The wave of “free” cosmetic procedures that swept the country a couple of years ago has subsided. Perhaps most women have already received phone calls from certain cosmetic centers, which invited them to undergo a free hair or face care session with beautiful, unique cosmeceuticals in the country. And then it was necessary to show miracles of resourcefulness and fortitude in order to leave the salon without buying a skillfully “sniffed” case of creams for tens of thousands of rubles.
Then there were the courts. The network is replete with announcements about the renaming of these cosmetic companies, forums tell how to get your money back if you did give up and bought a case by signing a loan agreement.
But when they called me and offered to undergo a completely free computer diagnostic procedure for the body and receive advice from a qualified doctor on what to pay attention to in order to lose weight, I lost my vigilance and agreed to come.
This building in the city center provides computer diagnostics for weight loss. Photo: AiF/ Nadezhda Uvarova
Free cheese, or rather, test
Of course, I know where there is free cheese. But the girl who called my phone placed the accents in the conversation in such a way that I did not feel there was a catch and agreed to the diagnosis. According to my interlocutor, the company of which she is a representative is testing ultra-modern, extremely rare, only recently developed, practically the only equipment in the Russian Federation that literally breaks down the weight loss problems of a particular person. And there are only a hundred places for the lucky ones who can undergo this very diagnostic for free, in test mode. And it passes only with the presentation of a medical insurance policy - will I really not take advantage of the happiness that has fallen on my head? True, I hinted that I could look at the reviews on your website and read about the methodology. The girl said categorically no.
Yes, many people dream of losing weight. And I am among them. Only later did I understand how accurate the calculation was of both the first ones who sold “the only wonderful anti-aging” cosmetics” and these new ones that help “a specific individual” lose weight.
The process has begun
At the appointed time, I arrived at one of the most beautiful and modern buildings in the city center. I show my passport to the security guard - the girl who called me repeated it five times so that I wouldn’t forget it.
The office occupies a floor of an expensive building. Photo: AiF/ Nadezhda Uvarova
I go up to the desired floor. Together with me, seven ladies of different ages, from twenty-five to sixty, are crammed into a modern elevator. Everyone goes to the same office as me. “I wonder,” it flashes through my head, “what did this girl weighing 55 kilograms lose at the weight loss center?” The elevator doors swing open, and we all follow the arrow in an orderly line to the same office.
Standard registration procedure: they take our passports, swipe them with their eyes and return them back. They also carefully look at the insurance policy. They ask you to sit down. And so I was invited to a small room in which this most outlandish equipment is located - “the pride of Russian scientists in the field of weight loss.” The device consists of four plates of smooth metal sparkling in the sun, connected by wires. Two plates lie on the table, two on the floor below it. The wires go somewhere deep and are hidden near the computer system unit.
Death with and without a scythe
A sweet girl named Marina spends a long time explaining to me the basic truths that excess weight is the source of many, many diseases. Tells how good it is to be young and slim. Then she writes down my height and weight and offers to measure them on scales and a stadiometer in her office. I agree. It turns out that over the past year, at the age of forty, I have grown by one centimeter. Marina swears that they have the most accurate measuring system, and in general I don’t mind.
Everyone who comes knows their height and weight. Photo: AiF/ Nadezhda Uvarova
Then the process itself begins - the girl puts a clothespin with wires on my finger, tells me how the device now reads all the information from my body and gives a printout of problem organs and areas. I place my hands and bare feet on the plates. No tingling or hot-cold sensations. The girl turns off the button and unhooks the clothespin.
Very interesting: a model of a figure appears on the monitor screen, painted in different colors. Marina looks at the screen, is silent for several minutes and finally says something in the series that if this continues, death will sneak behind me and similar fat people. “With a scythe?” — for some reason I clarified. Marina became gloomy and began to explain.
These “miracle sensors” identify all excess weight problems inside and out. Photo: AiF/ Nadezhda Uvarova
It is clear that nothing is clear
“Here,” Marina points to the table, “is a sudomotor analysis based on the reaction of the sweat glands to electrical stimulation. This reaction is measured in units of conductivity measurement between metal pairs of electrodes in micro Si units.” My mouth opened: is this the vaunted diagnosis? I hear a bunch of smart words, but I don’t really understand anything.
According to the manager, this technique is almost the only one in the country. Photo: AiF/ Nadezhda Uvarova
The girl scrolled through the data a little lower and began pointing to the graphs: “You see, what is colored green is normal for you. And the fact that it’s orange or, God forbid, red is bad.” Judging by the images, I only had a few minutes left to live; it was not certain that I would make it to the end of the procedure. Only one value flashed green.
“Everything is abnormal with you except the intercellular and intracellular fluid,” the girl began to explain. — Are there any stresses or fatigue? That's all from this. Do you see the spine at the top and in the thoracic region highlighted in red? This indicates pinching or protrusion of the vertebrae.” Marina talked and talked, and I tried to understand what “arterial stiffness”, “indicator of body composition”, “stroke volume”, “cardiac output” and “parasympathetic system” are. The girl ended by saying that I need to go to another appointment with a chiropractor in the next office.
