Attempts to reduce obesity remains a hot topic as many countries are seeing citizens becoming clinically obese in percentages that are alarming.
No wonder products connected to weight loss programs do billions of dollars worth of business and weight loss tips is “googled” thousands of times per month. Books on cause & effect of obesity do brisk business.
Still, with all sorts of attention devoted to it, obesity remains one of the major health concerns in developed & developing nations.
The epidemic of obesity suggests that perhaps people are making fundamental mistakes not being addressed by the information available.
Obviously, diet & exercise patterns greatly effect obesity but there are other causes that have contributed to the problem & have largely operated under the fat industry radar.
One such factor - the link between dehydration & obesity.
Some facts about dehydration-obesity link
1)More people are falling into the obese category than ever before
2)This is the only time in human history where water, just water, is not the #choice of drink for much of the developed world. This is a phenomenon that has incalculable health consequences.
3)98% of respondents do not drink enough water over the course of the day.
4)Need for healthy water has increased over the past 100 years due to industry, contaminants, life style choices - yet many consumers choose drinks that contain more contaminants still.
All of the above have come together to contribute to obesity, connected health problems, torrent of research on cause effect obesity..
Effects of obesity
There is much discussion on the cause & effect of obesity We will only point out the major groupings.
1)Health problems. Obesity has systemic effects on the body. Every system is negatively effected. Cardiovascular, skeletomuscular, organs, everything. Like the systemic effects that smoking might have even as it’s main effect is on the lungs.
2)Psychological problems. Fair or not, obese persons suffer from societal slings to self-esteem & internal scoldings leading to depression, anxiety, social marginalization, etc. Weight loss programs emphasize self-esteem angle with great success.
3)Social repercussions. Health & psychological problems lead to an overburdening of our health care system.
Dehydration obesity link
Drinking water: best of the weight loss tips
1)Makes you feel full. See how many mashed potatoes you can scarf down when you start a meal with a tall glass of water.
2)Drinking water tells our body to release water through sweating or urinating. Your body starts to trust that you have enough sense to keep it hydrated, so it doesn't retain water.
3)Digestion is eased when you have enough water in your body. It takes water to help our bodies digest and eliminate food and liquid waste. Speeding the processing of your food can lead to 4 - 10 pounds of weight loss in just a few weeks.
4)Water allows your body to start and complete many processes. Your body is working harder even while at rest, increasing your metabolism a great way to lose weight.
5)Your liver is responsible for converting fat to energy. When your liver does not have enough water to turn fat into energy you retain fat.
6)There is also a technical reason for why drinking water, especially before & during meals, could lead to weight loss. High carbohydrate foods tell our bodies to release insulin.
Insulin release tells your body to hold on to its fat forcing the body to use carbs for energy. Drinking water, especially with a little fiber, decreases the amount of insulin your body releases.
If you are overweight and you don't mind drinking a lot of water, try this. Start drinking a quart of water a half hour before your three meals. Finish the quart over the 30 minutes then eat.
Regardless, if you are overweight make sure to add water to your 8 recommended glasses per day. Drink one extra glass of water for every 20 pounds you are over your ideal weight. So, if your ideal weight is 140 pounds and you weigh 180 you should be drinking 8 & 2 glasses of water per day for a total of 10 glasses.
For many, the dehydration obesity link will not be solved by simply drinking a few more glasses per day. Other lifestyle changes would be needed.
Note, increasing water intake may not immediately lead to a more hydrated body. It may take weeks for your body to learn to use the extra water & deposit water where it belongs.
Be patient. Learning the cause effect obesity & personalizing your weight loss program to include smart weight loss tips like drinking more water should start the ball rolling in the right direction.
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