Obesity isan epidemic that affects people on five continents and that, in addition to excess weight, is accompanied by multiple physical and mental health problems. Here are some easy tricks to help you avoid it.
Get away from stress
The stress of, among other things, economic insecurity makes people living in countries governed by the so-called “free market” more likely to become obese, according to a British study published in the journalEconomics and Human Biology.
Antibiotics in moderation
At the New York University School of Medicine, they have shown that exposure to antibiotics during childhood alters the composition and functioning of bacteria in the digestive tract, mainly the stomach, with an impact on metabolism that can predispose to obesity .
Avoid soft drinks
People who consume soft drinks regularly have a greater genetic susceptibility to obesity and to have a high Body Mass Index (BMI), according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Do not abuse artificial light
In the modern world, the human biological clock can hardly stay in tune with the Earth’s rotational cycle due to exposure to artificial light and the irregular schedules of meals, work and sleep typical of the developed world. Scientists have dubbed this imbalance between the body’s natural circadian rhythms and the environment “circadian desynchrony” and, according to Cathy Wyse, from the University of Aberdeen (United Kingdom), it is one of the reasons for the increase in the obese population.
Turn down the heat
According to a study published in the journalObesity Reviews, overuse of heating in the winter could be contributing to the increase in obesity in the United Kingdom, the United States and other developed countries.According to the authors, from University College London, reducing exposure to cold reduces the need to consume energy to stay hot and reduces the body’s ability to produce heat.
Walnuts, plums and nectarines
Researchers from the University of Barcelona and the Rovira i Virgili University have shown that eating walnuts increases levels of serotonin, a substance that reduces hunger, improves mood and reduces abdominal obesity. On the other hand, according to a study carried out by Luis Cisneros-Zevallos, a researcher at the University of Texas (USA), phenolic compounds -anthocyanins, chlorogenic acids and catechins …- in peaches and plums have anti-obesity effects , anti-inflammation and anti-diabetes in different cells of the body.
Less television
According to a study recently published by the magazineArchives of Internal MedicineSitting in front of the television for more than five hours a day increases being overweight.
Read food labels
The University of Santiago de Compostela has participated, together with the universities of Tennessee, Arkansas (USA) and the Norwegian Agricultural Economics Research Institute, in a study on the relationship between the reading of the nutritional labeling of foods and the obesity. The results indicate that the body mass index of individuals who read the labels can be 1.49 points lower than that of those who never take this information into account when making the purchase. This represents a reduction of 3.91 kg for a person weighing 74 kg.
