Limiting calorie intake would be effective, but is difficult to maintain. In the long term, different diets show no significant difference in terms of weight loss. A combination of diet and exercise programs shows more improvements in metabolic syndrome, prevalence, and cardiovascular function. Metabolic syndrome is sometimes referred to as the deadly quartet. It is characterized by the following four factors: abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, lipid metabolism disorder, and insulin resistance or impaired glucose tolerance. Fat loss through reduced calorie intake can only be maintained in the long term if the maximum oxygen uptake capacity (VO2max) is increased. This value refers to the maximum volume of oxygen that can be taken up and utilized by the cells per minute and kg of body weight at maximum performance. This is also shown by results of studies on sarcopenic obesity – a combination of low muscle mass (sarcopenia) and obesity. Sarcopenic obesity is widespread. The average prevalence is around 5-10%. Older adults with sarcopenic obesity have a higher risk of mobility disability, cardiometabolic disease, and mortality. The medical problems associated with sarcopenic obesity are much greater than with sarcopenia or obesity alone. Current studies suggest the potential benefits of physical activity, fitness, and resistance exercises for the prevention and treatment of sarcopenic obesity in older adults. Postprandial inflammatory response and postprandial hyperglycemia: Postprandial hyperglycemia refers to severely excessive blood sugar levels after food intake. It is an independent risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and liver cirrhosis, and is associated with obesity and increased overall mortality in both diabetes mellitus and cancer. Factors influencing postprandial hyperglycemia include genetics, lifestyle, insulin sensitivity, and exocrine pancreatic and glucose transporter activity levels, as well as gut microbiota. Gut microbiota are also linked to the tendency toward obesity. There are also connections to glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance. In fact, a certain degree of postprandial hyperglycemia and postprandial inflammation is physiological and occurs upon food intake. However, this also varies depending on what we eat. Postprandial hyperglycemia is most strongly triggered by fructose, followed by bread with butter, and then bread. Surprisingly, pure glucose triggers postprandial hyperglycemia only relatively slightly. Reducing postprandial hyperglycemia is an essential step in maintaining or regaining health. You have many opportunities to improve your health here:
- Consume fewer fructose-rich foods such as fruit juices, sweets, etc., and only eat bread and butter or bread in exceptional cases.
- Breaks from sitting and exercise: Physical activity, fitness, and resistance exercises, as well as taking breaks from sitting every 45 to 60 minutes, are essential factors for long-term weight loss.
- Eat less frequently: Limit your food intake to 2–3 times per day.
- Intermittent fasting: Do not eat for 13 to 16 hours and only eat within a window of 8–11 hours.
- Prefer good high-fat foods: olive oil, fatty fish, avocado, nuts.
If too many appetite-stimulating substances (=orexigenic substances) such as NPY and AgRP and too few satiating substances (=anorexigenic substances) are released in the hypothalamus, the result is increased calorie intake, little movement, and low energy expenditure. Further tips
- Never go shopping with a feeling of hunger: This makes us more likely to buy high-calorie foods and consume more calories.
- Pay attention to sizes: Choose smaller sizes when eating and drinking out.
- Avoid watching television while eating if possible: The frequency of watching television during dinner was one of the two largest correlates of Body Mass Index in adults and children. Reading, listening to the radio, and interacting with dining companions increase food intake. The higher the distracting TV content (e.g., action movies and high sound variations with an increase in anxiety, excitement, and stimulation), the higher the food intake seems to be. The more a television program distracts, the less attention is paid to the feeling of satiety. Therefore, it is best to avoid snacking during highly distracting television. Mindfulness interventions lead to significant weight loss.
- Imagination techniques that have nothing to do with eating: When you are hungry, imagine something that makes you feel very satisfied.
There is evidence that short-term mindfulness-based techniques are effective in resisting the temptation to eat chocolate. For example, they help with weight reduction. In this way, awareness can be directed to the present moment and decentering techniques can be applied. Overall, it has been shown that mindfulness exercises can bring benefits both in terms of reducing cravings for food, cigarettes, and alcohol, and in terms of reducing the extent to which cravings lead to consumption. You can perform a mindfulness exercise for this purpose, such as the Body Scan (see article).
