2017Stay Healtyy

There's a disturbing truth that is emerging from the science of obesity. After years of study, it's becoming apparent that it's nearly impossible to permanently lose weight. As incredible as it sounds, that's what the evidence is showing. For psychologist Traci Mann, who has spent 20 years running an eating lab at the University of Minnesota, the evidence is clear. "It couldn't be easier to see," she says. "Long-term weight loss happens to only the smallest minority of people." We all think we know someone in that rare group. They become the legends — the friend of a friend, the brother-in-law, the neighbor — the ones who really did it. But if we check back after five or 10 years, there's a good chance they will have put the weight back on. Only about five per cent of people who try to lose weight ultimately succeed, according to the research. Those people are the outliers, but we cling to their stories as proof that losing weight is possible...

Obesity has become a real problem in a lot of countries, however the US is the most obese country in the world, and the medical profession have started to worry about the additional stress it’s putting on the health service. The US is famous for consumerism, and it’s not difficult to find a fast food restaurant wherever people happen to live. It’s not just food that’s the problem it’s the way that people live their lives generally. There are so many gadgets about these days in terms of entertainment people often spend hours on their computers playing games. It’s also hard to fit exercise in if you work an office job, sitting at a desk all day won’t exactly get those muscles working, and people often cannot be bothered to go and visit a gym at the end of the day. The fact is we’re becoming a nation of “couch potatoes”.  Some might say we already are! The problem with obesity is once a person has reached this level, it’s hard to find a way out. Low self-esteem sets in, energy level...