Obesity is known to be a potentially life-altering medical condition that can increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other chronic illnesses. It can also have consequences in the workplace, including absenteeism, lost productivity and costly medical claims.
Even though Americans spend $72 billion on weight loss programs each year, and healthy eating and exercise are core components of nearly all workplace wellness programs, the problem persists. Fortunately, there are solutions.
“Although we have a very, very tough road ahead of us, I am optimistic that we can have some success,” Dr. Ann Kulze, a corporate wellness trainer and motivational speaker, told the Wellness Council of America’s (Welcoa) News & Views. “Frankly, we have to if we want to remain a productive and competitive society. Our success will hinge on education and wholesale environmental changes.”
Building Bad Habits
Studies show the main culprits of obesity are unhealthy eating habits and a lack of physical activity. The factors behind these issues are often related to mental health and include a lack of self-control when it comes to eating, and a lack of interest in and motivation to exercise. Even if the afflicted person desires to make changes for the better, an unresolved psychological addiction to unhealthy eating or inactivity can lead to failed attempts to change lifestyle habits.
The brain is complex, and forms habits and behaviors that are activated in response to stimuli. Health habits — good and bad — start as choice-driven behaviors and can turn into a nearly unconscious pattern.
The limbic system, the part of the brain involved in feeling and reacting, perceives any behavior associated with emotional pleasure or comfort as providing a positive reward, even if the behavior is unhealthy. This system can ultimately embed a habit so deeply that it is perceived as necessary for survival.
This can contribute to an addiction, and any attempt to change the habit can be seen as a threat. Alarm signals are sent out in the form of stress, anxiety, frustration and discomfort. When eating is involved, cravings can overwhelm willpower.
The good news is the brain can be rewired to break a psychological addiction. The key is to change the thought process, rather than just being told what, when and how to eat and exercise.
Healthy Weight Loss
When weight is in a healthy range, blood is circulated more efficiently, fluid levels are more easily managed, and the risk of developing serious diseases decreases. Other benefits include increased self-confidence and energy.
Losing weight and maintaining weight loss means burning more calories than are consumed. A few basic tips include setting realistic goals, using a food diary or tracking app, managing portion sizes, making smart food choices and increasing physical activity.
Most fad diets and quick weight-loss schemes don’t work because they don’t help you learn to maintain a healthy weight. Nearly all dieters regain lost weight within five years and many regain more weight than was lost, Kulze told Welcoa. Typical diets fail because they are difficult to maintain, don’t address the behavioral or emotional side of eating, and don’t include physical activity as an essential component.
“Diets don’t work because they are a temporary solution to a long-term problem,” Kulze says in the Welcoa article. “Sustainable weight loss is only achieved with permanent changes.”
Restricting high-risk foods and maintaining portion control is vital, as is eating healthy carbohydrates, fats and proteins, she adds. The latter helps build appetite control and a healthy metabolism. High-risk foods include traditional fast foods, sweetened beverages, and refined carbs and sweets.
“As an invaluable bonus, we also know that the right foods provide profound and sweeping protection from our most common and deadly chronic diseases,” Kulze says.
In addition to burning calories, exercise preserves muscle mass, which is important to maintain a healthy metabolism. It also improves the action and effectiveness of the hormone insulin. When this hormone doesn’t work properly, insulin resistance can occur, leading to obesity and increased risks of developing heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
Increasing physical activity is vital for those who sit at a desk for many hours each day, a practice Kulze calls the “single greatest occupational health hazard we face.”
“If you don’t get a certain amount of threshold activity most days of the week, you are guaranteed to lose your health,” she explains. “And without regular physical activity, you don’t have a prayer when it comes to sustainable weight loss. If you don’t move, your insulin doesn’t work; and if your insulin doesn’t work, you can’t burn fat.”
Thirty minutes of moderate activity most days of the week can make all the difference.
Maintaining Weight Loss
Kulze emphasizes that positive healthy diet changes and regular physical activity are key to maintaining weight loss. To make changes that can be sustainable and permanent, they should be implemented at a pace that fits your life and personality.
When working to maintain weight loss, slipping into old habits can happen. A relapse is when old habits return for several days or weeks. It’s important to remember that this is not a failure, and you can get back on track. Some tips include:
• Understand your triggers, roadblocks and excuses
• Realize this is a long-term effort
• Learn from others who have succeeded
• Build a social support network
• Find healthy motivation
• Hold yourself accountable
• Remember that exercise is essential
