Obesity is a metabolic illness that is increasingly affecting more and more young people. There are a number of health complications that accompany obesity, but a new research has said that it may even take away years from your life! An Australian research has shown that people suffering from obesity during their 20s and their 30s run the risk of lowering their life expectancy by as many as 10 years. Men are more at the risk of losing years than women, it added further. The study, which was done on subjects only from Australia was conducted by researchers at The George Institute for Global Health and the University of Sydney and was also published in the International Journal of Obesity. The study used a microsimulation model of obesity progression in Australia, to gauge just how much weight the subjects will put on, depending on their age, sex and current weight.
A nationally representative sample of 12,091 adults aged 20 to 69 was used for the study and these subjects were to represent a total population of 14.9 million people of Australia. The study took into account the current life expectancy in Australia and the fact that people who are overweight and obese have a higher mortality rate, the model was able to predict the life expectancy of people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s in four different BMI categories: healthy, overweight, obese and severely obese. The model could also calculate the number of years lost over the lifetime for obese people in each age group, as compared to those with a healthy weight.
The study showed that life expectancy for those carrying excessive weight in early adulthood dropped. Overweight women in their 20s lost six years of their life while overweight men in the same age group lost eight years. Similarly, severely obese women in their 20s could lose as many as eight years of their life, while their male counterparts could lose as many as 10 years. A healthy diet plays an important part in preventing obesity, if it is not caused by hormonal, genetic or any other reasons. There are certain foods that you should eat and avoid in order to prevent weight gain and obesity.
Here are some of the top culprits of obesity that you must exclude from your diet:
1. Red meats: Avoid overloading on beef, bacon and other red meats and opt for chicken, turkey and other lean meats instead.
2. Trans Fats: Most often found in junk foods and packages snacks, trans fats are the main evil when it comes to obesity.
3. Refined Carbohydrates: Processed or refined carbs present in foods like pastas, white bread have empty calories, which do not provide any nutrition. Limit their consumption or completely eliminate them by switching to whole grains.
4. Excessive Sugar: Sugar in sodas, cupcakes, cakes, biscuits and cookies is extremely harmful for your health. Not only does it lead to weight gain, but also lowers your immunity.