Our women today are more concerned about their health and beauty compared to women of the past. The majority of women agree that obesity is not only detrimental to their health but also to their beauty. Throughout history, society has set different standards for the upper class to maintain a slim and elegant appearance, which has been a source of attraction, while causing them to overlook the lower and poorer classes. This is why both classes have blindly followed these standards without questioning them.
There was a time when various types of dishes, including chicken, were considered a delicacy reserved for kings and nobles. However, slowly but surely, this style started to appear in average and poor households as well. This is the reason our entire society has now become accustomed to consuming such dishes regularly. According to modern research, dishes with chicken and spices are a major factor in weight gain.
In modern times, thanks to the media, the standard for a woman’s delicate and beautiful appearance has become more defined. The impact of all these things was initially felt by the upper-class women because they had better access to these influential mediums and even had access to means to control weight gain. Then, slowly but surely, the awareness of the negative effects of obesity started to spread among ordinary women as well. It was not just an awareness but more of a fashion statement.
Causes of Obesity:
An important reason for obesity is genetics. The ability to store excess fat in the body is inherited from parents. On the other hand, the accumulation of fat in different body parts varies between men and women. In men, excess fat is usually seen in the abdomen, while in women, it accumulates in the hips, thighs, and breasts.
Another common cause of obesity is dietary habits and emotional factors. Many people in our society are not aware that obesity can be either healthy or a disease. Women tend to have a higher inclination towards obesity compared to men.
Obesity is also influenced by factors related to age and marital status. Married women tend to experience changes in their bodies after childbirth, which can lead to obesity. Unmarried women may face issues related to irregular eating habits and aging. Additionally, emotional and psychological factors, such as increased excitement due to movies, serials, and dramas, affect women’s emotional state and eating patterns.
The human body finds it challenging to lose weight once it becomes obese, but controlling it can be relatively easier if addressed promptly. The primary cause of obesity is excessive food intake, which is often driven by emotional issues. Many people, especially women, suffer from mental distress and tend to overeat. It’s a fact that the majority of individuals who overeat do so due to mental stress.
If mental problems, stress, and confusion are reduced, obesity can be controlled to a significant extent. Social norms, lack of physical activity, and dietary habits are also contributing factors to obesity among women. Women often lack opportunities for physical exercise. Therefore, they tend to diet to lose weight after becoming obese, but they are often unaware of what a healthy diet should entail. For example, a woman suffering from kidney problems and another with diabetes will have different dietary requirements, and only a nutrition expert can determine the right diet for them.
Furthermore, climate and social customs play a significant role in determining dietary habits. Determining what to eat and what not to eat without education is impossible. In general, women tend to gain weight after marriage. The reason is not marriage itself but the changes in daily life. They move to a new home where they have to interact with new people, which can have a negative impact on their mental state. They think about their parents, siblings, and brothers, leading to mental stress. According to research, when a person is under mental stress, their appetite increases.
In such situations, it is essential to provide psychological treatment to the affected individuals, and then weight can be reduced.
The Need for Exercise and Walk:
When there is an imbalance in diet, age, and the nature of work, the body starts to expand. Generally, both men and women tend to gain weight after the age of 40. This is because their nutritional requirements decrease as their bodies have matured. Another reason for weight gain is the reduction in physical activity. Our lives have become very comfortable. Walking has disappeared from our daily routines. Women working in offices often have sedentary jobs, and even housewives do not engage in strenuous activities. In addition to women from affluent households, women from average households also hire domestic help for their daily household chores. There is little to no concept of exercise and brisk walking, which is why many women tend to appear overweight. Moreover, women sleep a lot. In such a situation, the only job fat does is accumulate in the body, leading to health issues like heart diseases, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
The Role of Diet:
Energy is not something that descends from the sky, nor can it be purchased from a supermarket. Good health is undoubtedly a gift from God, but it also requires effort to maintain if all parts of the body are functioning properly. Virtuous and harmful substances should be completely eliminated from the body. When physical and mental peace and tranquility are maintained, you should not have any worries about your health. The point is that food plays a central role in defining the body’s expression, health, beauty, charm, strength, and vitality.
Treatment for Obesity:
The best way to manage weight is not dieting, but rather, using a diet that fulfills the body’s requirements without increasing weight. Staying hungry can lead to other health issues, especially an increased risk to stomach ulcers. In the diet, include green leafy vegetables, salads, wheat bran, and coarse grains, and remove the skin from fruits. Particularly, reduce the consumption of white sugar and avoid cold drinks. Recent research has shown that sugar consumption leads to tooth decay. Fat is not as big of a problem as the use of white flour products. The diet should be reduced, not increased, as doctors advise. They recommend drinking a glass of water before each meal and engaging in about fifteen minutes of brisk walking after eating. Afterward, drink herbal tea made from roots. Before going to sleep, wear a belt with a buckle and, in a glass of water, add four to five grams of vinegar. This can yield useful results in weight reduction. The best exercise is walking, and if we walk for forty minutes every day, there is no need for any other treatment to eliminate obesity. Yoga is also recommended as a treatment for obesity. Yoga experts say that there is no better treatment for mental tranquility than yoga exercises. Yoga teaches control over the body and emotions. While for mental tranquility, nothing is better in the world than external beauty, as long as the inside is clean. Thus, it is essential that the body has the right amount of oxygen, balanced blood circulation, and proper liver function. Until these factors are in place, losing weight by eating less is more important than reducing food cravings.
Slimming Centers:
To combat obesity, a specific class of women and men is turning to slimming centers. These centers offer weight loss through machinery or special medications. However, when they discontinue these methods, their weight often increases rapidly. Rapid weight loss can not only lead to weakness but also other health issues that become apparent with age. The diet plans provided in these slimming centers can be particularly harmful to young girls since they are in their growth years. Dieting not only hinders their growth but also disrupts their body’s balance. They should definitely avoid dieting.
After marriage, they have to become mothers, and post-pregnancy, their responsibilities expand beyond just breastfeeding to raising their children. All these activities require energy. In slimming centers, women are often subjected to exercises aimed at tightening their skin due to weight loss. This method is not appropriate as it can lead to a loss of beauty and vitality in the body in the long run.
