Tag Archives: overweight and obesity

Group Weight Loss Programs may Work better than doing it alone

November 21, 2014

Group Weight Loss Programs may Work better than doing it alone – Want to lose weight?

Group weight loss programs

Did you know that group weight loss programs may work better for you than doing it alone? It is cost effective and full of support and encouragement from your colleagues.

The topic of losing weight is getting much attention in most societies due to its effects on human lives. Many times the fight has been centered on the individual struggling to lose for a healthy living. The individualization of the recovery process has actually worked for many in the past.as time goes by, things are changing towards effective weight loss. Currently many people are opting for group weight loss programs for various reasons. This is what is going to form the basis of our discussion in this article. We are aware of the several challenges that overweight and obese people face in our societies. For instance stigma and discrimination towards them are so prevalent and poses many consequences for their psychological and physical health.

These are some of the consequences best addressed at the group weight loss programs. It is regrettable that despite the several documentation of effect of stigma and discrimination their health effects are still extensively overlooked. In fact many people often blame the victims for causing the problem to them. The question I asked is this fair? If you are struggling with weight, I want to give you hope that solution is within reach at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. This facility was founded by doctor Dalal Akoury to help you overcome your weight related problems. You can reach for help either as an individual, a family or a group of friends. However, for the purpose of this article, we will be talking about the benefits of group weight loss programs offered by AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center.

Like I was saying stigmatization of obese individuals threatens health by generating health discrepancies, and interferes with effective obesity intervention efforts. That is why group weight loss programs conducted by doctor Dalal Akoury is focusing on addressing the weight stigma as both a social justice issue and an urgency for public health. I beseech you to come up of your hide out and face the situation as it is by scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury today. This will give you the head start in overcoming any form of stigma and discrimination and focus on you purpose which is full recovery.

Emotional and Social Problems

Emotional and social problems are best dealt with at the group weight loss programs for many reasons. These are problems which definitely needs the support of others other than the health care professional attending to the patient. That is why taking part in group weight loss program in more beneficial than individual recovery process. During these seasons, members of the group are able to lift one another’s spirit by encouragement and being role models.

Depression – the experts have established a close link between depression and obesity and more so in obese women. In instances where depression is extreme the victims are likely to overeat and get addicted to some unhealthy food and in the process gain weight. Besides that overweight people are also likely to become depressed because of social problems and even poor self-image. In all this the solution would be group weight loss program tailored to bring back the lost hope in ever being free from the epidemic of overweight and obesity.

Lifestyle Changes and Psychosocial Treatments

It will interest you to know that even the slightest weight loss either individually or in a group weight loss, can reduce the risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. The simplest method to weight loss is by dropping calories and exercising at least 2.5 hours weekly. Behavioral and mental changes in eating habits, physical activity, and attitudes about food and weight are also essential to weight management.

Some Tips for Losing Weight

The following are some general suggestions for dieters:

  • Collectively in a group weight loss program, desire to start with genuine objectives. Diet failure is extremely common, and the odds of significant weight loss are low, particularly in people with the highest weights. People, who are able to restrict calories, engage in an exercise program, and get help in making behavioral changes can expect to lose 5 – 10% of their current body weight. That is generally all that is needed to achieve meaningful health changes. Certainly, the distorted image of a super-thin female shape should not be anyone’s goal.
  • Don’t give up, even after repeated weight loss failures. Most studies indicate that yo-yo dieting or weight cycling have no bad psychological or physical effects. Repeated dieting also does not harm the body’s ability to burn calories efficiently.
  • Once the pounds are lost, do your best to keep the healthier weight. Make daily, even hourly, conscious decisions about eating and exercising activities. Such thinking, in many cases, can become automatic and not painful.
  • Do not use hunger pangs as cues to eat. A stomach that has been stretched by large meals will continue to signal hunger for large amounts of food until its size reduces over time with smaller meals.
  • Be honest about how much you eat and start by recording all calories in writing. Many people significantly underestimate their consumption of high-calorie foods and overestimate intake of low-calorie foods. People who do not carefully note everything they eat tend to take in too many calories when they believe they are dieting.
  • Observe weekend eating. People tend to eat more on the weekends. If it is difficult to monitor all meals during the week, it may be useful to at least track eating habits during the weekends.
  • Weight loss, in any case, should not be the only or even the primary goal for people concerned about their health. The success of weight loss efforts should be evaluated according to improvements in disease risk factors or symptoms, and by the adoption of healthy lifestyle habits, not just by the number of pounds lost.
  • Maintain a regular exercise program, assuming you have no health problems that will stop you. Choose a program that you enjoy. Check with your doctor about any health considerations.
Group Weight Loss Programs may Work better than doing it alone – Want to lose weight?

