Is looking at weight and BMI obsolete? Jogging every day will not necessarily make you lose weight? Doctors Reveal "Two Big Myths" About Weight Loss
Are you a “fake thin person” or a “real fat person”? In the past, to measure your body posture, you usually looked at your weight, or used the BMI index converted from height and weight. However, from the perspective of human health, “body composition analysis” may be a more valuable indicator.
Instead of worrying about weight, why not watch fat releases? What is the difference between visceral fat and subcutaneous fat?
Dr. Hong Yuzhong, director of the Health Management Center of Lian On Clinic, said that in fact, special attention only needs to be paid when weight fluctuates significantly (increase/loss of more than 2 kilograms in 1 month without changing lifestyle). Blindly pursuing weight loss is not necessarily healthy. For example, sarcopenia and osteoporosis, which are common among modern people, may be caused by being underweight.
Dr. Hong Yuzhong pointed out that instead of worrying about weight numbers, it is better to have a good understanding of your muscle and fat distribution, so that you can better understand your health status and disease risks. For example, men’s body fat percentage is generally lower than that of women, but men have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The key reason is that women have more “subcutaneous fat”, which has less impact on health; while men tend to accumulate “visceral fat” which is more threatening to health. Many middle-aged men have “tuna belly”, which is Accumulation of visceral fat.
Dr. Hong Yuzhong pointed out that “central obesity” where fat accumulates in one place, such as tuna belly, can easily lead to high blood pressure and hyperlipidemia, and accumulation of visceral fat can easily cause insulin resistance and further lead to diabetes. If you want to know your own fat distribution, in addition to abdominal ultrasound and body composition analysis, you can also observe your waist circumference: men should be less than 90 cm, and women should be less than 80 cm.
“The body will automatically accumulate fat to avoid famine. This is a biological instinct, so many people are prone to obesity. Coupled with the lifestyle of modern people with excess calories and insufficient physical activity, the risk of obesity is increasing. "
Increase muscle mass and reduce fat rate “heavy training” is more important than aerobic exercise
Dr. Hong Yuzhong reminds that if you want to have a healthy body, the first priority should be to “reduce fat mass” and then “increase muscle mass.” The more muscles you have, the easier it will be to burn fat and effectively reduce excess fat. However, most of the weight loss methods commonly used by ordinary people, such as running, swimming, etc., are aerobic exercises. Although they are beneficial to cardiopulmonary function, they may not necessarily increase muscle.
If you want to increase body muscle mass, the most important exercise is not running, but muscle training. “There was a 20-year-old young woman in the clinic. Although she did not look fat, her body composition analysis showed that she had insufficient muscle mass and too much fat. She was also the so-called “puff person.” The girl jogged hard to improve her body composition. When I came back for a checkup after a year, the results were not good, and I discovered that I had used the wrong method.”
Controlling heat requires “boiling a frog in warm water”! Doctors reveal the correct concept: “Thin” does not mean true health
In addition to muscle training, another key factor that affects your posture is diet. Hong Yuzhong reminded that extreme dieting is equivalent to announcing to the body that it has entered a “state of disaster”, leading to a rapid decrease in metabolism and endocrine abnormalities. The more correct way is a bit like “boiling a frog in warm water”. Only by achieving a slight “calorie deficit” every day can normal metabolism be maintained. In addition, by avoiding the intake of refined sugars and supplementing with high-quality protein, good oils and vitamins, you can change your posture in a healthy way.
Dr. Hong Yuzhong reminds that many people regard “thinness” as beauty, but thinness does not mean health. To take control of your own health, the first step is to do a complete body composition analysis to understand your muscle and fat mass. It should be noted that whether it is weight or body composition, everyone’s situation is different. You only need to compare with yourself and slowly improve through exercise and diet. There is no need to blindly chase weight numbers.
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