Misconception #4: Obesity is only for adults
No, obesity can develop in children just as much as adults. Remember genetics? If children can be born with illnesses that they gained from their parents, they can also inherit conditions that predispose them to obesity. In fact, in the Philippines, trends have shown an uptick in children who are overweight–5.8 percent of children between 5-10 years old in 2003 were overweight compared to 9.1 percent of the same age group in 2013. Additionally, kids that develop obesity in their youth are likely to bring it along in their adolescence, along with health issues that come with it.
Misconception #5: Weight loss for obese people is just counting calories burned versus eaten
For people who want to maintain a certain weight, or for those who want to shed that extra pound in time for summer, they might obsess over counting calories and making sure that they burn more calories than they take in. Once again, it’s partially true, but it’s an overly simplified version of what you actually need. When maintaining a weight loss diet, you have to consider not just how much calories you burn, but also the quality of calories that you take in. Good quality of workouts would help, as well as avoiding empty calories and sugary food and drinks. Substitute your meals with low-carb, low glycemic index, high-protein and high-fiber food instead. And stick to water for now.
Misconception #6: The biggest loser is the biggest winner
In weight loss, it does matter if you manage to actually lose weight. That’s the be-all, end-all goal to manage obesity after all, right? Well, yes and no. Of course, shedding weight is always a plus for your health and your self esteem. But remember that with obesity, any progress is good progress. Getting off a few pounds from the scale means that much effort in your dedication to live healthy. Besides, as we’ve mentioned previously, there are also risks in losing weight too quickly.
Key Takeaways
Most of the misconceptions surrounding obesity revolve around wrong impressions that society has imposed. But as the adage goes: You really can’t judge a book by its cover. Just as well, obesity is a much more complex and challenging disease that requires mental rigor to overcome. After all, the best (and actually the only) medicine that one can take is determination in living a healthier lifestyle.
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