1 in 8 people in the world is obese! 11 tips to maintain your weight

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity is one of the main risk factors for a variety of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke and various cancers. In 2022, one in eight people worldwide will be obese. Globally, obesity rates among adults have doubled since 1990, and obesity rates among adolescents have quadrupled.

Additionally, children who are overweight have a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese as adults. In 2022, a staggering 390 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 years worldwide are overweight, including 160 million children who are obese, and this situation is expected to worsen. In fact, childhood obesity is projected to increase 100% between 2020 and 2035.

As the face of the obesity crisis continues to change, and childhood obesity is growing faster than adult obesity, addressing this global epidemic is more important than ever. In addition to simply focusing on weight management, you also need to develop habits that promote healthy eating and an active lifestyle, and you need to maintain them over the long term so that they become second nature.

According to the World Health Organization, obesity and excess weight are both preventable. Here are several actionable and concrete steps you can take to achieve and maintain a healthy weight and move toward a healthy and active lifestyle:

11 tips to maintain your weight

1. Focus on more than just weight management: Prioritize healthy eating habits and staying active in your daily life, and follow through on these practices.

2. Set and celebrate goals: Whether it's reaching your weekly exercise target, cooking more meals at home, or meeting your daily calorie limit, celebrating every achievement, big or small, will help you see the progress you have made instead of focusing on the parts you haven't achieved yet. When it comes to weight management, a slow but steady pace is best, even though the process may feel frustrating at times.

3. Avoid fad diets: These diets may allow you to temporarily achieve your weight management goals, but they often exclude healthy foods or food groups, leading to nutrient deficiencies and may even cause muscle loss rather than body fat reduction. Remember, your goal shouldn’t just be weight management, but changing habits that help you maintain your goal weight.

4. Make sure you get enough protein: Protein plays an important role in weight management because it helps control hunger and keeps you feeling fuller longer. Protein also promotes muscle growth and repair and helps maintain lean muscle tissue while losing body fat.

5. Add healthy snacks: Today, snacks account for nearly one-third of daily calorie intake, but many common snacks are high in calories, sugar, fat and salt. Choose nutritious, protein-rich snacks like yogurt with fruit, hummus with baby carrots, or a hard-boiled egg with a few whole-grain crackers.

6. Don’t cut calories too much: A very low-calorie diet slows down metabolism, inhibits weight management results, and is difficult to maintain in the long term. Instead, focus on incorporating healthy foods into your daily diet—lean proteins, colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes, and small amounts of healthy fats from foods like nuts, seeds, and avocados.

7. Stay active: Engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every day. Even small changes, like choosing to take the stairs instead of the elevator or getting off the bus two or three stops earlier and walking to your destination, can have a positive impact.

Not only does breakfast help with weight management, it helps you concentrate at school or work and stay focused on the activity at hand. Breakfast should include a balanced combination of protein, carbohydrates and fats. If you have a busy schedule, consider making a healthy smoothie.

8. Plan and prepare healthy meals: Planning meals ahead of time helps decide what ingredients you need to buy and helps you fill your refrigerator and pantry with healthy foods. Additionally, preparing meals ahead of time and storing them in the fridge or freezer can prevent you from opting for fast food or takeout.

9. Control portion sizes: To reduce portion sizes, try using smaller plates, cups, and cutlery. It's best to eat your meals on a plate or bowl rather than eating directly from a large package or storage container.

10. Read nutrition labels: When you're watching your weight, it's important to understand what you're eating. Reading labels can give you information about the calories, nutrients, and serving size in a food.

11. Choose a nutritionally balanced breakfast: Breakfast not only helps control your weight, but it also helps you concentrate at school or work and focus on the current activity. Breakfast should include a balanced combination of protein, carbohydrates and fats. If you have a busy schedule, consider making a healthy smoothie instead of relying on fast food or skipping breakfast altogether.