These figures are as shocking as they are for the average UK resident: obesity currently costs the UK almost £100 billion a year. An analysis by the Tony Blair Institute published last week revealed that “sick and poor countries” were responsible for overweight in gross domestic product (GDP) by 4%, adding 6kg to men's waistlines over the past decade and 5 kg on a woman's waist circumference.
Roy Taylor, professor of medicine and metabolism at Newcastle University, said the report was "absolutely shocking", illustrating the "disappointing situation" the UK is currently experiencing. When he graduated from medical school in the mid-1970s, 7 percent of adults had a body mass index above 30 (considered obese); Currently, this figure has almost quadrupled to more than 25%, and 37.9% of them are obese. “We are serious as a nation right now.”
Taylor added that this was not a matter of individual choice, but rather a matter of the “obesity environment” – sedentary lifestyles and high-calorie foods that have become commonplace. If you want to lose those extra 6 pounds, here are four ways to do it in four weeks.
With less carbohydrates
Why does this work?
Although the introduction of the Atkins diet in the 1960s was long considered a fad, research has shown the ability to reduce the amount of carbohydrates; this year's literature review stated that “several popular studies show that low-carbohydrate diets are effective in reducing body weight. Published in the British Medical Journal. . .
Carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta increase blood sugar levels, so if excess needs are met, the body will store them as fat. By reducing the amount of carbohydrates you eat, this will encourage the body to burn fat stores for energy, thereby leading to weight loss – “along with other health benefits,” says Saira Hamid, endocrinologist and author at Whole Foods . Potential to reverse type 2 diabetes and improve the body's control of blood sugar.
How to do
Hamid recommends a diet "low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein, free of ultra-processed foods, and consuming good amounts of healthy fats and fiber" (unsaturated fats such as fish, nuts and seeds, as well as seeds, nuts and nuts, and green vegetables). . .
“It is responsible for producing the strongest satiety hormone response in the gut,” says Hamid. “Protein also tastes great and is often versatile, like lamb parmesan soup or a goat cheese omelet.” Low in carbohydrates and high in protein, losing 6 pounds in a month is an achievable goal.
Hurry up for a while
Why does this work?
Intermittent fasting is one of the most studied modern eating methods: typically reducing intake to eight hours a day or less. (Time-restricted feeding is part of this, which usually requires a feeding window during the day.) Its success is due to the ability to eat less when there are only a few hours to eat, leading to a reduced desire to eat. Calorie intake. Research shows that short meals (4 to 6 hours) produce the most weight loss because they involve the greatest energy restriction, says Krista Varady, a nutrition professor at the University of Illinois who has studied intermittent fasting for two decades. . “When people eat within this small window, they cut 500 to 600 calories a day.”
Jason Fung, nephrologist and author of The Complete Guide to Fasting , says, “Continuous eating [or] 'grazing' has become popular in recent years...Fasting is effective because it marks the transition from storing calories to burning calories.”
How to do
The most common fast is 16:8 – a 16 hour fast, with an eight hour window – eating usually starts at midday and ends at 8pm. Or OMAD which means One Meal a Day. “The longer, the faster, the stronger, and the less frequent,” Fung said, “but that's a personal choice.”
Varadi agrees that personal preference should be the most important factor in choosing the type and duration of fasting, but agrees that "we know that people are more sensitive to insulin in the morning (which means the body can store blood sugar in cells more easily during the fasting day) in the morning." “Insulin sensitivity is lowest during the day and lowest at night.” Therefore, it is best to keep this eating window early (8 am to 4 pm), as it can help reduce the risk of diabetes, as well as fasting blood sugar, fasting insulin, and insulin resistance. .
Number of calories
Why does this work?
Simply put, “the way people lose weight is by reducing energy intake,” says Nick Finer, honorary clinical professor at the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences at University College London. As highlighted in a 2021 article in the Journal of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome, diets that focus on calorie withdrawal conclude that “daily calorie intake is the most important factor in weight loss.” However, it is difficult to maintain a calorie deficit over a long period of time, so it is best to work toward specific weight loss goals.
How to do
“To lose one kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, you need to eliminate 7,000 calories from your diet,” says Finer. Others choose "fasting days": they usually eat five days a week, and the remaining two days they eat 500-800 a day.
While they may seem tempting, suggestions like the Twinkie Diet – in which a professor lost 25 pounds in 10 weeks simply by eating processed snacks instead of regular food (a diet high in sugar and fat, but low in calories) – should be avoided. . These medications may provide short-term results, but their overall impact on health can be dangerous.
Meal replacement
Why does this work?
In 2008, while testing the hypothesis that weight loss would reverse type 2 diabetes, he devised a plan to overcome the daily challenges of hunger and making healthy choices, which his patients described as major obstacles to weight loss. She makes low-calorie diet smoothies with non-starchy vegetables (e.g. salad) “without making any hard decisions…and it's very effective,” she says. Eight weeks.
This approach is now the basis of the NHS type 2 diabetes program and its effectiveness has been confirmed by many studies, including a meta-analysis carried out by the University of Oxford in 2019: “Meal replacement programs have resulted in greater weight loss than one-off programs . weight loss program program. year,” and another in the Journal of The Nutrition and Dietetics Academy published in 2021, showing that people use meal replacements in more than 60% of their diets, with “the greatest effect on weight loss.”
How to do
The most important first step in starting a meal replacement program, Taylor says, is making a commitment to yourself and making sure your family and friends are on board – “because without it it won't work… you're the one who's going to get the most resistance I was shocked to see This phenomenon, however, is true.
The next step is to find a liquid formula that suits your tastes (popular versions on the market include Optifast and Exante): "No wonders for anyone but about 200 calories and needing it in one sachet" (for (avoid any participation Control part of the discussion). Important also to follow a balanced diet containing proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, fats and minerals important for health.
Taylor recommends three meal replacement meals a day (soup or smoothie, for example) and unlimited green salad for as long as your weight loss is desired. After that, to return to a normal diet, he suggests adding protein such as chicken or salmon to salads and reducing daily food consumption by a third, because “the amount that nutritionists do is too large”. For their new healthy bodies.
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