 

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Overweight and Obesity Management in Children

November 20, 2014

Overweight and Obesity Management in Children – Family group Weight Loss

Overweight

The things our children like most are the major causes of Overweight and Obesity. Management of these in Children becomes easy if we involve them effectively in healthy lifestyles behaviors

I love my children and I believe you are too. As for me they form a very dear part of my family. Anything which is affecting them affects the whole of my family. For instance the predominant of childhood overweight and obesity in our societies is escalating to epidemic. That is why as a family we are taking the problem of overweight collectively in all dimensions. Immediate treatment is not just necessary but a must if we are to bring up healthy children today and to the generations to come. Ideally this course is best taken by the application of a non-drug, multidisciplinary approach and not forgetting diet, lifestyle change, and exercise. We are encouraged by the findings of the experts that just a little reduction of calories by only 200 – 260 each day would help in the prevention of weight gain in most overweight children.

To say the truth dear friends overweight and obesity management is not very easy and more so when the victims are children. In appreciating this fact we rely on the experts opinions to make effort in managing this problem. Our source of strength has always been from doctor Dalal Akoury a medical professional who knows only what is best for her clients. Doctor Akoury, founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center specifically to help you and me deal with issues relating to weight. I can tell you for sure that the services offered at this facility are all inclusive. That is why as a family we had several options to choose from and we chose family group weight loss. You can schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today and she will take you through all the available services they offer.

This is the true home of weight loss solutions for all people regardless of what you do, have, or don’t have. Remember that doctor Akoury together with her team of experienced experts are offering exclusive NER Recovery Treatment to everyone including other physicians and health care professionals through various means like training, clinical apprenticeships, webinars and seminars. Everyone qualified professionals or otherwise can now be a part of this truly successful and fast addiction and weight loss recovery treatment.

Weight lose guidelines

In our group weight loss program at this facility under the able leadership of doctor Akoury, we have been given worthy tips which when adhered to, will help you bring up healthy children free from overweight and obesity. I urge you to consider getting this valuable health information from the doctor any time of choice. In the meantime, the following are some guidelines which can be very helpful when applied to your overweight children:

  • Reduce or better still avoid unhealthy fast foods, high-sugar snacks, commercial packaged snacks, soda, and sugar-sweetened beverages including too much juice.
  • Allow your children to take snacks, however always make sure that the snacks they are taking are healthy. The experts have established that children develop good weight and cholesterol profile by eating healthy meals frequently in smaller units than taking two or three big portions all at the same time.
  • Encourage your children to serve themselves their own portion of food. Doing this has been established from one of the studies that when children are allowed to serve themselves, they tend to consume 25% less.
  • Never use provocative words to overweight children. Condemnation really does not help, instead this could put children at risk for eating disorders, conditions which could be similar or possess greater dangers to their health.
  • Discourage over use of television, video games, and computer to a few hours a week. This will immensely result in proper weight control, even without use of diet and physical activity.

As a society and parents we need to focus on doing things which will make our children see us as there role models towards healthy lifestyle. What we eat both at work and at home is very important. Therefore during our family weight loss group training, we impact on our children to remain focus on the following three important behaviors:

  • Improved food choices
  • Increased physical activity
  • Reduced screen time.

