ARE YOU STRESSED?

Since stress can cause many different symptoms, both physical and mental, it’s often difficult to determine the true source of many problems. A Doctor may suggest medical tests, even if he suspects that stress is the real cause. The following are common manifestation of stress:

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

• Palpitation, shortness of breath, chest pain and other signs of heart disease (which must be ruled out)
• Unusual rapid breathing, dizziness or light–headedness.
• Tingling sensation on hands and/or feet.
• Chronic or recurring backache and neck pain.
• Frequent headaches.
• Diarrhoea or constipation.
• Heartburn and other types of digestive problems.

 PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS

• Difficulty in concentrating and in taking decisions.
• Sleep problems.
• Chronic fatigue, even after adequate rest.
• Prolonged anxiety.
• Changes in appetite and an increased dependence on alcohol, nicotine and other drugs.
• Difficulty coping with what normally would be minor setback.
• Decreased enjoyment of pleasurable activities and events.

Stress can be explained as an extra burden of mental and physical activity. Both are interlinked and have adverse effect on humans. Stress in unavoidable but manageable. One can succeed in managing stress levels and remain healthy. Every individual has different type of stress. By talking individually we will be able to find out the ways of handling his stress and manage his stress levels also.

Today from school going children to workingmen, housewives to professionals all are having some stress or another. Stress in long term invites so many diseases to human being. Its a kind of Bomb inside us and can explode any time.
Stress invites Hyper Tension, Diabetic Mellitus, and Head Ache etc

8 WAYS TO RELIEVE STRESS

• Make sure that you eat regular and healthy meals; several small meals may work best.
• For a few minutes, every day, sit silently with your eyes closed.
• Exercise regularly to increase the production of endorphins, the brain chemical that lift moods.
• Listen to your favourite music; it, too, increases your endorphin levels.
• Learn relaxation techniques, such as yoga, meditation or deep breathing exercises. [as suitable to your physique]
• Manage your day work by planning. Make the day’s to-do list, and arrange them as per importance and priority.
• Recreation with your family members as well as friends. Enjoy your hobbies.
• Share your problems with your dear and near ones.

DIETING

Keeping the weight off ...

There is no easy way to lose weight. Whether you decide high-protein diet, a low-fat diet or some other approach, experts agree, that the only way to shed excess weight is to cut the total kilojoules. You may consume and/or burn more kilojoules through exercise.
Simple enough to understand- but difficult to act upon.
Before you start diet for weight loss one should understand the root cause of weight gain. General diet will not make remarkable effect. Some time it may give hazardous results. Everyone should understand that:

WEIGHT LOSS PLAN CANNOT NOT BE GENERALISED, IT SHOULD BE A PERSONALISED ONE

Assessing body weight :

The most widely accepted methods to assess weight and body fat are Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference.

BODY MASS INDEX

Click here to know your BMI

The method is used to assess whether your weight is putting you at RISK. The measurement is based on a mathematical formula that includes both height and weight.
To Know your BMI

• Measure your weight in kilograms (Kg)
• Measure your height in centimeters (cm)
• Divide your height in centimeters by 100 to get your height in meters.
• Square your height in meters.
• To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters.

BMI Categories
Under weight = Less than 18.5
Normal weight = 18.5 to 24.9
Over weight = 25 to 29.9
Obesity: 30 or more.

WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE

This measures whether fat is accumulated on the waist. An accumulation of fat around the abdomen is closely related to increased health Risk.

An increased risk of developing health problems comes with waist circumference that is greater than 90 cm for woman and 100 cm for men. Measure midway between your lower rib and the top of your hipbone.

After calculating BMI and waist circumference, we have to consider age, work pattern and life style. Some past and present health problems also need to be taken care of. Genetic factors and state of mind also play an important role.

After considering all the above points we can arrive at the cause of weight gain/loss and can make a plan for weight reduction or gain.
Slow weight reduction and drugless therapy will give long lasting results. Fad diet will not work for long. It may even give reverse effect, and that would be a dangerous one.

OBESITY

OBESITY

Obesity is the state in which there is a generalised accumulation of excess adipose tissue in the body leading to more than 20 per cent of the desirable weight. Over weight is the condition where the body weight is 10-20 per cent greater than the mean standard weight for age, height and sex.
Obesity invites disability, disease and premature death. Excess body weight is a hindrance, leading to high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, gall bladder diseases and osteoarthritis of weight bearing joints and varicose veins. Obesity is a chronic disease. More than any other factor Genetic inheritance probably influences 50 to 70 percent of a person’s chance of becoming fat.
Age & Sex: It can occur at any age in either sex as long as the person is under positive energy balance.

Eating habits: Certain type of eating habits may lead to obesity.

• Nibbling between meals is common among housewives and is a potential cause of obesity.
• Some may eat fast taking less time to chew so they tend to consume more food.
• Business executives who frequently attend business launch parties tend to become obese.
• Housewives who do not want leftover foods to be thrown away may consume forcibly and put on weight.
• People who frequently eatout are prone to be obese.
• People who eat more junk food [ high fat, high carbohydrate ] may become obese.
• Cultural practice of having sweetmeats on festive occasions contribute to increased calorie consumption.
• Non-inclusion of fruits and vegetables in diet favour weight gain.
• Some may eat more food when they are unhappy as a compensation mechanism.
• Lack of physical activity also leads to obesity.

Some factors for weight gain are Stress, Endocrine factor, Trauma, Prosperity and Modern civilisation.

Stress:

Food is one of the many stimulants of endorphin neurotransmitter. Self gratification, self-punishment, depression, anxiety and stress may lead to excess calorie intake.
Studies show that school going children too intake more fatty foods as their life gets more stressful.

Endocrine Factor:

Obesity is found in hypothyroidism, hypogonodism and crushing syndrome. Obesity is common at puberty, pregnancy and menopause; suggesting endocrine may be a factor in obesity.

Trauma:

Obesity may follow due to damage to hypothalamus after head injury because it is not able to regulate appetite or satiety.

Prosperity and civilisation:

Obesity is common in developed countries and people from higher socio-economic strata of developing countries. They have the purchasing power and availability of surplus food. Obesity is rare in primitive societies and wild animals. Modern Civilisation has brought plenty of appetising foods, concentrated foods and variety of foods in the market.

TREATMENT

Strategies for weight loss and weight maintenance are:

• Diet Therapy
• Physical Exercise
• Stress Management
• Pharmaco Therapy
• Weight Loss Surgery

Dietary Guidelines:

The patient should be convinced that there is no way of reducing weight except by consuming fewer calories than required by the body. Whatever food is consumed should be nutritious. Quality of food is more important than Quantity.
The diet should be adequate in all other nutrients except kilocalories. It should be high in fibre.

Maintaining weight is a life long process. Hence Advantages of Weight Loss after 40:

• Reduction in Blood Pressure
• Reduces Total Cholesterol and LDL cholesterol
• Increase in Physical activity improves HDL levels
• Lower elevated blood glucose level
• Weight control reduces the risk of Diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease and cancer.