Berry again
In the office, a woman of about forty-five with dark hair and red nails was sitting at the table. “I’m forty-five,” a woman in a white medical coat sat me down on a chair and took a significant pause. “But I weigh 49 kilograms,” she continued a minute later. “That’s why I look 30.”
"Seriously?" — I asked, meaning why she decided that she looked 30. Did someone tell her about this or did she understand it herself? The woman raised her head high, counting my words as a compliment about forty-five, and motioned for me to lie down on the couch.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the inscription on her badge “leading specialist.” For some reason there was no talk of any title as a chiropractor. A middle-aged lady, heavily made up, really thin and smelling of tobacco.
Moving her hands along my spine, she gave a verdict: I have disorders in the lower part of the spine, in the sacral part. Conclusion? We need to lose weight! And she will choose and describe the procedures for this to me! Still not quite understanding why a leading specialist or even a chiropractor should prescribe weight loss procedures, I was sent home, that is, to Marina.
8900 and 3590 are the same thing
Marina was carefully counting something on a calculator. I hesitantly asked why the computer gave me big problems with the spine in the upper and middle sections, and the one who is 45 saw them in the sacrum? “So you were sitting incorrectly during the diagnosis,” Marina immediately found out. - Maybe…"
“That’s it,” I thought. - How wrong? So maybe things aren't so bad for me? And live another 50 years, not 20 seconds?”
Marina explained with gestures: they said, you had to sit up straight. Generally speaking, I just sat there. Anyway. Just think, all the diagnostics are wrong.
The computer gave a completely different result than the doctor. Photo: AiF/ Nadezhda Uvarova
“So, in general, this is not the main thing,” says the girl. — What amount is more comfortable for you? 8900 or 3950?
I practically fall out of my chair. The amount, excuse me, is comfortable for what? And then Marina explains: so here it is, my salvation, in their center. Only they and no one else offer me to lose weight, and I must choose which of the above figures is more comfortable for me to lose kilograms. So that, so to speak, the family budget does not collapse.
“We didn’t agree that way,” I try to object. Meanwhile, Marina explains how many consultations with a nutritionist, as well as myostimulation, cavitation and pressotherapy procedures I will receive during these two years (!) while I am being observed at their center. And the amount per month, in general, differs precisely in this, the number of procedures, supportive and intensive.
I try to timidly thank and refuse, but here comes the climax of the story. For some reason, it was at this moment that the “manipulator” runs into the office, and the two of them begin to explain to me that only here and now should I conclude an agreement or make an advance payment. Otherwise, the one with the scythe.
Apples are delicacies
The dialogue between me and these two, of course, thin women looks like communication between a blind person and a deaf person. I try to back away to the door, apologizing and saying thank you, the ladies do not yield, they take positions of defense of the exit. And, shouting over each other, they explain to me that here they will teach me to love apples more than meat pies, and to adore low-fat cottage cheese, like pork ribs kebabs. Plus, they have the best equipment, trainers, and work schedules that are convenient for everyone.
Regretting for the hundredth time that I got involved in this adventure, I stand up decisively. I’m practically screaming that if I chew only apples and cottage cheese, I’ll lose weight without any additional effort. And that I understand perfectly well that I need to lose weight, but I want to do it alone, on my own, without them. And that their service is becoming too intrusive...
The forty-five-year-old, her eyes sparkling, leaves. Marina, without any smile on her face, says, they say, there are only 1-2 procedures per week, maybe you are scared of too intense loads? I divide the amounts she named by the number of weeks in a month and understand that this center may really give something to those who want to lose weight, but that first of all it is their wallet that loses weight - that’s absolutely certain.
Black and white diagnostics
Realizing that I will be able to leave, I ask Marina to print out the diagnostic results for me: maybe I’ll read it at home and see something interesting for myself. The girl says, is it okay that they will be black and white? I laugh out loud: it’s okay that red, ginger and green colors won’t be visible, and I simply won’t understand whether I’m normal for each indicator.
The main thing in a printout is that the client does not understand anything. Photo: AiF/ Nadezhda Uvarova
At the exit from the miracle diagnostic center, of course, they asked me for a list of at least ten phone numbers of my friends, who would also receive a free and much-needed consultation. Having refused, I figured out how many people had passed through this center even in one day. But we were talking about only a hundred lucky women. But it became clear where the girls got my number.
And yes, a little physical activity, light running, and outdoor activities have never hurt anyone. As well as a low-fat, healthy, varied and balanced diet. And most importantly - how many apples can you buy for 8900 per month!
At first glance, the reason for obesity seems obvious: if you consume more calories than you burn in the process of life, you gain weight. But, as is often the case, the most obvious explanation is not always the most comprehensive.
Risk factors in the case of obesity can be: unfavorable genetic predisposition, socio-economic conditions, features (or disorders) of metabolic processes, and lifestyle can also play an important role. Some endocrine disorders, certain diseases and medications can also lead to severe weight gain and the beginning of the fight against obesity.
The most common causes of obesity
Genetics. Studies have shown that the predisposition to obesity is inherited. Your chances of being overweight increase by 25 percent if one or both of your parents are obese. Heredity also affects where fat accumulates most - on the thighs or in the abdomen.
