68% of women and 31% of men in South Africa are obese. Disturbingly, 13% of children are overweight (Stats SA). This is a big problem, it’s a problem cutting lives short and creating discomfort in many families. I can attest to this, my mother at some stage was overweight and this affected her energy and activity levels and this caused discomfort, at least to me. The obvious answer to this conundrum is that people do not take their health seriously but I think that’s low-level thinking, I think a lot of people try to take their physical health seriously, that’s why most gyms are making a killing these days. So, what is the real problem? Personally, I think it’s a lack of knowledge when it comes to nutrition, let me give you an anecdote.
When I was 14 years old, I went to visit my aunt (who is also obese) and the breakfast we had was extraordinary. We had fried eggs on white toast, fried sausages, fried polony, beans and soda to wash it down. At that stage in my life, I didn’t know much about nutrition but I knew this wasn’t the healthiest meal but fuck it, this was a tasty meal so there’s no way I was going to reject it. Looking back now, I don’t think I would be able to eat that with ease, simply because of what I’ve learned over the years about food and health. Let’s break down everything wrong with that meal:
The big problem with this meal is that it contains copious amounts of fats and carbohydrates and our bodies generally like to use one of the two as an energy source but not both at the same time. Having a meal containing both in high amounts can frustrate and confuse your body which can lead to one being in a state of metabolic confusion. In simpler terms, imagine adding petrol and diesel to a car, the car will not function because it is confused as to which fuel to use in order to move. That’s the same concept with your body, once you overindulge in both fats and carbohydrates then the risk of developing cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes drastically increases. What’s even worse is that straight after that meal, we sat and watched TV meaning we were inactive! So, not only did we consume high calorie unhealthy food but we chilled and let that garbage settle into our body without doing anything about it!
Unfortunately, this is very common in South Africa and to simply say that people don’t understand the consequences of being overweight is just WRONG. People know that being overweight is a problem, they feel it. But the tools or skills to understand the importance of what we put into our bodies is minimal. Why are children not educated on nutrition from a young age? Why are nutrient dense foods more expensive than processed foods? Why are fast food outlets all over our televisions yet there is barely anything on natural healthy foods? I do not have answers to these questions but they are questions that need to be answered or at least attended to or the obesity epidemic will continue to rise in this country.
Now, on the other side of that, people need to take responsibility over their own health. A lot of obese individuals are not eating more than their peers, the main problem is they’re body is functioning incorrectly and this is exacerbated by many things but diet is the main one. Like the example mentioned above, consuming foods high in both carbohydrates and fats creates a long-lasting problem which can result in obesity. So, what is the solution?
I would start off by mentioning that one has to differentiate between losing weight and losing fat. Losing weight is irrelevant for the average person, what we should be aiming for is losing fat, that is very different to losing weight. Now, what exactly does that mean? It means the goal for obese individuals should be to have smaller fat cells in their body. To make it simpler, imagine you have a bag with 10 items in it, in order to make more space you need to take more items out of that bag. Similarly with your fat cells, if you want it to have less fat in it then more fat has to exit than enter the fat cell. The process of fat exiting a cell is called lipolysis. This process is controlled by your hormones (more specifically insulin), therefor the purpose of nutrition is to manipulate our hormones into reducing the amount of fat in our fat cells. This can be done a number of ways but I am going to focus on one…. fasting.
Fasting
Fasting or time restricted eating is a regimen that involves a shortened period of time for eating and a longer time in a fast within each 24-hour period. The most common split is the 16:8 where individuals eat for a period of 8 hours and fast for 16 hours. I think this is a good starting point for any individual who struggles with fat loss because it creates a habit where one eats only at a certain time. Sometimes consuming too much food is simply because we eat when we feel like it rather than when it is necessary.
The research on intermittent fasting is positive and some studies have found that it could help:
· Improve longevity
· Reduce risk of coronary disease
· Slow tumour growth
· Improve hunger control
For beginners, intermittent fasting can be challenging because it requires control and restriction during fasting periods. This can be very difficult when starting off but just like anything, it gets easier as you get used to it and the upside is endless.
Final Thoughts
I urge anyone who has struggled with fat loss or knows someone who is to take up fasting as an option. That old saying of “breakfast is the most important meal” is not true, our ancestors lived well without it so you can to. Secondly, obesity is a serious problem and it increases the probability of many health issues, life is not fun when one is physically and mentally ill so take care of your body and mind. Do your research, be mindful of what you are putting into your body, be mindful of how active you are. If you’re not going to do it than who will?