process of fighting obesity can be broken down into three stages: (1) acknowledging the problem, (2) identifying strategies to fight it, and (3) keeping a watchful eye to prevent its resurgence. Acknowledging an overweight problem is the first step toward overcoming obesity. Once the problem has been acknowledged, we must rule out the possibility that obesity might be the result of a major health problem such a thyroid disorder that requires medical attention. Knowing the cause of our obesity we can begin to deal with it on a firm footing.
The first step is to find balanced menus for our meals. To this end the help of a knowledgeable nutritionist is crucial because knowledge of the nutritional value of foods is essential to make the appropriate food combinations that will lead to weight loss.
A second important strategy is to find physical activities at home and in the work place that can partially substitute sedentary activities such as watching T.V. or working on the computer. Some alternatives might include working in the garden, walking to nearby places instead of driving and taking the stairs instead of using the elevator.
One of the reasons why diets fail is that we are often alone in our endeavor. Therefore, it is necessary to enlist the help of friends and relatives who can sustain us in the darkest moments of temptation. This help can take the form of support groups or just friendly company with whom we can engage in activities other than eating.
One of the most powerful strategies in conquering obesity is to keep a journal where we can write down the foods we eat, the time of day we eat them and whether there is a tendency to eat them in the company of certain people. The reason why the journal is helpful is that it not only helps us see the foods we are actually eating, but it helps us realize if certain events or people trigger our overeating habits. If our friends are part of the cause of our overeating habits we must find the courage to seek other company in order to reach our goal.
If we are lucky in achieving our weight loss objective, our task is not over yet, for obesity, like alcoholism, will be forever lurking in the back ready to strike when we least expect it: we might become even more obese than we were before we started our weight loss plan . Thus, we must remain forever vigilant. It is always helpful to be on the lookout for new menus as boredom may lead us to temptation. Keeping a journal even after we have reached our goal can always help us detect undesirable eating behavior patterns. Finally, if we succumb to temptation, guilt feelings should be avoided. Indulging in our favorite foods once in a while is only natural. Instead of guilt, we should simply continue our path toward healthy eating and take the incident as an isolated exception.