RISKS OF EXCESSIVE WEIGHT GAIN
The conversation of this book is centred on knowing how to live a healthy life during a lockdown. Having discovered that a lockdown can hit any time and take everyone unawares, it is safer to be armed with knowledge. Most persons who do not pay attention to their health during a lockdown end up with health conditions that could have been avoided.
Lockdown routine
In the first few months of the lockdown, a survey was taken on how most families spent their lockdown and the discovery was alarming. It was discovered that most persons spent their day in unhealthy activities. The excessive free time most persons had was a bit alien to them. People were used to their daily work-inspired routine that they did not know what to do with the bundle of free time they had. The absence of social events and gatherings amplified the boredom people were saddled with. A computer analyst whose firm had shut down said he got so bored that he lost track of time because every day looked the same. To make himself happy, he resorted to drinking. Most activities people do to cope with boredom are always triggered by emotions that need immediate gratification and sometimes they always prove to be detrimental to the health.
The survey discovered that young people spent most of their time on their phones using social media or watching TV while older folks (people above 60) slept, ate or did nothing meaningful. The rate people consumed food spiked. It was gathered that most grocery stores ran out of supplies in a week than they did in six months. Most of what people purchased were processed foods, canned drinks, salted meat and other foods that are risky for the health.
It was also realized that many people during the lockdown gave up on their personal care. People stopped looking after their health and began living a sedimentary lifestyle. Even people who were enthusiastic about fitness gradually lost track of their routines. Although gyms were shut down, people could take care of their health by watching what they ate and also engaging in some indoor sporting activities.
The major concern of most persons during the lockdown was to avoid getting the virus. People stopped paying attention to their personal wellbeing. Most persons developed health issues because they were not eating right. For some, the meals they had in-between consisted of sugary processed foods. Little attention was paid to eating right or even watching the combination. Of course, these data cannot be generalized as there were some people who used the lockdown to stay fit, but a majority of the population of the world fell into the category of the people who stopped being diligent in watching what they eat.
No movement
One of the major reasons eating in lockdown has to be done with diligence is the lack of movement. People who live in areas where it was needed to observe strict lockdown rules could not go out for a walk or a run. Before the lockdown, the daily activities of people helped them move their bodies or stretch a bit. Some persons walk down to the bus or train station while others walk on the stairs in their offices. All of these activities had significant effect on the body. During a lockdown, there is a high possibility that outdoor movement will be restricted. Out of caution, you might not want to go out for fear of getting the virus yourself. So, physical movement tends to be limited.
The elementary lifestyle on its own poses a threat to people's health. As stated earlier, eating is the most indulged activity in a lockdown, and when people eat without exercising, fat is stored up. This lack of movement or physical activity leads to body pains and puts those with heart-related concerns at great risk of worsening their condition. It is safe to say that during a lockdown, inactivity is the major source of health concerns. When people eat and do not expend energy, the body is endangered.
Dangers of a sedentary lifestyle
This is probably one of the biggest disadvantages of the lockdown. Everyone must have had a friend or relative who seems to have a bond with lying all day on the bed or sitting on the couch and surfing the internet, then walk to the kitchen to pick up something to eat, gulps it down and returns to their favourite spot, which is the bed. A sedentary lifestyle is a life of inactivity when a person does nothing to exercise the body. Lockdowns can bring a perfect excuse not to live healthily. Everyone has the temptation of sitting all day in front of the TV with our favourite dessert or snack on a plate in front of us and afterward retire to bed. Human nature finds it easy to slide into poor habits. Poor habits are comfortable but expensive in the long-term to the body. It is easy to live a bed-to-couch lifestyle and fail to realize that your organs need to be active. They need to be energized not just by food alone but by activity.
Aside from the lockdown, our daily lives are almost a sedentary one. Most people spend their day on sedentary activities. Even at work, you sit all day. On your way home, you sit on the bus or train. What happens to people who live such a lifestyle is that their muscles lose strength. This lack of deliberate activity affects the muscle because it is not being used. Even the bone gets weaker because it is not in use and it may lose some mineral contents, especially if your diet is poor. Imagine how poor your body would function if you leave it without proper exercise or diet for three months.
A sedentary lifestyle results in poor body metabolism and blood circulation. Also, you burn fewer calories and enter a position where it becomes easy for you to gain weight. Since your metabolism is affected, you might have trouble breaking down the sugar and fat stored in your body. A sedentary lifestyle puts you at the risk of getting certain unfriendly diseases. For example, a person who sits all day eating and watching TV will likely develop obesity, especially if their diet is poor. It can also trigger diabetes because excess sugar becomes stored up. Studies have also shown that colon cancer is a strong possibility with such a lifestyle.
Why do you gain weight in a lockdown?
It has become public knowledge that weight gain is triggered by many factors, including poor dieting and inactivity. The chances of gaining weight during a lockdown are high because most persons rely on quick-fix food and do not exercise. This way of life is bound to cause them to gain weight.
Nutritionists have revealed that most people are anxious during a lockdown, which leads them to an unhealthy relationship with food. The scary news around the world, the loss of lives and jobs and other sad occurrences leave some persons