This week we talk about obesity, a disease that is pervasive in society in developed countries and which claims a staggering 2.8 million lives a year worldwide.
What is obesity?
It is defined as an abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat. Within this we broadly differentiate between two degrees according to importance:
- Overweight: When the BMI (body mass index) is equal to or higher than 25.
- Obesity: When the BMI is equal to or higher than 30.
What is it due to?
Obesity or overweight is mainly due to poor diet and inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle and is basically caused by an imbalance between calories consumed and calories burned.
Secondary diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease and even certain types of cancer often develop as a result.
How to prevent or combat obesity?
- Take care of your diet: On the one hand, it is essential to eat a healthy diet, free of fats and processed foods. On many occasions it will be necessary to consult a nutritionist, who will help you to follow guidelines and correct all those harmful habits.
- Exercise: On the other hand, it will be equally important to do some kind of physical activity, which will not only provide a greater calorie burn, but will also help to strengthen the muscles.
However, it is important to be aware that physical activity, if started, should be initiated or resumed progressively and that not just any exercise is good in these cases.
It should be borne in mind that the joints are exposed to greater pressure due to excess weight, so it is advisable, in addition to doing some non-impact aerobic exercise such as walking or swimming, to do exercises that strengthen the body while avoiding pressure on the joints at all times.
In this case, the Pilates method is ideal, as it achieves a balanced and safe strengthening of the musculature, avoiding these negative aspects at all times.
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