There was a time when people said that if you were overweight (they actually said "fat") it meant you lacked the willpower to control yourself. Today we know that obesity is a disease involving many factors, including genetic makeup and psychological attitude. Change is possible. Obecity, an awareness project on the subject of obesity that promotes prevention and the adoption of healthy lifestyles, explains the basic rules for staying healthy at every age.

First things first: finding an eating rhythm

Dietary changes are never easy. That is why, as a parent, it is a good idea to establish a balanced diet for children right from the start. For adults, it means changing habits that are often deeply ingrained, or giving up tastes that may have been with us our whole lives. And yet it is from our everyday diet that we must begin. Why, for example, do dietitians insist so strongly on a substantial breakfast? Because breakfast is the meal that "sets the tone" for the entire day, making it easier to skip snacks and arrive at dinner as hungry as possible. Yet what often happens is the opposite: by evening we are tired and we tend to offload all the day's stress onto food. As a result, digestion becomes sluggish and the calories consumed at dinner, instead of being burned off through movement, are deposited in the body.

Quantity and quality

The rhythm of meals is just one of the factors that influences being overweight. No less important is the quantity and quality of what we eat. The most calorie-dense foods are those rich in fats, such as snacks and fast food. Instead, we should learn to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, which provide the fibre that is useful for detoxifying the body and nourishing the gut microbiota — that complex community of microorganisms that keeps us healthy (and lends a hand in losing weight). Fibre also means wholegrains in place of refined ones. Wholegrain products (rice, pasta, flours) are more filling and do not cause blood sugar spikes, a process that triggers insulin secretion — the hormone that allows fat to enter cells. It is true that for those accustomed to "white" products, wholegrain ones are not very appealing. But it is simply a matter of training the palate. The same can be said of sugar and sweets, which should be completely eliminated or drastically reduced: in addition to causing weight gain, they lead to diseases such as diabetes. Last but not least, it is important to drink. Not sugary, fizzy drinks, but plain water. Water cleanses the body and even helps keep appetite in check: we often mistake thirst for hunger.

No more laziness

As well as considering our "inputs" — that is, the food we eat — we should also think about our "outputs", namely the physical activity that allows us to burn the calories taken in through meals. Here, everyone must plan their own physical activity around the demands of the day. But there is no getting around it: moving is essential to shed excess weight or maintain the weight one has achieved. In particular, those who exercise eliminate fat mass — the kind that is most unsightly and most dangerous to health — replacing it with muscle, which burns more energy and tones the body. Many formerly obese people have regained their shape and strength simply by walking or running, or through more specific sporting activities. But here too, one can start with small steps: a twenty-minute walk a day, taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking the dog, and so on.