For longer than we care to remember we've seen countless celebrities flaunt themselves in numerous newspapers and magazines wearing the latest fashionable clothes, our only wish being to look somewhere near as amazing as they do. High street fashion outlets have gone all out to keep the latest trends within grasp, hiring celebrities and unhealthily slim models in order to make a quick buck out of our desire to look and feel a million dollars.
At workplaces across the globe, the glamour hungry talk of the latest diet like it's the holy grail and flock to popular diets as they do the latest fashions. Born out of the same need as the next designer dress many a modern diet has appeared with promises that defy the laws of the human body. Some work, some don't, but are they as great as they're made out to be or are they as hazardous to your health as designer clothes are to your bank balance?
Even the perception of the term diet has changed so much in recent times that it no longer reflects the consumption of food in it's intended sense. Sadly, to many, diet represents a period of time over which certain foods are restricted or encouraged in order to achieve weight loss, this is in stern contrast to what diet should mean; our 'day to day' eating habits.
Some diets have their roots grounded in sound medical science and have become something of a quick fix for people looking to achieve desirable looks in next to no time, but this doesn't mean that they're healthy. Diets have, in recent years, replaced the need for people to eat nutritionally balanced meals on a day to day basis. People have started using diets in the same manner that they use medication to cure a headache. As long as diets exist to cure the aesthetic symptoms of being overweight when necessary, the cause of being overweight in the first place will be perceived as irrelevant. In addition to this, the health benefits of maintaining ideal weight are never realised.
Most modern diets encourage the body to derive energy from lean tissue and fat, our bodies rely on lean tissue to burn calories consumed over the course of a day; a large contributor to metabolism. Also, when on a diet the body's metabolic rate can slow naturally in order to ensure that the major organs are supplied with enough energy. This normally happens when calorie intake is lowered substantially. The problem with this is that slowed metabolism results in a higher probability of gaining weight rapidly post-diet, this is especially true if the original causes of weight gain aren't addressed. The causes are many and unfortunately by nature we resist change, especially for the long term.
Currently the UK follows a western trend in rising obesity levels, a report commissioned by the UK Government (Foresight - Tackling Obesities: Future Choices, 2007) predicts that by the year 2050, 50% of women, 60% of men and 25% of children in the UK could be classified as obese.
Activity levels in the UK fall severely short of the mark needed to sustain our current lifestyles. Fast food is available at the click of a mouse and we can't drive for more than 2 minutes without passing a convenience store selling calorie dense food. Our working life means that we have little time to prepare fresh food and we do very little in work to burn the calories we consume. It's hardly surprising that people are gaining weight at an alarming rate.
Even our leisure time fails in producing enough activity to support our lifestyles. Passive entertainment seems to be the main choice for the majority of us, and sadly the thought of a 15 minute walk to work is enough to make most people reach for the car keys.
The state of the UK shows that negotiating modern life with a body that functions normally isn't enough, let alone when you've dedicated the last 3 months to slowing your metabolism. By repeatedly using modern diets and reducing calorie intake substantially, the risk of suffering from weight problems in future can greatly increase. The answer to glamourous looks cannot be realised in short bursts when feeling less than satisfied with your body, it is very rare that any meaningful change can be achieved with such minimal effort; weight loss is no different.
In order to maintain a great looking body and good health, it is important to live a sustainable lifestyle that is inline with your goals. Long term strategies for maintaining a healthy weight which apply both activity and sensible nutrition principles, although hard at first, are the only way to achieve the looks you desire and keep them.
Also, by participating in constructive long term lifestyle changes, instead of short term destructive changes, you significantly reduce the chances of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, obesity, colon cancer, breast cancer, anxiety, and depression.
Therefore, next time you are considering changing the way you look, give serious thought to the solution you choose. Integrating activity in your life and eating sensibly means that you are far more likely to be happy with the way you look and feel, and will lead to a longer more fulfilling life.
As a former Royal Marines Commando and REP's Level 3 Personal Trainer based in Cheltenham, UK, Matt Goodman cuts straight to the heart of weight loss, focussing on the array of issues surrounding successful lifestyle change.
Website: http://www.mattgoodman.co.uk/
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