Metabolic disorders. We all spend energy differently. The course of metabolic processes and the functioning of hormonal secretions are individual for everyone, but these are one of the determining factors in the issue of gaining excess weight. Recent research demonstrates how levels of ghrelin, a peptide hormone known to regulate appetite, and other peptides, both create feelings of hunger in us and signal satiety.
Lifestyle – The habit of overeating combined with a sedentary lifestyle contributes to obesity. Everything can be changed by choosing one way of life or another. If you go on a diet where a higher percentage of your calories come from sugary, high-fat, refined foods, you are likely to gain weight. As modern families are less and less able to find time to quietly gather around the dining table for a meal, people are looking for inexpensive ways to relieve hunger during the day, and most find a solution to the problem in such high-calorie and unnatural foods and drinks as fast food.
Add to this the lack of regular physical activity, and now an adult has a problem - it is difficult for him to start fighting obesity, maintain an optimal weight or lose extra pounds. For children, risk factors will be ways of spending time that do not consume energy, for example, sitting in front of the TV or at the computer.
Goal setting in the fight against obesity
The most important part of any program to combat obesity is proper goal setting. Yes, you can lose weight for the sake of public opinion or to keep up with fashion, but it may be more important to consider that losing just 5-10 percent of excess weight will have a significant positive impact on your overall health.
It's hard to find two people who are exactly alike, so it's important to come up with a weight loss plan that works for you. The question is whether it would be right for you to lose 0.5-1 kg per week or is it better to take your time and strive for 0.3 kg in the same period. At the same time, even a more gentle option for combating obesity means that in a year you lose about 11 kg, and if you stick to this course for more than three years, you will reach about 35-36 kg. No matter what anti-obesity program or obesity treatment plan you choose, not rushing will be more effective and healthier in the long run because rapid weight loss often results in rapid return of the lost pounds.
There are five main methods for treating obesity and weight problems: diet, exercise, lifestyle changes, non-surgical treatment and finally surgery.
Diet for obesity - effective programs to combat excess weight
Fad diets appear and disappear from the pages of fashion magazines. Some of them, such as low-calorie, high-protein or low-fat diets, may have the desired effect here and now, but they can also threaten your health in the long term. In fact, the most effective long-term weight loss programs rely heavily on the principle of limiting the number of calories consumed while increasing daily physical activity so that the body spends more than it receives and the fight against obesity is effective.
Fasting can lead to rapid weight loss, but both muscle mass and fat are lost. It makes sense to resort to so-called “liquid” diets, which can be followed only under the supervision of a doctor, for a short period of time, as a cleansing of toxins, for example. But you shouldn’t expect long-term results from them.
Fad diets that have not been labeled by doctors as posing an immediate threat to the body's health are still not a healthy solution to the problem of obesity. However, if you follow certain dietary recommendations, they can lead to weight loss and weight loss.
But in order to lose weight and, most importantly, maintain this result, instead of looking for another miracle “diet,” try to create an individual nutrition plan. An anti-obesity plan tailored to your personal eating habits will have a greater chance of not only being successful, but also providing lasting results. A balanced diet that limits calorie intake to 1,200 to 1,400 for women and 1,500 to 1,800 for men should do the trick. A professional nutritionist can help you create a personalized diet plan based on your specific situation.
Not all fats are bad. We know that polyunsaturated and monosaturated fats provide health benefits, such as helping to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. That is, nuts, seeds and certain types of oils, such as olive, safflower and canola, deserve a place of honor in your healthy eating plan.
Opt for unrefined foods like brown rice and whole grain bread, and leave white rice and muffins on the counter. Whole grain foods will give you more nutrients and gut-healthy fiber. The body digests rougher, unprocessed, overly processed foods more slowly, which means they will not contribute to sudden spikes in insulin in the blood. This means that attacks of hunger and the ineradicable desire to “chew something again” will remain a thing of the past.
Make it a habit to include at least five servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. This variety will provide your body with the full range of types of nutrients it needs.
When dining out, don't try to eat everything on your plate; ask the waiter to take away what you haven't eaten, and avoid ordering large portions. Often, portions in cafes or restaurants are too large for one person, so invite a friend to share a portion for two or order an appetizer instead of a main course.
Read labels when buying prepared foods at the supermarket. Pay close attention to the number of servings contained in one container and the serving size. If the label says a serving is 150 calories and the package contains three servings, keep in mind that if you eat the entire contents of the container, you will be consuming as much as 450 calories.
Exercises to combat obesity
If you are obese, physical activity is vital because it will help you maintain and increase muscle mass while losing fat stores. And because muscle tissue requires a higher metabolic rate and burns calories faster, as long as you eat healthy foods according to a smart nutrition plan, exercise speeds up your weight loss process.
Exercise lowers blood pressure and can help prevent type 2 diabetes. An active lifestyle can also improve your emotional well-being, reduce your appetite, solve sleep problems, increase flexibility, and lower your blood cholesterol.
Walking is a great option for obese people. Walking should start off as a light activity, say 30 minutes a day a few times a week, and gradually increase to longer daily hikes.
