Busting obesity and related myths

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Just wanted to clarify certain misconceptions surrounding obesity and weight loss for all of you who might be wanting to lose excess weight or gain healthy weight.

Myth: Obesity is all about calories in, calories out

Fact: There are other factors like genetics, sleep patterns, and stress which can lead to obesity.

Myth: An increase in body weight is always due to an increase in body fat and a loss in weight is always due to fat loss

Fact: Your weight is decided by the fat, muscle, and water content of your body and can change with a change in these parameters.

Myth: Crash Diets are the best solution for weight loss

Fact: While crash diets will bring down weight initially, they are difficult to sustain and so, the weight comes back. It's better to opt for a sustainable weight loss plan.

Myth: If it's fat-free, it's healthy

Fact: Not all fat is bad and fat-free can be high in salt/ sugar/ preservatives etc, none of which is healthy

Myth: If you don't lose weight while exercising, it's not working for you

Fact: That's not necessarily true. Exercise has benefits apart from weight loss and any amount of exercise is beneficial(even without weight loss). However, you may need to consider a change in diet and add exercises to your current regimen if your goal is weight loss.

Myth: Strength training is for bodybuilding and aerobic exercises like walking and running are more important to lose weight

Fact: Strength training builds muscle which helps to burn calories and reduce weight. Aerobic exercises help to maintain that weight loss. The best exercise is a mix of both.

Myth: Old people need to rest more and it's alright for them not to be active

Fact: Lack of physical activity in the old or the elderly leads to sarcopenia( a loss of muscle mass), which only further reduces their mobility and worsens health. They should be encouraged to move as much as possible and especially engage in strength, flexibility, and balance training.

Myth: It's ok to be obese if you are old and you need not exercise.

Fact: Definitely not. Obesity affects health at every age and exercise benefits at every age.

Myth: If you exercise for 30 minutes every day, you can sit around the rest of the day

Fact: The more physically active you are the healthier you are.

Myth: If your weight is normal, you don't need to exercise.

Fact: Everyone needs to exercise. Exercise is beneficial for the functioning of every system of the body. It improves digestion, cardiovascular health, respiratory capacity, and even mental health.

Myth: If you aren't overweight, you can eat whatever you want

Fact: Health isn't just about weight, and just because you don't put on weight, doesn't mean you are healthy (Cases of lean Diabetes and lean PCOD cases are on the rise!!!!)

Bottomline: Everyone needs to follow a healthy lifestyle, not just to reduce weight.

Keep coming back to this page as I keep adding more myths.

Do share your comments and questions!!!!!!