Reema's BOLLYFIT Blog: Awake to Obesity! Reema Sarin, Actor, Dancer & Founder BOLLYFIT talks to STAYFIT Magazine

With fatty fast foods becoming increasingly popular with both youngsters and adults today, Obesity is becoming a huge health hazard. Apart from fast foods, today Trans Fat is used in all kinds of snacky foods, which also adds to fat accumulation in all our problem areas, especially the Abdominal area! Trans fats are created when hydrogen is added to unsaturated vegetable fats. This solidifies the fat, making it easy to use in commercial baked goods. Unfortunately, Trans fats are a cause of artery-clogging, just as in the case of butter or bacon. Worse, trans fats can be found in foods that are marketed as healthful, such as energy bars. They are also found in margarine, commercial baking mixes (such as in pancake, cake and muffin mixes), as well as in baked goods, microwave popcorn, powdered hot chocolate or coffee creamer, and any item with ‘hydrogenated oil’ in the ingredients.

However, there is a way now to measure fat content in the body and hence control Obesity before it is too late!
Here is a chart that shows the danger zone of being Obese:

Body mass index is the measurement for studying obesity. BMI uses a mathematical formula that takes into account both a person's height and weight. BMI equals a person's weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. (BMI=kg/m²).

Risk of Associated Disease According to BMI and Waist Size
BMI		Waist less than or equal to 40 in. (men) or 35 in. (women)	Waist greater than 40 in. (men) or 35 in. (women)
18.5 or less	Underweight	--	N/A
18.5 - 24.9	Normal	--	N/A
25.0 - 29.9	Overweight	Increased	High
30.0 - 34.9	Obese	High	Very High
35.0 - 39.9	Obese	Very High	Very High
40 or greater	Extremely Obese	Extremely High	Extremely High

Awake to the call of emergency!

People that are leading unhealthy lives; skipping breakfast, eating junk food and do not exercise have all contributed to the rise of obesity. Also, Obesity appears to lessen life expectancy, especially among young adults.

Also, obesity not controlled, is feared to overtake smoking as the biggest cause of heart disease. Obesity can also cause strokes and diabetes. It is therefore vital that obesity is targeted at an early age, by leading a healthy and productive life.

Variety and moderation is the key to healthy eating. Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophy, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about having more energy, keeping yourself healthy and hearty. All this can be achieved by following these simple tips:

· Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods.

· Eat moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy.

· Eat regular meals. Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating. Also, when you're very hungry, it's also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.

· Reduce, don't eliminate certain foods. Most people eat for pleasure as well as nutrition. If your favorite foods are high in fat, salt or sugar, the key is moderating how much of these foods you eat and how often you eat them. Choose skim or low-fat dairy products and white meats like Chicken and Fish.

· Avoid Skipping Meals: Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner. Skipping meals does not help weight loss. It leads to low blood sugar which can cause sudden hunger pangs which may result in binging or food cravings. In fact, people who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight than those who consume a proper breakfast.

Exercise regularly to burn the Fat! Ofcourse, one must follow a regular fitness regime to keep those calories burning and for building more muscle mass.