Consult your physician before following any exercise program.
Most of us are accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle, and the transition to physical activity is associated with certain problems. To the office - by car, at work - sitting motionless at a desk. The habit of spending all your free time in front of the TV screen or at the computer can also contribute to the development of a sedentary lifestyle.
There are simple steps you can take to increase your daily activity level. Remember, even the little things matter!
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
- Park your car at the far end of the parking lot and walk to the store or office.
- Get off the bus one stop early on the way home if possible.
- Turn off the TV or video games and go into the garden, grab a rake and tidy up leafy walkways or wash your car. Just take a walk and get some fresh air!
- Find active ways to spend time that you and your whole family enjoy, such as tennis, roller skating, or camping.
- Simply by taking a critical look at your daily routine, you can find ways to carve out more time for physical activity each day beyond your mandatory fitness routine.
- Perhaps your place of work is not conducive to maintaining excellent physical shape. However, there are positive changes that are easy to make part of your daily routine in any conditions:
- Bring healthy snack options, such as sliced fruits and vegetables, so you can always have them on hand when hunger strikes.
- Avoid going to office parties and get-togethers on an empty stomach—plan ahead to avoid the temptation to binge on high-calorie treats like birthday cake and sweets.
If your own efforts to lose weight have been unsuccessful and/or if there are underlying health problems that are preventing you from losing weight, it is worth contacting your doctor. Possible treatment may include:
- Drug treatment of obesity-related health problems.
- Implementing certain changes to improve eating habits and increase activity levels.
- Therapy to address any eating disorders (medication may also be required).
Surgery to treat obesity (bariatric surgery) is the only option available today that is effective in combating morbid obesity in people for whom more traditional measures such as diet, exercise and medications have not been effective. Potential candidates for surgery include:
- People with a BMI over 40
- Men who are 100 pounds (45 kg) over the recommended body weight, or women who are 80 pounds (36.2 kg) over the recommended body weight.
- Individuals with a BMI of 35-40 who have underlying medical conditions such as obesity-related type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, or cardiovascular disease.
All of the above methods of combating excess weight may not give good results if the root of the problem is eating disorders. In such cases, a slightly different technique is needed, which includes, first of all, psychotherapy under the guidance of a competent specialist.
Compulsive overeating has the same nature as bulimia - it is an eating disorder. However, if with bulimia a person artificially induces vomiting after eating or abuses laxatives to get rid of what he has eaten, this does not happen in this case. A person simply consumes an excessively large amount of food in a short period of time, “eating” negative emotions, stress and depression. Binge eating disorder (BED) is treated in the same way as bulimia and other eating disorders, with an emphasis on psychotherapy as the main component of successful treatment. Although there are many different techniques, it is always recommended to start by seeing an experienced therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders. Evaluation and supervised drug treatment are also part of the standard approach to managing BED. A medical examination is carried out to identify possible health problems associated with the underlying disease and to select the optimal treatment program.
Psychotherapy for compulsive overeating disorder
Psychotherapy is the most common treatment for eating disorders and, according to research, the most effective. Psychotherapy may take some time and require certain financial costs, but it will help not only solve the problem of painful overeating and, as a result, excess weight, but also improve emotional health and help improve the quality of life in general. The focus of psychotherapeutic treatment is to identify, address, and prevent relapse of the underlying emotional and cognitive disturbances that led to the onset of the compulsive disorder.
Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy for obesity
This approach helps identify and correct dysfunctional thought patterns that trigger and perpetuate unhealthy food abuse. In other words, a person is helped to understand, identify and change his irrational thoughts (the “cognitive” part of consciousness), which, in turn, directly affect behavior (for example, encouraging healthy eating through proper goal setting, a reward system, etc.).
If you have an eating disorder, treatment will be given over a period of time with specific goals in mind. As with any other psychotherapy, sessions can be conducted either on an outpatient basis (once a week) or in a hospital setting.
CPT will help a person with compulsive overeating disorder break their unhealthy eating patterns, adjust their habits, and learn to avoid situations that may trigger the craving for overeating. In parallel, therapy helps the patient find healthier ways to cope with stress.
Obesity is a chronic disease affecting an increasing number of children, adolescents and adults.
Experts are seeing the onset of type 2 diabetes earlier in life (usually a disease seen in adults), as well as obesity-related cardiovascular disease and depressive disorders in children and adolescents. The longer a person suffers from obesity, the more significant the risk factors associated with it become. Given the chronic diseases and conditions associated with excess body weight, and the fact that obesity is difficult to treat, prevention is extremely important.
The main reason why obesity prevention is especially important for children is that the likelihood of obesity after reaching a certain age in children with a problem of excess weight, according to experts, will increase from 20% at the age of four to 80% during adolescence.
Preventing obesity in infants
The longer babies are breastfed, the less likely they are to develop weight problems later in life. Breastfed children are 15-25% less likely to become obese. For those who are breastfed until six months of age or longer, the chance is 20-40% lower.
Young people usually suffer from overweight or even obesity for one simple reason - because they do not get enough physical activity and have bad eating habits. Genetic predisposition and lifestyle in general also contribute to the occurrence of such problems in a child.
