Watching TV with Ice-cream

The air is thick with the scent of pollen, the sun is beating down on your brow and beads of sweat form; it is summer time, and this to the dismay of many Americans means the return of the skimpy clothing season.

Come June, all of the winter nights you spent on your couch finishing off that last handful of popcorn, or sleeping in that extra two hours on Sunday mornings instead of going to the gym suddenly make you feel a pang of guilt, and though you hadn’t noticed it before, now your thighs feel like sand bags and not shapely specimens of muscle.
 
The pressure is overwhelming. Even sitting on the couch and watching TV, normally an activity of relaxation, makes you feel guilty because every other commercial is flashing advertisements for gym membership deals, or new weight loss pills, or summer vacation deals showing a seemingly anorexic model posing as a mother stretching her arms around her three children as they play in the sand.

SafetyIssues has researched health and dieting for you, our readers to keep you in the know about dieting scams to look out for, and the health risks of setting your weight loss goals to high.

Most are probably aware of the statistic that Americans are getting fatter, and obesity is rapidly becoming the leading risk of death due to its links to heart disease and arteriosclerosis. These statistics seem curious because it seems that Americans have become crazed over dieting and exercising. However all of this pressure to lose weight in fact causes stress and in turn poor eating habits, and sporadic exercise binges which are ineffectual. Statistics show that only 5% of people who try dieting actually keep the weight off long term. Unfortunately, unlike our advanced technology which has brought us to expect results immediately, our body does not respond to quick diet gimmicks, losing weight can only be done the slow and old fashioned way; eating less and being more active.
 
Here are some tips that SafetyIssues put together to keep you fit and healthy this summer.

Customizing Your Diet

Remember that your weight is due to a number of things, not just your diet choices. When choosing a diet that will work and be healthy for you, you need to address your lifestyle and when and how much physical activity you can realistically add to your schedule, also your eating habits, such as whether you eat breakfast or if your biggest meal is dinner, if you snack a lot, and if you choose food in response to emotional stress. Also your genetic make up is a large factor, not all of us naturally have bodies like Tyra Banks, and its unrealistic to try to achieve that look by means of dieting and exercise.

Losing weight may require psychological attention as well. Your eating habits have a lot to do with your life stresses and improving your diet may also mean changing your lifestyle to reduce stress.

Don't Get Scammed
 
Don’t fall for dieting and exercise advertisements that claim that their product can make you lose weight and tone up in an unbelievable amount of time - if it sounds too good to be true its safe to say that it is. 

Be a cautious consumer - Americans throw away millions of dollars a year on health and dieting scams, you have probably contributed to this statistic. Check to see if the product has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, their approval is the only guarantee that their claims are genuine.

Some General Dieting Tips

Generally a goal of losing 1 lb per week is a realistic one. At this pace your body can adjust and you can ease into a new eating and exercise routine. Your chances of keeping the weight off long term also greatly increase.

If you are considerably overweight it is a good idea to see your doctor to have them prescribe a diet for you. A doctor can also measure your BMI (Body Mass Index) which is the ratio of your weight to your height. This is a good indicator of risk for disease due to your weight.

According to the Federal Trade Commission reducing your weight by 5 - 10% and keeping it off can seriously benefit your health, including lowering your blood pressure.

Losing weight may require psychological attention as well. Your eating habits have a lot to do with your life stresses and improving your diet may also mean changing your lifestyle to reduce stress.