Am I obese? We often ask ourselves that question. Before we go about to answer that question; firstly what is obesity? Obesity is a condition in which you have gathered too much weight for your height. Doctors or physicians can determine body fat by simply using the Body Mass Index {BMI}, which is simply a formula based on the measurement of your body and height.
They also consider your waist measurement to be an indicator of appropriate weight { 35 inches or more for women is too much}. Now let’s ask ourselves,” Is it okay to be obese?” The answer is a capital NO.
The more obese or overweight you are, the higher your risk for a number of conditions, including diabetes, heart diseases and stroke, hypertension and most cancers.
Let’s ask ourselves” Who amongst us can we call obese or overweight?” Unfortunately quite a lot of us. The epidemic of obesity is growing at an alarming rate amongst African women. Why is the obesity rate getting higher each day? This may be due to a number of factors including family history, high-calorie intake.
High-fat diets, lack of access to fresh foods, and limited physical activity. There are also cultural factors which include that it is okay and acceptable for black women to be full-figured. This makes it more acceptable to over-eat.
Whatever the reasons may be the fact is that more African women are getting obese and unhealthy because we tend to consume more calories than our bodies burn through exercise.
Let’s ask ourselves ‘” How can we fight obesity?” By eating fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables, by having at the back of our minds that” Though my mum may be fat, l am going to fight it all the way and not end up like that.”
We can also fight obesity by reducing the use of our cars and taking long walks as often as possible; at least 3 times a week. Most importantly we should also calculate our BMI (Body Mass Index) and let it be a guide for our weight loss regime.
As African women we should also strive to achieve success in the fight against obesity by simply cutting down our intake of alcohol to the barest minimum since alcohol intake is simply calories with no nutrients.
We should also trim bread from our diets; no more biscuits or corn bread. We can also get a pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps a day which equals five miles. You can also take the stairs instead of the elevator. All these small steps do add up. I know this sounds all difficult and impossible, but it isn't. Its all about our mindset.
We should also have it at the back of our minds that if we want to lose weight badly, we must be ready to make the sacrifice.
Benefits of weight loss:-
1] You will have a healthier heart, lower cholesterol, reduced risk of diseases.
2] You will have a good night sleep: Weight loss can improve sleep apnea; which is a condition in which you stop breathing for short period of time during the night.
3] It enhances greater flexibility: - When you lose 5 percent of your weight, you end up reducing stress on your knees, hips and lower back and you end up reducing tremendously your risk of osteoarthritis.
4] It makes pregnancy easier: - You will be able to lower your risk of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia and less likely to need a cesarean delivery.
5] It guarantees you hotter sex:- With a boosted body image you will set off fireworks between the sheets. Better sex will happen to you because you are more flexible and you have more energy to burn.
So there you have it, the truth and facts about Obesity and why you must fight it with all you have got. Start getting rid of the excess weight now. Its for your own good. You can thank me later, wink***!