iStock
New research suggests that exposure to plastic could be contributing to obesity, with thousands of chemicals in items made from the material unknown. A study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology found over 55,000 types of chemicals present in common plastic products, and only 11 of those compounds were able to be identified, as detailed by Earth Day.
All of the known chemicals, however, have been linked to changes in metabolism. Items examined by scientists include plastic wrap, shampoo bottles, kids bath sponges, and coffee cup lids….Story continues…
By: Susan Elizabeth Turek
Source: https://www.thecooldown.com/
.
Critics:
Overweight and obesity result from an imbalance of energy intake (diet) and energy expenditure (physical activity). In most cases obesity is a multifactorial disease due to obesogenic environments, psycho-social factors and genetic variants. Obesity is a complex issue with many causes.
It’s caused when extra calories are stored in the body as fat. If you consume high amounts of energy, particularly found in high fat and high sugar foods, and do not use all of the energy through physical activity, much of the extra energy will be stored in the body as fat.
Unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as not getting enough physical activity and eating high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and beverages, can raise your risk of overweight and obesity. Inactivity is the New Normal. Lack of exercise is also a major culprit in the obesity epidemic. It’s been decades since most Americans worked in fields and on factory floors, a far greater majority of us are sitting throughout our workday. This means less exercise each day.
Reducing calories and practicing healthier eating habits are key to overcoming obesity. Although you may lose weight quickly at first, steady weight loss over the long term is considered the safest way to lose weight. It’s also the best way to keep weight off permanently. There is no best weight-loss diet. But sometimes weight gain can occur due to an underlying health condition.
Weight gain can be frustrating, especially when you don’t know what’s causing it. While diet typically plays the largest role in weight gain, other factors like stress, lack of sleep, and taking certain medications may also contribute. People with obesity can still be healthy. However, what this study, and prior research, shows us is that obesity even on its own carries a certain cardiovascular risk even in metabolically healthy individuals.
The most commonly consumed junk food items are bakery products, beverages, burgers, caffeinated drinks, chips, chocolates, noodles, pizza, soft drinks, and sugar-sweetened drinks. Harmful effects of Junk foods include Overweight/Obesity, Cardiometabolic risk, High blood pressure, Behavioural symptoms and Dental caries. It’s important to note that losing 100 pounds will likely take at least 6 months to a year or longer.
Most experts recommend a slow but steady rate of weight loss — such as 1–2 pounds (0.5–1 kg) of fat loss, or around 1% of your body weight, per week.If you’re asking yourself, “Why am I gaining weight when I barely eat,” several factors may be at play. Your body may be holding onto fat stores if your eating habits are inconsistent or restricted. Or, your weight gain may be the effect of a sedentary lifestyle, medical condition, or long-term stress.
A pound of lean muscle mass and a pound of body fat tissue might weigh the same, but they take up different amounts of space. This means that muscle and fat may look the same on the scale, but they’ll look different on your body. While your clothes may feel looser, the scale may tell you otherwise. Count this as a win. Instead, in what some call the “obesity paradox,” most studies show a U-shaped curve:
Those in the “overweight” category (BMI 25–30) surprisingly have the lowest mortality risk. Those in the “obese” category (30–35) have little or no increased risk over the so-called “healthy” category (18.5–25). Reducing calories and practicing healthier eating habits are key to overcoming obesity. Although you may lose weight quickly at first, steady weight loss over the long term is considered the safest way to lose weight.
It’s also the best way to keep weight off permanently. There is no best weight-loss diet. Researchers tracked the survival of an ethnically diverse group of around 500,000 US adults for up to 20 years and found that having a BMI between 25 and 29.9 — classified as ‘overweight’ — is associated with an 5–7% lower risk of death within the study period than having one in the ‘healthy’ range.
Statistical analyses of the pooled data indicated that the excess numbers of deaths in the class III obesity group were mostly due to heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Years of life lost ranged from 6.5 years for participants with a BMI of 40-44.9 to 13.7 years for a BMI of 55-59.9. The good news is you can prevent and sometimes even reverse nearly all health problems associated with obesity by losing weight. In many cases, an obesity-related diagnosis such as diabetes is not a life sentence.
Leave a Reply