1.08 CME

Mindful Eating and Sustainable Diets in Weight Management

Speaker: Sheela Krishnaswamy

RD Nutrition & Wellness Consultant Advisor|Corporate Trainer|Speaker|Writer

Description

Mindful Eating and Sustainable Diets in Weight Management focus on creating a healthy relationship with food by encouraging awareness, balance, and long-term lifestyle changes. Mindful eating emphasizes listening to hunger cues, savoring each bite, and avoiding emotional or distracted eating. Sustainable diets promote nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods that are good for both personal health and the environment. Together, they help individuals achieve and maintain a healthy weight without restrictive or short-term diets. This approach supports both physical well-being and long-term behavior change.

Summary

The global obesity burden is significant, with one in eight people worldwide living with obesity in 2022. Overweight and obesity affect a large percentage of adults and children, highlighting the urgent need for action to create a healthier future.
India faces a similar challenge, with a considerable percentage of women, men, and children being overweight or obese. Abdominal obesity is also prevalent, particularly among women, increasing the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Recent studies highlight a concerning trend of entire households being classified as overweight or obese.
Several factors contribute to the rise of obesity in India, including high-calorie diets, low-nutrient foods, easy access to processed foods, sedentary lifestyles, and physical inactivity. High stress, lack of sleep, irregular meal timings, and hormonal imbalances also play a role.
Gut dysbiosis, an imbalance in gut microbiota, is linked to obesity and other health issues such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health issues. Studies have shown differences in gut microbiota composition between obese and lean individuals.
Excess weight is associated with numerous health risks, including type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, hypertension, osteoarthritis, certain cancers, inflammation, and mental health issues.
Revised guidelines for obesity in Asian Indians provide specific cutoffs for BMI, body fat percentage, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio to assess an individual's weight status.
Weight management strategies include good nutrition, regular exercise, daily physical activity, adequate sleep, rest, recreation, social connectedness, and stress reduction. Nutrition plays a crucial role, encompassing mindful eating, portion control, dietary diversity, and sustainable meal plans.
Mindful eating involves engaging all five senses while eating, promoting satiety and preventing overeating. It requires awareness of emotions and hunger cues before reaching for food and savoring each bite.
Numerous studies support the benefits of mindful eating for weight loss and promoting healthy eating habits.
Sustainable diets, unlike fad diets, should be nutritionally adequate and promote long-term behavior change. Fad diets often eliminate food groups, lack scientific evidence, and lead to detrimental health effects.
The dietary guidelines for Indians, provided by the National Institute of Nutrition, emphasize a balanced plate consisting of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, millets, and protein foods.
Basic food tips include using fresh, local, seasonal, and minimally processed foods, taking small portions, avoiding eating while stressed, and eating with family or friends without distractions.
When eating out, choosing freshly prepared foods, incorporating vegetables, opting for whole grains, including protein, and selecting healthier cooking methods are important considerations.
Myths surrounding food and weight loss should be disregarded, as no single food causes weight gain or guarantees weight loss.
Good nutrition offers numerous benefits, including maintaining optimal health and performance, preventing diseases and deficiencies, and promoting successful aging.
Effective weight management requires a collaborative effort involving qualified dietitians, psychologists, physiotherapists, local communities, educational institutions, workplaces, government policies, and industry participation.