"I wish I could eat whatever I want and not get fat” is something many people would add to their list if a genie granted them a few wishes.

Very many people have found themselves with the same problem; dieting and exercising hoping to drop a few kilograms but the weight won’t budge.

Desperate attempts to lose weight can be frustrating and create real stress. In fact, it is said that weight is one of the biggest stress factors, especially for women.

Take Angella Nsimbi for example, who has been struggling to lose weight but all her efforts have been futile. She has gone to the gym, swallowed sliming pills and respected every single diet recommended to her, yet nothing has changed.

She has done all there is to do and is worried that her dream of a petite figure will never be achieved.

She, however, says it is tough and might take a while, but she will do whatever it takes to lose weight and get her desired figure.

Nsimbi is just one of the many people who have embarked on a weight loss journey.

If you ask people why they want to lose weight, answers will most likely be ‘to look more attractive’, ‘be healthy’, or ‘to fit in’, among others. 

Whatever the reason, whether it is to ‘have a better figure’ or concern for one’s health, weight loss has become a movement.

Gerald Ruzindana, a body wellness specialist and nutritionist at Amazon Nutrition Cabinet, says people are now into losing weight because they have seen the disadvantages of being overweight.

"They have seen how dangerous it can be. Non-communicable diseases like diabetes are on the rise and this has prompted people to adopt a healthy lifestyle,” he says.

For some, however, it’s about being healthy, whereas others consider social factors, Ruzindana says.

Jules Karinijabo believes it’s more about societal influence than healthy living.

"Society has made people believe that for one to look attractive they have to be slim, and this is why many people are obsessing over weight loss,” he says.

"It could be a spouse who wants them to lose weight. I don’t think that all people do this to be healthy, it’s mostly peer influenced,” he adds.

Ariane Ingabire says people are obsessing with weight-loss because of the perception attached to it.

She says losing weight is not a bad idea since it’s healthy, however, what people attach to it is the problem.

"Some people think that when they lose weight they will be happier or more attractive, and this causes more harm than good because in the event of failure to get the desired size, they end up depressed,” Ingabire says.

Author Julia Smagacz reveals in her article Our Obsession with Weight Loss that the problem is that the weight loss craze has nothing to do with physical health.

She says she is not discouraging people from losing weight and trying out healthy diets, however, the issue to her is body weight struggles that are invisible but very real: the mental and emotional aspects.

"We associate weight loss with success, fitness, happiness, beauty, power. Weight gain, on the other hand, is rarely ever something to be celebrated. It’s inherently a bad, negative, stigmatised concept. I am horrified that things such as fat shaming and body shaming exist nowadays, and are accepted. Perfectly normal, beautiful women are labelled as "plus-size” and "unhealthy” simply because they don’t match society’s definition of fitness and typical body shape,” she writes.

What are people doing wrong?

Putting aside the fact that people are taking weight loss a little bit to the extreme, weight loss has evident advantages, such as reduction of risk of health conditions like heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Why then is it that many people, like Nsimbi, are finding it hard to lose weight?

Ruzindana says people embark on weight loss without first understanding weight gain.

He cautions on the endless information displayed in the media on how to lose weight, saying people should watch out for this.

People need to first understand the concept of gaining weight, they should concentrate on the root cause above all other factors, he says.

"There is nothing like a prescribed medication to balance their weight because it all goes back to lifestyle. Gaining weight comes as a result of an imbalance of daily calorie intake in relation to calorie expenditure,” he explains.

Ruzindana also says people need to understand why they eat, which is mostly to nourish the body and make it strong, rather than minding mostly about the taste.

He recommends a balanced diet if one is to stay healthy. "Minding what we eat is very important, however, staying healthy goes beyond this. Even if you turn into a vegetarian, when the quantity of food you eat is not calculated you can gain weight, and so the right intake matters.

"Fruits and vegetables have to be consumed daily in appropriate amounts as they help nourish the body and give it energy. You also need proteins to create body cells but these are to be consumed minimally. What you need is abundance of vitamins; these are supposed to be 50 per cent vitamins, 20 per cent carbohydrates and proteins 30 per cent,” he says.

Ruzindana advises about diets that people take without proper prescription from experts.

"These definitely have an effect; there is a risk of adopting a particular kind of diet that can be denying your body the needed nutrients.”

Jessica Intsinzi, a fitness trainer, says for one to be successful in their weight loss journey, they have to mind about their lifestyle in general because exercising alone cannot help.

"Going to the gym alone cannot help give the required results, you can lose weight but not in a significant way. Diet matters a lot and it should also be customised depending on an individual. Therefore eating right and exercising are both important,” she says.

Diet contributes 70 per cent to weight loss and exercise 30 per cent, hence, it is important to mind what we eat because what you put into your body is what the body will portray, she adds.

Intsinzi recommends that healthy eating should be a lifestyle because this will simplify the entire process of keeping fit and staying in good shape.

YOUR VOICE

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