When you think of what it takes to lose weight, the equation seems simple enough. You need to burn more calories through exercise than you eat through your diet, right? Though this equation may work for most people, using diet and exercise alone to help somebody who is truly obese to lose the weight may not work as effectively. Sure these changes in lifestyle can help, but they certainly aren’t the only thing that is needed for somebody who fits into the obesity category—but it’s not why you might think!
What health experts have been finding in recent studies is that certainly people may be more prone to obesity. This is a legitimate health condition for which one may be genetically predisposed to, and therefore trying to change it or improve it through just these lifestyle modifications may not work effectively. What’s more is that some people may actually have genes or chromosomes that control obesity, and therefore they may need more extreme measures to help them to lose the weight.
So while diet and exercise are always a great method to try as a means by which to lose weight, they may not work on their own. If you are obese and you have struggled to lose the weight for years, you may need to seek out genetic counseling. You may need additional help or at least a thorough understanding of why you are obese in the first place. Here’s a good explanation and some insight into why losing weight the traditional way may not work for somebody who is truly obese.
Obesity may be more of a genetic condition than once thought: Yes there may be genes or chromosomes that are actually responsible for or contribute to obesity. If you have a family history of obesity, as with any other medical condition, then it may make you more prone to becoming obese. If the cases are extreme in nature, then trying to lose the weight in the traditional way will likely never work for you. If it’s true that this is a genetic condition, then a more focused approach will be necessary for individuals who are obese and who come from a family where this is a legitimate condition.
The body may never fully recover from obesity: This is perhaps one of the most notable findings from the recent research. Many believe that once you lose the weight, even when you were obese to start with, that you can keep it off with hard work and a proper lifestyle. Recent research is finding however that the body may never actually recover from obesity. You may go into a period of time where you are holding the results or the body tries to adjust to this new state, but it’s not a natural thing and may not necessarily work for everyone.
If someone is morbidly obese, more extreme measures must be taken: It’s very common to diagnose somebody as obese as this has become a very recognized condition within today’s world. The reality is that if you are truly and clinically obese, then you may very well need more than diet and exercise. Though lifestyle changes are important for better health, losing the right amount of weight through them alone may not necessarily work out. You must be sure to understand your condition, how it began, and what will truly help you to lose the weight and keep it off—and in many instances it may take some medical intervention.
While lifestyle modifications may help, they can’t change a condition that you are predisposed to: It’s like any other medical condition, and working towards prevention is fine. You may however find that turning to diet and exercise alone will never help you towards prevention or in long term weight loss if you are already genetically predisposed to this condition. Seek medical help if you have a family history of obesity or if you suffer from it. Changing your lifestyle can help you, but it may take more extreme measures to help you to get to exactly where you want and need to be.
