Obesity on the rise as diets change

Gains in the fight against hunger in Asia-Pacific countries are slowing while obesity is on the rise as people in the world’s most populous region, including Filipinos, change their diet, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The FAO in its Regional Overview on Food Insecurity report said countries of Asia-Pacific must redouble their efforts if the Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger is to be met by 2030.

The Philippines is among Asia-Pacific countries that met the previous goal of reducing by half the incidence of hunger by 2015, as laid out in the 15-year Millennium Development Goals initiative.

According to the FAO, only 12 percent or 490 million of the region’s population remain undernourished.

“That 12 percent represents some of the poorest and hardest to reach people,” FAO regional representative Kundhavi Kadiresan said in a statement, “So the clock is ticking, but with political will and collective action we can reach our goal of zero hunger.”

The United Nations agency said it was possible to eradicate hunger, provided that a number of steps were followed, particularly by increasing investments in more efficient production methods and agricultural research.

“Most countries in this region are spending too little on agricultural research,” Kadiresan said, “So in order to meet both the zero hunger goal and ensure everyone is well nourished in Asia-Pacific by 2030, we will, collectively, need to put our money where our mouths are to ensure we can meet these twin challenges.”

Also, the FAO report takes into account other aspects of malnutrition arising from poor diets such as the rise in obesity and “hidden hunger” from micronutrient deficiency.

The agency said that while figures differ from country to country, the regional rate of obesity has been increasing by more than 3 percent yearly.

Based on data from the World Health Organization, the prevalence of overweight in the Philippines as of 2014 was close to 20 percent of the population and that of obesity by about 5 percent.

“In a study done in the Philippines, increasing urbanization with association to increasing Westernized food habits such as high fat diets, processed foods and consumption of refined carbohydrates; trade liberalization making available a wide variety of processed and fast foods; increased frequency of eating away from home; influence of mass media and sedentary lifestyles have been implicated in the rise of overweight and obesity,” the report said.

source: technology.inquirer.net

How to lose weight

More than one-third of adults in the United States are obese. In fact, the furor over obesity, which some have termed an “epidemic,” has reached such proportions that one big-city mayor has gone about banning large-sized, sugary soft drinks and the First Lady has been on a crusade to control the dietary offerings in public schools.

Even many adults who do not fit the clinic definition of obese are still overweight, and a large percentage are looking for the best ways to lose weight.

Shedding pounds largely comes down to the two-pronged factors of diet and exercise. Not modifying the first one enough, and not getting enough of the second one, ends up giving the individual a recipe for being overweight.

Conditions related to obesity include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Counseling someone to eat less and exercise more might be the simplest advice possible, but it’s also, partially, an oversimplification. When it comes to diet, no one needs to starve themselves in order to lose weight. It has more to do with the types of food you eat than how much you eat.

Reduce the amount of red meat in your diet. If you don’t want to eliminate red meat altogether, choose cuts of meat with less fat content. Limit your intake of salt and starches. If you’ve got to have potato chips alongside your sandwich at lunch, opt for the baked potato chips that are less greasy and contain less fat than the deep-fried chips. You might find you’re really not sacrificing that much in terms of taste.

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, egg whites, skinless poultry, fish and nonfat dairy products will certainly aid in the mission of losing weight. Drink more water and less sugary drinks. If you have to have a soda, a diet soda is a better option, but seltzer is an even better choice than that.

In terms of exercise, it’s important—if not always easy—to make sure you get at least some physical activity each and every day. Cardio and strength training burn lots of calories. If your feet or your stamina level won’t allow for a regular jogging regimen, then make sure you take lots of walks. Next time you need to mail a letter, walk to the mailbox instead of driving. Try to work in a daily walk in your neighborhood. And if you intend on more rigorous, formal exercising at the gym or fitness center, be sure to pace yourself and don’t build up to an overly ambitious workout agenda too quickly.

There are thousands of diet fads among us.  However, sometimes the best advice is common sense.  Work towards a healthy diet and integrate regular exercise.  You would be surprised at the results small changes can make.

source: smarterlifestyles.com

HCG Diet - Human Chorionic Gonadotropin

HCG -(Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) is usually hormone produced during pregnancy. HCG diet was invented by Dr. Simeons, a British Doctor who spent years on trying to find out the reason or real cause of obesity.

HCG is a disciplinary diet of only 500 calories per day and can help you lose weight, burn fat and replace fat in the buttocks and stomach. It's safe, easy and effective and it enables you to maximize your results.


The hormone is taken 3 times every day through HCG drops. Expect not to have excessive hunger throughout the program as well as drop off the excess weight because the oral HCG diet drops taken plus a low calorie diet limit the urge to eat and will improve your metabolic action. It's a diet plan with dieting tips accessible at pharmacies, over the counter drugstores and online with no doctor's prescription. You can purchase it online and understand it's usage and direction.