There are several steps you can take to prevent overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence. (It will be useful not only for children, but also for adults!) Our recommendations include the following:
- Gradually work to change family habits, including diet and activity levels. The focus should be on this and not on the scales. Change your habits, and your body will get rid of unnecessary ballast in the form of extra pounds.
- Be a role model. Parents who eat well and lead an active lifestyle become a guide and role model for their children, which minimizes the likelihood of future weight problems.
- Encourage physical activity. Children should get at least an hour of moderate physical activity every day. More than an hour will be good for weight loss and maintaining the achieved results.
- Reduce your time sitting in front of the TV and computer to two hours a day.
- Encourage children to eat only when they are truly hungry. Teach them to chew their food slowly without being distracted by the TV screen or book.
- Avoid using favorite treats as rewards or punishments.
- Keep skim or low-fat milk and fresh fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator instead of soft drinks and snacks high in sugar and fat.
- Try to give children at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
- Encourage children to drink water rather than high-sugar drinks such as soda, sports drinks, and fruit juice drinks.
Prevention of obesity in adults
Many strategies that lead to successful weight loss and maintenance are also effective for preventing obesity. Choosing healthier eating habits and wisely increasing daily physical activity play a vital role in preventing obesity. Among the things that can be taken with confidence now are the following steps:
- Eat 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. One serving = one cup of raw vegetables or half a cup of cooked vegetables or vegetable juice. A serving of fruit is one cup of small to medium-sized fresh fruit, or one-half cup of canned fruit or fruit juice, or one-fourth cup of dried fruit.
- Choose whole grain foods such as brown rice and whole wheat bread. Avoid overly processed foods made with refined white sugar, white flour and saturated fat.
- Weigh and estimate the serving size to get an idea of its size. For example, three ounces of meat (85 g) is a piece as thick as a deck of cards. Avoid extremely large portions on the menu, especially at fast food restaurants. You can only make good progress if you keep your portions within optimal sizes.
- Keep track of your calorie intake Consuming more calories than you can burn in a day for energy will lead to weight gain.
Weigh yourself regularly!
Avoid foods with high “energy density”, that is, those that contain a large amount of calories in a small piece. For example, a large cheeseburger and a large portion of fries can add up to almost 1,000 calories and 30 or more grams of fat. By ordering a grilled chicken sandwich or a simple hamburger and a small salad with low-fat dressing, you can avoid mindlessly consuming hundreds of extra calories and cut down on unnecessary amounts of fat. For dessert, it is better to eat fruit or a piece of white sponge cake, rather than a tooth-aching chocolate cake or three slices of homemade pie.
Don't be afraid to break a sweat: commit to at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity several times a week, or preferably every day of the week. For example, a 15-minute brisk walk or weeding in the garden.
Create opportunities for yourself during the day to take 10-15 minute breaks to burn off some extra calories. Let it be a walk down the halls or up and down a few flights of stairs at work. Don't forget that a drop wears away a stone!
A significant decrease in the number of obese patients occurred in six regions. In North Ossetia, the proportion of the population with this diagnosis decreased by 46.6% over the year, now it is less than 4.5 thousand people. In the Stavropol Territory, there were 4.5 thousand (18%) fewer obese patients.
In Moscow, there are 66.3 thousand obese patients, or 0.5% of the population. This figure is lower only in the Primorsky Territory: there obesity is diagnosed in 0.4% of residents.
Childhood obesity
In the Jewish Autonomous Region, more than half of all obese patients are children and adolescents (0 to 17 years old). The share of minors among all obese people in the region in 2017 exceeded 64%. In another 14 regions, children and adolescents made up more than a third of all obese patients, an RBC analysis showed. Among them are North Ossetia, Bashkortostan, Kaluga region, Perm region, Bryansk region, Tuva, Ulyanovsk region, Volgograd region and Crimea.
In two regions - the Altai Republic and the Ulyanovsk region - more than 3% of all children and adolescents were diagnosed with obesity. The proportion of obese children in the Altai Republic increased 3.5 times over the year, in the Ulyanovsk region - twofold, and the majority of patients are children under 14 years of age. According to the Ministry of Health, in the Ulyanovsk region, every 14th teenager aged 15-17 years is obese. In St. Petersburg, every 15th teenager in this age group suffers from obesity. The number of obese patients under the age of 18 has also increased sharply in Kabardino-Balkaria - from 373 in 2016 to 2082 in 2017, this is 1% of children.
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor of the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences Alla Pogozheva believes that the increase in the incidence of obesity among children in Russia is due to the fact that “they are fed by parents who themselves are obese.” According to Pogozheva, it is parents who shape children’s addiction to unhealthy food and overeating.
In order to improve the health of children and adults, prevent non-communicable diseases and conditions caused by a lack of “micronutrients,” the Ministry of Health approved “Recommendations on rational standards for the consumption of food products that meet modern requirements for a healthy diet,” the department’s press service told RBC.
