Not just diet and exercise: lifestyle changes needed to shed the kilos if you’re overweight or obese
Promoting good sleeping habits and stress management techniques, along with moderate lifestyle changes, may help you shed those unwanted kilos for good
Over the years, Robert Kushner has seen many obese patients get “tripped up” trying to keep weight off because they rely on fast food, dislike exercise and find themselves stuck juggling too many tasks.
He recently suggested that a patient split meals with his wife when they dined out, rather than each having large portions. When the man said he was uncomfortable sharing a meal with his wife when the couple were out with friends, Kushner said to do it anyway.
“I said, ‘It’s a strategy that works whether you’re with other people or not’,” Kushner says. “I think people don’t think about it because they just aren’t raised to share.”
The patient kept track of the food he was eating, learning to avoid larger portions and fattening dishes. He has lost nearly 7kg in six months, cutting about 500 to 700 calories per day.
Are Hong Kong youths getting fatter? Surge in obesity patients aged below 30
More than a third of adults in the United States are obese, according to a 2015 report from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. In Hong Kong, the Centre for Health Protection estimates that almost 39 per cent of the population aged 18-64 are overweight or obese, while 21 per cent are obese.