Why weight really does matter

Weight is an issue that is discussed everywhere. In developed countries, every imaginable product and service is available to tackle obesity, and yet obesity levels have risen. People spend time and effort to lose weight, but obesity and ill health are on the rise.

Weight is an issue that is discussed everywhere. In developed countries, every imaginable product and service is available to tackle obesity, and yet obesity levels have risen. People spend time and effort to lose weight, but obesity and ill health are on the rise.



So are we flying off track?

Before we answer this question, let us ask the bigger one – why do people want to lose weight in the first place?

We recognise health as freedom from disease, though physical appearance, stamina, fitness levels, emotional and mental health should also be taken into account. People confuse actual health with their weight, and try to reach a number at any cost – supposedly their ideal body weight.

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To get to their ‘ideal’ weight, people starve themselves, consume appetite depressants, over-exercise, use unscientific gadgets, eating powders and mixes that promise quick weight loss, or use laxatives and diuretics excessively.



This is a classic case of vanity gone haywire. How does it matter if the bones become weak or the liver packs up, if one can get into jeans with a smaller waist size fast?



The basic intention of any decision is the most important part of the decision. If the intention is superficial, the results can be temporary, and can have side effects, and the process is flaky and defies logic or scientific ethics. If you want to genuinely get healthier, remember the key mantras of health, which are:



Eat natural unprocessed food like wholegrains, multigrains, pulses, grams etc.

Eat a variety of foods.

Eat fruits and vegetables.

Drink enough water.

Eat nothing excessively or in extremes.

Exercise every day for at least an hour.

Sleep enough.

Eat on time.

Change attitudes towards healthy eating and exercise.

Put changes into practice – as they say, execution is the key to success.

And finally, give it time and consistency. We have to learn to be patient with ourselves in this digital age. We cannot make weight go away at the click of a mouse.

- From HT Brunch, February 20

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