All-Russian problem
The proportion of Russian residents diagnosed with obesity increased by 6% from 2016 to 2017, to 1.3% of the population (1.9 million people). Among children and adolescents under 18 years of age in Russia as a whole, the increase in the number of obese people was 5.3% - at the end of 2017 there were almost 451 thousand people. In just the last five years, the proportion of Russians who are obese has increased by 30%.
The press service of the Ministry of Health reported that in reality the situation could be significantly worse. “There is a study (“Epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases in various regions of Russia.” — RBC), held on this topic every five years. Thus, as of 2013, the prevalence of obesity among men aged 25 to 64 years was 26.9%, among women aged 25 to 64 years it was 30.8%,” the department said.
The number of Russian men suffering from obesity by 2013 had tripled compared to 2003, in April 2018, Oksana Drapkina, director of the State Research Center for Preventive Medicine of the Ministry of Health, based on data from the same study.
A year ago, the government approved the project “Formation of a healthy lifestyle” to combat obesity and other factors that reduce the health of the population, the ministry recalled.
One of the main reasons for the increase in the number of Russians diagnosed with obesity is the lack of systematic education in matters of healthy nutrition, Viktor Tutelyan, scientific director of the Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science "Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology", chief nutritionist of the Russian Ministry of Health, explained to RBC. “A woman has not yet become pregnant, but she should already know all the basics of healthy nutrition for her unborn child. Eating habits are formed by grandparents, mothers, and fathers. Just a little bit, they give you sweets so that the child doesn’t cry,” he noted.
The problem of obesity in the world
According to the World Health Organization for 2016, about 39% of the world's adult population is overweight (body mass index - BMI - greater than or equal to 25). This is 1.9 billion people, of which over 650 million are obese (body mass index greater than or equal to 30). At the same time, WHO experts note that more people around the world die from the consequences of overweight and obesity than from the consequences of abnormally low body weight.
The island countries of the Pacific Ocean are at the top of the ranking of countries in terms of the share of the population suffering from obesity. Among the main reasons for this state of affairs are the genetic predisposition of the local population, the rejection of local food products in favor of cheaper but less healthy imported products, and a decrease in physical activity.
Of the large countries, the leader (11th in the world) in the number of adults suffering from obesity is the United States (37.3%). Russia ranks 55th in the ranking (25.7%).
According to Tutelyan, healthy eating and physical activity are two factors that can improve the situation with obesity and related diseases: “A person must understand that if he ate two cakes, he needs to walk for two hours or run for an hour to expend energy.”
In reality, the number of obese people is many times higher than it appears from the Ministry of Health data, says Olga Grigoryan, leading researcher at the Federal Research Center for Nutrition and Biotechnology (formerly the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences). “In Russia, every third person is overweight, and every fourth, that is, 20-25%, suffers from obesity. These are statistics from the Nutrition Center. If only 1.3% of all Russians in the country suffered from such a problem, we would be without work,” she told RBC.
According to Grigoryan, the increase in the number of obese people is also due to the fact that patients began to see a doctor more often. “Some people come to their senses earlier and go to the doctors,” she noted. The expert points out that, in general, the diagnosis of “obesity” is made very rarely, both in the regions and in Moscow. “There are already complications from obesity. Hypertension, diabetes, arthrosis - everything that is a consequence,” she concluded.
When is obesity diagnosed?
Doctors distinguish four degrees of obesity. If necessary, you can find out the stage of the disease using body mass index indicators. To calculate BMI, you need to divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. For example, with a weight of 55 kg and a height of 1.65 m, the BMI will be 20.2.
In first degree obesity, the excess of normal body weight is 10-30%. For women this corresponds to a BMI of 28-31, for men - a BMI of 30-32. Second degree obesity is an excess of normal body weight by 30-49% (BMI for women - 31-34.5, for men - 32.3-37.2). The third degree is an excess of normal weight by 50-99%. BMI of women is 35.5-47.3, men - 37.7-49.7. In case of obesity of the fourth degree, the normal weight is exceeded by 100%. In this case, women have a BMI of more than 47, and men have a BMI of more than 49.
Overweight and Obesity - this is not just a cosmetic defect, but a serious one pathological process, including disorders of the metabolism and utilization of nutrients, accumulation of huge amounts of waste in adipose tissue, hormonal disorders, chronic diseases of the heart, blood vessels and brain, destruction of large joints.
This is why it is not cosmetologists who should treat obesity, but a team of highly qualified doctors of various specialties (therapist, endocrinologist, nutritionist, bariatric surgeon, psychotherapist, rehabilitation medicine specialists).
Our Center conducts unique comprehensive treatment for overweight and obese patients.
Treatment and rehabilitation programs for overweight and obese patients are based on international standards and can be carried out both on an outpatient and inpatient basis.
