Lose weight? Get on the job

              (By Lisa Sarah John, Courtesy Bangalore Times, Aug 21, 2006)

Asedentary job with long hours is dangerous from the health point of view. But one cannot say, “I have no time for exercise”. Most young people, throwing themselves into their careers and working from 9am to 10pm, seem to say that more often. This can be detrimental to health, leading to low metabolic rates and increasing waistlines.

Many in their late 20s and early 30s have also developed heart diseases, diabetes, hypertension, etc. and the contributing factors are long work hours, stress at work and unhealthy eating habits. Earlier, only 50 or 60 year olds complained of health problems, probably because they never worked such late hours.

It’s now time for people to choose between health and wealth. When you are thinking of weight control, you may see it as an hour of working out at a gym or an aerobics class which will take up two hours of your day —to get there, get back, shower and head to work. This is okay for those who have the time for it.

But here’s some good news: you can find success from a system where you take a brisk walk for 20-30 minutes, daily. Doing this regularly can keep you fit and lead to steady weight loss. Go for a walk at any time of the day, before or even after a meal. So if you’re working till 10pm, take a 20-30 minute break at 6pm and go for a brisk walk around your building or at the nearest park and get back to work. Here’s what’s a must: Walk: 20-30 minutes Water: 2-3 litres Diet: eat regular, balanced meals, plenty of fibre and cut out the fatty food.

Another dangerous habit is eating late at night and sleeping soon after. There should be at least a gap of two hours between dinner and bedtime. In many cases where the husband comes home very late, the wife waits to eat with him. Instead, they should eat earlier to prevent obesity. Men must make an effort to come home earlier and break this pattern of eating late as it contributes to obesity. This habit, combined with work pressure can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, raised cholesterol and triglyceride levels and finally, heart diseases.

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