It is important noting that these three behaviors are not only meant for children but the whole concept is applicable to everyone. Therefore if we succeed in impacting these things in our children at their young stages of life, then we will be making progress in securing the good health of our coming generation. Can you take a moment and make a reflection of how life can be if we are all free from the pandemic of overweight and its health complications? I can only admit with great humility that “yes we can.”

Changing Sedentary Habits

Changing Sedentary Habits – I know that we have mentioned this but allow me to make some emphasis on this again. Never underrate any small changes you make as long as that they are positive. For instance even small changes in physical activity can expend energy. For example, by merely getting up to turn the TV on and off instead of being stationery and opting to using the remote, and standing while talking on your cell phone may help you lose up to five pounds a year. Can you imagine that? Very simple things we often ignored. Other suggestions include:

  • Cooking your own food at home instead of consuming the take away food stuff from the fast food.
  • Walk to as many places as possible, using stairs instead of taking the escalators, elevators and gardening.
  • Even fidgeting may be helpful in keeping pounds off, and, in one study, chewing gum increased energy expenditure.

Finally the problem of managing overweight and obesity is the responsibility of everyone. Just like obesity can affect anyone so is the burden of finding solution. If we can all pull together in our individual or collective capacities, and with the help of the professionals like doctor Akoury, we will certainly win the war for many generations to come. Be the change you want.

Overweight and Obesity Management in Children – Family group Weight Loss

 

 

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Overweight and obesity as factors of bullying

November 18, 2014

Overweight and obesity as factors of bullying – The consequences of bullying

Overweight

Overweight and obesity as factors of bullying and stigma among children is very painful psychologically. We have a duty to bring up children who are physically and emotionally healthy.

If you have been with us on this site you must have learnt of several consequences of being overweight or obese and particularly to our children. We recently introduced bullying as one of the major consequences our overweight children face psychologically. We want to further on that and get answers to certain pertinent questions you may have. I therefore invite you to keep staying on the site and invite a friend or friends so that we pull together in the fight of overweight and obesity in our children and our children’s children. We have made it a priority in AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center to do all we can to fight tooth and nail the scourge of obesity because we understand the pains it afflicts in our people’s lives. At this facility doctor Akoury the C.E.O has established a working team of experts to ensure good health for all of us in all dimensions. I want to encourage you that as the discussion progresses, you may consider calling doctor Akoury for a much more professional advice and treatment.

Bullying being one of the most psychological problems is a highly individualized experience just as physical pain is. Some days the child or teen may endure bullying better than others. It is therefore very important that the type of bullying, the level, intensity and frequency of contact with the bully or bullies be deliberated on when assessing and evaluating the emotional and physical consequences of being a victim. The result of such is that overweight children who are victims of bullying will avoid attending to activities at the playground or schools which will translate into their being inactive and poor performance academically. Besides this bullying can be very extreme in some case and lead to much more catastrophic results like suicide. This is very painful and so we must be careful when discussing the consequences of bullying in general terms since the threshold for different types of bullying will fluctuate from child to child.

Helping a child who is being bullied

It is always said that knowledge is power and therefore it will be very important that you are well informed adequately about this situation of bullying and especially in overweight or obese children. Remember that to addressing this situation with your children will require consistency, humility, compassion and above all listening to the child’s experience without judging them. I am not promising that it will be easy you must be ready to weather the obstacles which may come your way like for instance it can be tempting to portion blame on the child or even suggest that, “You need to learn to defend yourself.” Being overprotective may also be an option for you like “I must discuss this with his/her parents straightaway.” These are obstacles and should be avoided because they will make you harden your position which may only result in to making enemies. Therefore your best plan of action should be to show your child how to use all the resources available to create a safer and more secure environment for them.

  • Surround your child with family and neighbors who know your child is being bullied and ask that they support you in protecting your child is not just important for your child but also to theirs as well.
  • Cultivating a “zero tolerance” for bullying environment in your child’s community ensures all children have access to a safe, nurturing, learning environment.
  • You and your child can work together to ensure all kids are safe and empowered to speak up against bullies.
  • Remember, you may be the only person your child can trust and come to for help.

