Obesity is the commonest problem worldwide and overweight individuals go to any extent to shed those extra kilos, at any cost. But, lack of knowledge is the root cause of fat. Unlike the old myth, over-eating is not the only cause of obesity. Factors like heredity, hormonal imbalance, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle and water retention plays an equally important role in making you overweight. After you detect the right cause of excessive fat in your body you should work out the right plan to achieve the desired weight. In all cases of obesity, one must eat enough to keep calorie intake equivalent to the energy required by the body which will keep your system functioning the whole day.

This still does not mean depriving yourself of the food of your choice! It only goes to prove that any extra calories mean more fat. Keeping a constant check on your weight is easier than letting it become a chronic problem as fat becomes more stubborn to dissolve.

Dieting is the worst enemy of fat. It you discontinue to diet and get back to regular eating habits, you tend to put on more weight, as your metabolism slows down while you were eating less. Fasting once a week is a healthier suggestion as your body mechanism needs rest too.

Ten to fifteen minutes of exercise is a must, especially for people living sedentary lives. Vigorous and heavy exercise is not really required, do just enough to keep your blood circulation in check.

Obesity or overweight is a frequently recurring problem in adults. It is mainly caused by limited activity. Over-nutrition can be singled out as the most important etiological factor where food behavior plays a crucial role.

Question: I am a school canteen convener. Can you suggest some good foods to be offered for children’s lunches?
School tuck shops should be carefully monitored by the parent committees that run them to ensure that the healthy food available is attractively presented to offer good competition to the professionally packaged alternatives. A few examples for canteens at school (or work) include:
— potatoes baked in their jackets, cut open and filled with cheese, tomato etc.
— hot rolls with chicken, tomato and pineapple
— attractively made salads with lean meat, cheese, fruit slices and raw vegetables on a paper plate and covered with cling-wrap
— hamburgers (no, they’re not all bad) made with cheese, lettuce, tomato and lean mince cooked on a very lightly greased hotplate.
Other simple snacks could include corn cobs, fresh fruit jaffles, soup, frozen bananas, raw carrots and milk shakes. These are fun foods for children that are also nutritious.
Teenagers who have money to spend on food will make their own choices, but these will often follow eating patterns established over the past decade or so. They can be taught that fried foods, tomato sauce, cream and sweets do not have to make up the major part of their diet.