Weight may not yet be a social stigma in Uganda, but it certainly is an issue to some people who are desperately battling to shed off that extra belly fat so as to look well-chiseled.
The men are working out or visiting the gym, eating special foods or consuming diet drinks, stuffing themselves with dangerous diet drugs and appetite suppressants; and starving themselves – perhaps not typically a guy weight-loss-remedy, but we can’t rule it out.
But the need to lose weight shouldn’t merely be motivated by the need to look attractive, because experts have confirmed that being fat may predispose you to diabetes, hypertension, gallbladder disease, gout, heart disease, hyperlipidaemia, osterthiritis, colon and breast cancer.
However, as most of you might have already realised, even with exercise, diet changes, medication or any such weight control or loss measures, it is easier to gain than to lose weight. It takes determination, discipline and patience – the virtues every man who wants to lose weight MUST have.
Weight loss experts are cashing in on the “dilemmaâ€. They have supposedly discovered the quickest and most effective ways to lose weight; coining commercially driven catch phrases like ‘How to lose weight in 10 days and Drink the Beer, lose the Gut’.
Since some of the drugs used to suppress appetite or boost weight loss have habit-forming side effects, we are 100% for weight loss through natural means like food and exercise. Eat food that you need, because when more food is consumed than needed, the energy balance is stored in the body as fat. Someone with a white collar job for instance doesn’t need as much food as a casual labourers, says Dr Paul Semugoma.
Before you start losing weight, determine with a physician how much weight you need to shed off. Remember to be very realistic. Don’t set out to lose 20kgs in a week or 10 days.
And if you are to diet, aim at reducing fats in particular, and carbohydrates, proteins and alcohol intake in general.
Food
– Cut down on high fat and
sugar foods
– Baking or boiling is
recommended instead of frying
– Eat high-fibre foods like
vegetables and fruits
– Use sugar substitutes while
sweetening foods and beverages.
Use herbs such as bilberry,
camomille, ginger (ntangawuzi)
and cinnamon.
gradual change in eating habits
Exercise
Determine the type of physical
activity that suits your life style.
Regular aerobics or exercise like
brisk walking, jogging or
swimming, is a key factor in
achieving permanent weight
loss and improving health
– Health experts recommend
exercising 30 minutes or more
everyday. The exercises should
be moderately vigorous but not
exhausting.
Some causes of obesity
– Excessive food intake in relation to the body’s normal energy needs.
– Can run strongly in families due to hereditary tendency.
– Anxiety and stress where some people turn to food for solace
– Some diseases and drugs lead to obesity.