Fighting the war of Bullying

Remember that we are talking about one of the consequences of being overweight or obese and so if your child is a victim of bullying, the following are some of the things you can do to help:

  • Schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury to get first hand professional treatment for the root course of the problem which is being overweight.
  • Encourage your child to ask the adults around them for help.
  • Encourage your child to join an organization or group at school. Be sure to create a safe and welcoming place for your child to have friends visit.
  • The most important thing is to help your child stay safe by not trying to not worsen the situation.
  • Help your child learn to defend themselves from bullies by encouraging them to stay calm, look the bully in the eye and stand up tall.
  • When bullying incidents occur, write them down with your child. Keeping track of the incidents will help you prepare for meetings with teachers, parents and, if necessary, law enforcement officers.
  • Enrolling children in self-defense or martial arts classes can build their confidence and teach them how to protect themselves from bullies even as they cut on weight.
  • Make an appointment with your school principal and your child’s teacher to inform them of the bullying and to ask their help in addressing the situation. Ask about the school policies on bullying and for any available resources to help you and your child.

The Community’s Role

Looking from the discussion, the root course of the all problem is overweight, as a society we have a duty to transform our habits to be in line with the required standard of healthy lifestyle. Our children literally learn from our habits. Parents and families must ensure total change of vents towards healthy lifestyle. When we encourage the whole society into living and eating healthy food, participating on physical activities and supporting one another in ensuring this is achieved collectively or individually then we will be addressing the root course of the problem and our children will not become victims of bullying, stigma or lose their self-esteem.

As a community we have a duty to become the good ambassadors of change we want, therefore we need to create an intensified awareness about healthy lifestyle not just to our communities but also to the neighboring communities so that we do not have our children relapsing when they mingle with their friends from the neighborhood. We must also impact positively to the learning institutions where our children go to by encouraging good programs to help schools, parents and organizations create safe, secure environments for all children.

Finally, overweight children needs to hear the same positive message. They need us to step-up and advocate for their basic human right to safe, secure environments where they can grow and succeed. We need to work together to make it better for them. Talk of working together please call doctor Akoury today for better understanding of what your role would be as a parent.

Overweight and obesity as factors of bullying – The consequences of bullying

 

 

 

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Preventions of Overweight and Obesity

November 17, 2014

Preventions of Overweight and Obesity – Adoption of healthy lifestyle

Overweight

Preventions of Overweight and Obesity is very paramount if we want to protect our children from physical and psychological effects.

Following a healthy lifestyle can help you prevent overweight and obesity in all seasons whether during the holidays or any other event. We are often introduced to most of these lifestyle habits during childhood. Meaning that if families and more so parents take the lead role from the word go in their children’s life at very tender age then the problem of overweight and obesity can be avoided in the future. We all have a duty to make sure that our children make healthy choices in their lives like being physically active and taking a healthy diet.

The effects of obesity and overweight are very disturbing to everyone. Whereas this is a problem of everyone in the society, we are going to narrow it to the children and considering two major effects on the children which include physical effects and psychological effects.

Physical effects prevention

The family unit needs to take the full responsibilities in bringing up healthy children free from health risks associated with overweight and obesity. How this affects children we had discussed in our previous articles, however the following healthy lifestyle goals should be encouraged by our families:

  • Follow a healthy eating plan – consider making healthy food choices, keeping your calorie needs and your family’s calorie needs in mind, and focusing on the balance of energy taken in and energy used out.
  • Focus on portion size – be very keen with the portion sizes in fast food and other restaurants. Remember that in many cases the portions served often are enough for two or three people. Children’s portion sizes should be smaller than those for adults. This will ensure that you only consume the right quantity and this helps you put good control on the energy taken in and given out.
  • Be active – create personal and family active time by finding certain activities that everyone will enjoy like for instance, go for a brisk walk, bike or rollerblade, or train together for a walk or run.
  • Reduce screen time – discourage the prolonged use of TVs, computers, and videogames because take or reduce the time for physical activity. The experts recommend 2 hours or less a day of screen time that’s not work- or homework-related.
  • Keep track of your weight – the body mass index, and waist circumference will be very instrumental in keeping track of your weight as well as that of your children’s growth.