Outpatient and inpatient programs include:
- Diagnosis of the causes, forms and risks of obesity
- Screening comprehensive examination
- Diagnostics of energy exchange
- Identification of eating behavior patterns
- Calculation of daily caloric intake
- Diet programs based on an individual panel of food intolerances, addictions and social activity
- Non-surgical weight loss by activating metabolism and increasing calorie consumption (physical rehabilitation, physiotherapeutic techniques)
- Drug therapy for obesity
- Psychotherapeutic support (reducing hunger, increasing motivation to lose weight)
- If necessary (for morbid obesity), consultation with a bariatric surgeon (installation of a gastric balloon, banding, gastric bypass)
- Management of patients after surgery for obesity (regardless of how old the operation was)
Our Center provides exclusive weight loss techniques:
- Grade food intolerance(IgG) with the preparation of an individual diet
An individual diet, selected taking into account intolerance to specific foods, will help you. Forget about constant hunger. Nutrition selected taking into account individual food intolerance does not require strict restrictions on the amount of food. Weight loss can reach 5 kg per week.
- General aerocryotherapy ( cryosauna)
Link: a unique method of non-drug activation of metabolism and calorie burning. The patient stays in the cryosauna for 2-3 minutes at a temperature of -120-180*C. Short-term intense cooling causes a powerful release of hormones and bioactive substances, resulting in a sharp increase in metabolic processes. At the end of the procedure, the patient feels pleasant warmth and relaxation throughout the whole body for about 30 minutes. The volume reduction at the end of a course of 10 procedures is up to 6 cm.
- “Lipostok” program - thalassotherapy, peloidotherapy “ SoftPack”
- LPG– therapy, tissue and lymphatic vibration massage
- Hypobarotherapy « Vacuumed»
An individually selected comprehensive weight loss program allows you to reduce body weight by 5-25 kg within 2-4 weeks.
Treatment of obesity without surgery
Physiotherapy
Psychotherapy
Individual diet
Medical nutrition
Food intolerance
Healthy nutrition
Detoxification
Physiotherapy
Losing weight without hunger
Weight loss after childbirth
In the body of any person there are on average 30-40 billion fat cells, but not all of them are in a functional state and this is wonderful. All the extra calories that we consume without expending are immediately stored in fat cells, filling them with fat. In our distant ancestors, these fat deposits were intended to nourish the body during a hungry period (for example, in winter). Therefore, a person’s love for high-calorie foods can be considered innate - for survival. If we look at the diet of a modern person, we will see that it is customary to take breaks between meals for no more than 4 hours. Is it correct? Of course not. In these cases, fat is stored “in reserve” and occupies the space necessary for the location of internal organs. This is especially obvious with the abdominal type of obesity (male type). Repeatedly in the newspaper we touched on the harm caused to the body by excess weight: this is not only the load on the spine, legs, constant stress, but also metabolic syndrome, in which, due to the resistance of body tissues to insulin, diseases such as type II diabetes mellitus appear, atherosclerosis, hypertension and their complications.
The Vitalain company has developed its own effective program for weight loss, which includes a specific approach to the regimen and quality of nutrition, physical activity and the judicious use of dietary supplements, combined according to the mechanism of action into 6 groups. The patient (together with the consultant doctor) can choose one (suitable for him) drug from each group - a total of 6 (possibly 5) and take them according to the method specified in the book “Vitaline Products”.
Group I includes dietary supplements that help remove “bad” cholesterol from the body:
- Lecithin in granules or capsules reduces cholesterol levels and the concentration of fatty acids in the blood;
- Mega Plus reduces triglycerides and the risk of blood clots;
- Carni-Plas breaks down fat, reduces its reserves, removes “carbon waste” from the cell;
- Arginine and Lysine reduce fat stores in the body;
- Cambridge nutrition is low-calorie, in a weight loss program it is used to replace 3 meals a day (plus fresh vegetables) for 5 days, and subsequently - a constant replacement for dinner;
- Super C speeds up your slow metabolism, causing you to burn more calories.
Group II includes dietary supplements that reduce fluid content in the body:
- Vita-Taurine has a diuretic (removes sodium) effect, regulating the water-salt balance;
- Diures Formula enhances urinary function, being a potassium-sparing diuretic;
- Burdock roots have a diuretic effect.
Group III includes dietary supplements that suppress appetite:
- Vita-Tryptophan reduces cravings for carbohydrate foods;
- Vita Tyrosine suppresses appetite and helps reduce fat deposits;
- Glutamine reduces cravings for carbohydrate foods and sweets;
- Citri-Bern reduces appetite with hydroxycitrus acid derived from Garcinia Cambogia.
Group IV includes dietary supplements that reduce insulin resistance of body tissues:
- Healthy Chrome (Chromium Picolinate) increases insulin activity, reducing tissue insulin resistance;
- Zinc increases the effectiveness of insulin;
- Citri Bern reduces cell resistance to insulin, prevents the transition of glycogen to fat (due to chromium and vanadium);
- Magnesium complex is involved in the production of insulin and improves carbohydrate metabolism.
Group V includes dietary supplements that normalize blood sugar:
- Citri-Bern prevents the transition of glycogen to fat and blocks the absorption of sugar in the gastrointestinal tract;
- Vita-Taurine increases cell sensitivity to insulin;
- Burdock roots have a hypoglycemic effect;
- VitaGreen Plus (Living Greens) stabilizes blood sugar due to spirulina.
