Rather than nothing? Better rather. Don’t hide behind the difficulty of maintaining the results of a program that aims to reduce weight. Even if the yo-yo effect must be avoided, and with it the continuous ups and downs of the kilos, those who face a diet associated with physical activity and get off the scales benefit even if they “regain” a little something as soon as they leave the diet.
It is a original research appeared on Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes (first author Jamie Hartmann-Boyce of the University of Oxford).
The advice that comes from the studio is simple. Try to change your habits anyway, to bring down the weight. As? With a healthy diet, blood pressure and cholesterol control, goodbye to smoking and regular physical activity.
These are just some of the messages that emerge from the document that will be presented to the Ministry of Health on 12 May on the occasion of the III National Cardiovascular Prevention Day. The initiative, carried out by SIPREC (Italian Society for Cardiovascular Prevention) has as an exceptional testimonial Pierfrancesco Favino. The actor lent his face and his voice to SIPREC’s commitment, with a video that “heart to heart” travels on social networks.
Why it’s important to lose weight
“Many doctors and patients recognize that weight loss is often followed by weight gain and fear that this will make an attempt to lose weight futile,” commented Dr. Susan A. Jebb research co-author with Paul Aveyard“. But it is a mistake. Starting a diet, together with your doctor, is still important for cardiovascular health. But you have to put in the effort. And consider the changes at the table valid even if perhaps the results are not completely preserved over time.
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The research examined 124 studies (more than 50,000 subjects examined, average age 51, followed on average for almost two and a half years). The results of all these observations were used to evaluate how much and how we lost in terms of kilos and how much these affected our cardiovascular risk. On average, weight loss between 2 and 5 kilos has been observed, with a very limited recovery (in the order of a few ounces) if the route has been done at its best.
Compared with people on a less intensive program and those who hadn’t lost weight, risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes decreased, with results that persisted (considering the few studies with long-term observation) in the five years following the end of the diet.
In particular, systolic blood pressure was reduced by 1.5 millimeters of mercury one year after the diet and by almost half a degree after five years. The percentage values of glycated hemoglobin, the protein that monitors blood sugar levels over time, decreased by 0.26% after 1 and 5 years. As far as cholesterol is concerned, a drop of 1.5 points in the ratio between total and HDL was observed even after five years, due to the drop in total cholesterol and therefore in bad cholesterol or LDL.
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It takes more awareness of the danger of being overweight
“Obesity, in addition to being a chronic disease, is an important cardiovascular and metabolic risk factor, even when it comes to excess weight – he explains Massimo Volpe, President of the Italian Society of Cardiovascular Prevention (SIPREC). However, awareness of this important and widespread problem is not in the slightest sufficient not only in the general population, but also among professionals and even among cardiologists”.
It is necessary to explain to people how important it is to maintain the ideal body weight or to return in a stable manner from conditions of obesity or excess weight. “Preventive strategies are fundamental: in the document we have analyzed and studied these aspects to respond to the needs of citizens – says the expert”.
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Fixing your metabolism extends your life
Getting off the scale can really save your life. And not just by improving heart and vessel health. In this sense there are many scientific observations. Some time ago, once again the importance of adopting good eating habits and performing regular physical activity was confirmed by a research conducted at the National Cancer Institute in the USA, which appeared in the journal PLOS Medicine.
The study, which examined data on over 300,000 people and eliminated potential factors that could alter the results, such as cigarette smoking, clearly demonstrates that the risk of dying appears directly related to body mass index. The more this element increases, the lower the life expectancy because extra kilos put the heart and arteries at risk, but not only. They can also facilitate the onset of other serious pathologies such as tumors and diabetes.
In summary, those who are severely obese can expect to survive 6 and a half years less than those of the same age who control their weight. Even if the body mass index exceeds 55, the reduction in life expectancy can greatly exceed 13 years.
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