Psychological effects

There are very many forms of psychological effects that are related to being overweight and obesity particularly in children. For the purpose of this article, we’re going to discuss bullying and stigma as some of the psychological effects. It is regrettable that bullying has become an epidemic in most societies. Many children have fallen victims of sexual bullying and cyber bullying, with the overweight children being the targeted. Bullying actually kills the child’s self-esteem and the sooner we take and practice the above mention preventive measures the better for our children. The psychological effect as a result of bullying can leave a permanent mark in a child’s life for a very long time.

The Alarming Statistics

The statistics on bullying are upsetting. In a recent national survey of overweight in sixth grade, 24 percent of the boys and 30 percent of the girls experienced daily teasing, bullying or rejection because of their size. The number doubles for overweight high school students with 58 percent of boys and 63 percent of girls experiencing daily teasing, bullying or rejection because of their size. This is a clear manifestation of the pain our children go through because of what we could easily solve if we did the right thing from their initial stages of life. Therefore what is bullying? The word bullying can take different forms of definitions including:

  • Bullying involves intentional, and largely unprovoked, efforts to harm another
  • Bullying can be physical or verbal, and direct or indirect in nature
  • Bullying involves repeated negative actions by one or more against another
  • Bullying involves an imbalance of physical or psychological power

While it feels somewhat clinical and removed to define bullying in this manner, we must do so to address the issue in a consistent and effective manner. However, we must also talk about this issue in plain English to keep it real and to understand the impact of bullying.

Overweight children and teens who are bullied are often called names, teased, punched, ganged up on, humiliated and ignored relentlessly either in-person or in social media by mean and often troubled peers. Victims often feel depressed, ostracized, sad, powerless, lonely, alienated, angry, anxious and fearful. It is very important that we address bullying in our schools, neighborhoods and communities because every child has the basic human right to feel safe and secure.

Who are the bullies and who are the victims?

For instance a study conducted in 2004 of bullying behaviors it was established that overweight and obese school-aged children were more likely to be the victims and perpetrators of bullying behaviors than their normal-weight peers. Furthermore, there are gender differences in bullying behaviors. Naturally, both male and female children and teens report bullies making fun of the way they look, dress or talk. However, males are more likely to report being physically harmed through punching or kicking, whereas girls are more likely to be excluded, ostracized and the target of rumors, especially pertaining to sexual activity.

In fact, it comes as no surprise that overweight children are at risk for bullying. The risk factors associated with bullying victims – feelings of insecurity, low self-esteem, depression, social isolation and marginalization, lack of social skills and the inability to defend themselves in confrontational situations – are similar to the psycho-social conditions of overweight children and teens; depression, anxiety, social isolation and marginalization and low self-esteem.

Types of bullying

We have quite a number of different kinds of bullying some of which includes the following:

  • Verbal bullying
  • Being threatened or forced to do things
  • Cyber bullying (via cell phone or the Internet)
  • Physical bullying
  • Social exclusion or isolation
  • Bullying through lies and false rumors
  • Racial bullying
  • Sexual bullying
  • Having money or other things taken or damaged

Bullying often come in two categories; direct and indirect. Direct bullying usually involves confrontations, name calling, derogatory comments, hitting, kicking, shoving and chasing. Indirect bullying is equally aggressive, but partially hidden from the victim and can include social isolation, the spreading of lies and rumors to peers and ignoring victims in group activities. Cyber bullying may also fall into this category because the harassment and bullying is a step removed from face-to-face contact using text messaging or social media networks such as Facebook and YouTube. Now dear reader it will only be fare that we take our right full positions as parents to help bring our children up in a healthy way to save them from this epidemic of bullying. This may not be easy and the services of weight loss professionals may be required. It is because of this challenge that Dr. Akoury made a decision to create a medical center (AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center) whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. You can schedule for an appointment with her today for a more elaborate evaluation and treatment.

Preventions of Overweight and Obesity – Adoption of healthy lifestyle

 

 

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