Group VI includes dietary supplements that reduce the absorption of fat from the intestines:
- Citrus pectin slows down the rate of food absorption (thanks to dietary fiber);
- Lactofiber prevents the absorption of saturated fats and cholesterol through the gastrointestinal tract, creates a feeling of satiety thanks to natural dietary fiber;
- Quito-Trim adsorbs fats and turns them into a gelatinous form like gelatin, which is not absorbed, blocks the formation of fat from carbohydrates (thanks to chitosan from crustacean shells);
- Ultra Calcium & Silicon Formula activates lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fats for their further utilization.
About the quality of food. Food should be varied. Proteins speed up metabolism by 30%, stimulate the synthesis of glucogon, and the pancreas produces the hormone insulin. Glucagon mobilizes fats from tissue depots, helping to reduce body weight. Among the proteins, the most useful foods for weight loss are: turkey or chicken meat (without skin), white fish, boiled or baked (but not fried). Vegetables and fruits are preferred among carbohydrates: broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, green beans, radishes, spinach, turnips, apples, grapefruits, strawberries, watermelon. Raisins and onions are rich in the microelement BOR, which accelerates calorie burning. Twice a week you can eat avocados, olives, raw nuts and seeds, wheat and corn germs.
The amount of water you drink per day should be 6-8 glasses. Herbal teas, which can be mixed with fruit juices if desired, and mineral water are beneficial. The following should be excluded from the diet: butter, mayonnaise, ice cream, meat, whole milk, fatty sauces, cream, white wheat flour products, white rice, pies, cakes, chocolate bars, any sugar, candy, corn sweetener, alcohol, including including beer and wine. Reduce the portion of food, chew slowly, do not wait to be full. Chewing gum causes a feeling of hunger due to the release of digestive enzymes. Poor nutrition can also be a cause of obesity, since in the absence of important nutrients, fat does not burn, but accumulates in the body.
It is necessary to monitor the regularity of bowel movements.
Physical activity is necessary to reduce body weight. Be sure to spend time outdoors (at least an hour a day in any weather) - walking, cycling, gymnastics, swimming, water aerobics. Increased physical activity speeds up basal metabolism and helps “burn” calories (and fat).
And most importantly, to lose weight, give up late dinner.
Why is late dinner dangerous? Referring to the information obtained from studying the materials of the monograph by Ph.D., Dr. Belkin, “How to give dinner to the enemy -2 or the healing power of night hunger,” we state that during the day the main energy for a person comes from carbohydrate foods, due to the combustion of carbohydrates under the influence hormone insulin. At night, energy is consumed from fat depots for the activity of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, liver, etc. If dinner is late, then insulin is produced for it (by the pancreas), and another endocrine gland, the pituitary gland, receives information: “you should not waste “precious” fat reserves - for energy production, dinner is enough.” Late dinner reduces the synthesis of prostaglandin E-1 and growth hormone, reducing the mobilization of fat from the depot, which accelerates the natural aging process of the body.
Another “endocrine disruption” as a result of eating a late dinner is the excess production of “nighttime” insulin. It is known that the basis of all diseases of “civilization” is hyperinsulinemia. It leads to weakened immunity, dysbacteriosis, atherosclerosis, hypertension, osteoporosis, and hypothyroidism. In addition, eating dinner at night causes nocturnal hyperglycemia. Excess glucose, due to its aldehyde group, enters into a chemical reaction with proteins (protein glycosylation) and irreversibly damages them. Most often, collagen, which is part of the structure of blood vessels, suffers, so diseases such as ischemic heart disease and its complications arise - myocardial infarction, cerebral infarction (stroke), diabetes and its complications - gangrene of the extremities, retinal dystrophy (blindness), neuro- and nephropathy . Excess glucose contributes to the development of Parkinsonism and Alzheimer's disease due to damage to brain vessels, neurohormones and neurotransmitters, denaturation of lens fibers, which leads to cataracts. In late dinner seekers, excess glucose inactivates antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione-dependent peroxidase and catalase). Due to an excess of free radicals and damage to proteins, nucleic acids, and phospholipids, premature aging of the body occurs.
Protecting the protein from glycosylation are Vitalain dietary supplements such as Super C and ORS 95+ Pycnogenol.
Stimulation of growth hormone (youth hormone), i.e. activation of the pituitary gland (mobilization of fat from the depot) can be obtained not only by “hungry” periods at night, but also by taking the amino acid Arginine, which, by forming nitric oxide (NO), activates the intracellular enzyme guanylate cyclase, promotes the synthesis of the universal metabolic regulator - guanine monophosphate.
With an early dinner at night, endogenous protein nutrition is activated. This happens as follows: 4 hours after eating (20 pm, with the last meal at 16 pm) food reaches the colon; In the duodenum, the hormone cholecystokinin is synthesized, which promotes the emptying of the gallbladder, the secretion of pancreatic juice, the digestion of mucus, digestive juices, and enzymes. Glucose reserves are consumed for brain energy, fatty acids for muscle energy, heart and other organs, as well as amino acids for building peptide proteins.
In conclusion, I would like to say that “Slimness for the body is as important as grace for the mind.” Both of these parameters are achieved if you refuse late dinner, which is what we encourage you to do!
