Obesity In The UK - How Your Waistband Can Affect Your Health And Healing

If you are overweight, you are very much not alone.

In the UK, around 1 in 4 adults are clinically obese. When you’re surrounded by other people who are also overweight, it can be easy to minimise your concern about it. However, being overweight does have implications for your health.

Carrying extra weight puts pressure on your joints, your circulatory system and your immune system. In 2019/20, there were over a million hospital admissions where obesity was cited as a factor.

If you have any health condition, it will likely take you longer to recover if you are overweight. This is because your body has to work harder to function normally. So when you add in the extra stress of an illness or injury, it taxes your body even further. For this reason, it’s worth monitoring your weight. Maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle can make a big difference in reducing the risk and helping you to feel well.

Making A Change

If you know you need to lose weight, that’s an excellent starting point. Losing weight is hard. After all, there wouldn’t be a billion-dollar weight-loss industry if it were easy. So the first thing you need to do is celebrate that you are motivated to positively change your health.

A positive mental attitude is essential when it comes to making a lifestyle change, so try and stay aware of how you’re thinking and feeling as you make the changes you need to.

Should You Diet For Weight Loss?

Going on ‘a diet’ does not work for most people. Instead, it would be best if you tried to aim to eat more healthily. Make good choices when you can. That means creating a healthy balanced diet including plenty of fruits and veggies, sufficient protein, whole-food carbohydrates for energy and fibre and mindful portions of healthy fats too. A wide variety of different coloured fruits and vegetables is an excellent way to get all the vitamins and minerals.

Try not to make any foods off-limits. That can make them more tempting and harder to resist. Instead, focus on the mindset that moderation is the key. Making sure you are in a small calorie deficit consistently is usually the best way to make weight loss sustainable and enjoyable.

Exercising For Weight Loss

Exercise is a crucial tool in building a healthy lifestyle. The health benefits of regular exercise can go a long way to counteracting the effects of being overweight. So starting by adding in more opportunities to exercise and move around is a great place to start. To lose weight you need a sustained, controlled, calorie deficit: What this basically means is you need to lose more than you are putting in. 

Maintaining Motivation

The biggest hurdle in losing and maintaining a healthy weight is your mindset. Staying motivated is hard. It can be a good idea to remember your personal ‘why’ for losing weight.  You might have a personal reason, for example, to be healthier, aid faster recovery or to be able to do more. But it can also help to have an external motivation. For instance, you want to set a good example for your kids. When you’re having a tough time making good decisions, review your motivation and reconnect to your why.

And remember not to be hard on yourself if there is a setback. Instead, move on and make sure your next decision is a good one.

If you need more support, speak to our team at Connective Chiropractic, who put your wellbeing at the forefront.