Watch your weight

You have more than one reason to worry if you weigh more than you should, say scientists, who claim that overweight people live one year and obese people three years less than those who are physically fit.
Doctors have long warned that being overweight can lead to health complications including heart disease, stroke and cancer, and previous studies have already found that extra pounds can take years off your life, based mostly on data from Europe and North America.
In the new study, which the authors say is the largest-ever such analysis, researchers sifted through data for nearly 4 million non-smoking adults in 32 countries published from 1970 to last year. They compared the risk of death to people’s body mass index, or BMI, a measure of body fat that is calculated using height and weight.
Read: Not just obvious ones, obesity could take toll even on distant organs
They defined a BMI from 18.5 to 25 as normal, 25-30 as overweight, 30-35 as moderately obese and over 40 as severely obese. A person who is 5 foot 4 is considered obese at a weight of 174 pounds or more.
Overweight people lose a year of life on average and moderately overweight people lose 3 years, said Richard Peto of Oxford University, one of the study authors. A previous study found that being severely obese could cost as much as 8 years of life.
The study also found that being obese is far more dangerous for men than for women.

Being overweight can lead to health complications including heart disease, stroke and cancer. (Shutterstock)

“The excess risk of premature death is about three times as big for a man who gets fat as for a woman who gets fat,” Peto said. Men tend to be higher risk for earlier death in general, and the risk worsens when obesity is added to the equation, he said.
According to the World Health Organization, 15 percent of women worldwide and 11 percent of men are obese. Overall, the WHO estimates that more than 1 billion adults are overweight and another 600 million people are obese.
Carrying too much weight is now second to smoking as a cause of premature death in North America and Europe; smoking causes about a quarter of all premature deaths there while being too heavy now causes about 14 to 20 percent of such deaths.
Read: Obese people can not only lose weight, they can keep weight off too
Peto acknowledged that more is needed than to simply advise people to lose weight, because dropping even a few pounds and keeping them off is notoriously difficult.
“It might be easier to recommend that people try very hard not to put on weight in the first place, particularly before they hit middle age,” he said.
Tam Fry, spokesman for Britain’s National Obesity Forum, said the new study was further proof of the dangers of tipping the scales.
“We’ve known for some time that if you’re not looking after yourself, then being fat will kill you,” Fry said. “If you don’t want to die earlier, then you should take steps to do something about your weight.”

6 Foods That Help You Lose Weight

Food plays an integral part in our sustenance, providing us the nourishment as well as the required energy to go about in our daily lives. However, they play a dual role, not only are they responsible for obesity, but if consumed in a right manner they also can help in losing weight as well. Some of them are: 

1. Cabbages: Rich in vitamin C, cabbages are a great source of antioxidants. Not only are they readily available, but they also provide one with a variety of options. You can make a stir fry with them or cook them with other vegetables. They help to boost the immunity as well as well contribute in losing weight.
2. Grapefruit: Grapes are an extremely rich source of vitamin C, potassium and folic acid. Available in different varieties, they are efficient in fighting various diseases like atherosclerosis, a condition that causes heart attacks. They help to prevent damage of the arterial walls.
3. Lettuce: With every pound consisting of around 60-70 calories, this vegetable tops the list of everybody who is trying to lose weight. They are extremely rich in vitamin B, Manganese and help in regulating the blood sugar as well as maintaining proper immune system. 
4. Radishes: This vegetable is replete with folic acid and sulfur compounds that help in the digestion of the food. Contrary to other vegetables, the leafy top of the vegetable is rich in calcium and vitamin C than the roots and therefore, must not be eliminated while cooking. 
5. Spinach: The benefits of this vegetable has been well established and for quite the right reasons. They are packed with vitamin K and help in fighting the onset of various eye diseases and weakening and degeneration of muscles. They can be prepared as different dishes and serve as a great constituent in salads or as fillings in omelettes.
6. Egg whites: For the longest time, eggs were considered as a lethal source of cholesterol, but over the years its benefits have surpassed its apparent disadvantages. Rich in protein and healthy fats, they are extremely filling and curbs further pangs of hunger throughout the day.