Obesity and Men's Health: A Hazardous Influence

Obesity is a scourge of modern times. Despite the fact that millions of people in the world suffer from malnutrition and hunger, about 1.5 billion have excess weight. And this is not always a symbol of well-being. Vice versa, obesity (and overweight) is associated with a host of health problems.

What Is Obesity And What Are Causes OF THE DISEASE?

Obesity is a chronically developing illness associated with overabundance of fat in the organism, which adversely affects human health. Typically, obesity is determined through BMI (Body Mass Index), which allows one to assess the degree of compliance with the weight and height of an individual. A BMI that is equal to or higher than 30 is believed to be a sign of obesity. However, this is not always the correct method, since a person can have a lot of weight, which is mainly due to muscle mass and not fat. The diagnosis is determined in each case.

The Dangerous Effects Of Obesity

Here are some of the negative effects of obesity (with scientifically revealed anecdotal evidence):

• Increased load on the joints. An obese person is about 60% more likely to develop arthritis than a healthy person with normal weight.
• Increasing bad cholesterol. In individuals with obesity, ‘bad’ cholesterol tends to be high, while ‘good’ chol is usually low.
• Increased risk of diabetes. Being overweight / obese increases risks to develop diabetes type 2. Cells of the body become more resistant to insulin which leads to negative consequences (diabetes symptoms).
• Erectile dysfunction. According to Polish scientists Bogdanski P., Skrypnik D. et al, obesity is a significant independent risk factor for ED in men. Some extremely obese people have no physical ability to have sex at all.
• Decreased testosterone and libido. Obesity is associated with decreased T levels and vice versa. Low testosterone is a key factor in decreasing sex drive.
• Prostatitis. The role of obesity in prostatitis development still remains unclear, but some links may exist. However, data is contradictory. Some scientists have shown the opposite results: high BMI may be associated with lower incidence of prostate diseases, but that's not a reason to remain obese.

Please note that this is not an exclusive list. Obesity increases the risk of dozens of diseases and it is unrealistic to talk about all of them in one article.

A related topic: Correlation Between Diabetes and Obesity

How To Fight Against Excess Weight Smartly?

If you have excess weight and even obesity, you must definitely combat it. It is not a matter of fashion canons or modern ideals of how a person should look. Good physical condition is the key to your health, and obesity is the path to various diseases, especially cardiovascular ones.

There are seven principles for successful fat burning:

• Adhere to proper nutrition. The basis of your diet should consist of fruits, veggies, legumes, whole grains and lean meats. In addition, reduce your sugar intake, better choose unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats and boycott trans fats.
• Ensure the correct energy balance. You must spend more energy (calories) than you consume. To lose a pound of fat per week, you need to create a daily calorie deficit of 500 kcal (approximately). This rule is suitable for people with a high degree of obesity, in other cases it is enough to create a caloric deficit amounting to 20% of the daily norm. Do not forget to consume enough water. According to the Institute of Medicine (2005), references are on average 3.7 liters for men and 2.7 liters for women. It is also recommended to take breaks in dieting, for example, you can do 1 cheat day a week. This will help you to keep the diet and avoid the phenomenon called yo-yo dieting, when a person reaches a breaking point after a rigid diet and regains former weight.
• Do strength training. Cardio sessions are effective, but if you want to burn fat efficiently and quickly, dumbbells and barbells in the gym should help you. Scientists have found that strength training during a low-calorie diet can prevent muscle loss, which is very important.
• Do not forget about cardio training. The respected American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 25 minutes of intense aerobic activity (jogging, swimming, cycling) three times a week. If you have high cholesterol and pressure, cardio should be done about 40 minutes 3-4 times a week.

• Relax enough and don't be nervous. It has been proven that psychosocial stress leads to an increase in bodyweight in ladies and gentlemen, which is associated with increased production of the insidious hormone cortisol. Keep in mind that the optimal duration of sleep for most people is 7-8 hours.
• You can use sports nutrition. It contains important nutrients in concentrated form, which can be difficult to obtain from regular nutrition. The most efficient and widely known used supplements include protein powders, creatine, BCAA, arginine, and L-carnitine.
• Measure results. It is important to monitor your progress so that you know whether you are on the right track. In addition, before and after photos is a fabulously motivating thing.
• Enjoy. If the process of weight loss is a burden for you, don’t expect satisfactory results. You have a lot of choices, keep this in mind. Say, if you do not like a certain kind of physical activity, change it, most importantly, stay in motion.