Medical support rather than "miracle diet": how to better fight against obesity

Obesity affects around 8 million people in France, according to the Ministry of Health.

It is indeed a disease and not some "lack of will" as some always seem to think, reminds the doctor of Europe 1 Jimmy Mohamed on the occasion of the world day of fight against this pathology.

To overcome it, he believes Thursday, we should not rely on miracle diets but on follow-up medical support. 

Obesity is neither a defect nor a quality, it is a disease.

It is defined by the BMI, the body mass index, which can be calculated very simply.

To do this, divide your weight by your height squared.

No need to be a math whiz - online tools will calculate it for you.

A result greater than 25 is synonymous with overweight, a number greater than 30 is synonymous with obesity. 

An inherited disease

Unfortunately, many French people still believe that losing weight is above all a question of willpower.

What is wrong.

People who suffer from obesity indeed have a multifactorial problem.

The first problem is genetic since obesity is hereditary.

If one of your parents is obese, you are more likely to be.

Certain diseases can also promote weight gain, as can certain treatments, in particular corticosteroids.

And we forget it, but stress and trauma can disrupt our metabolisms. 

No miracle diet

To fight against obesity, the key word is support.

The first thing to do is to see your doctor, who will check your blood pressure and possibly do a checkup for cholesterol or diabetes.

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There is no such thing as a miracle diet.

What works, however, is regular monitoring and setting realistic goals.

Keep in mind that losing 5% of your weight is already huge.

And above all, going gradually avoids the yoyo effect.

Also try if possible to avoid endocrine disruptors which will deregulate your digestive flora, your intestinal flora and lead to weight gain.

Also watch out for ultra-processed foods.