There is a friend, A, who has been trying to lose weight for many years, attempting various reliable or unreliable methods such as taking medication, exercising, dieting, fasting, and recently ended up in the hospital due to acute gastroenteritis caused by indiscriminately consuming a certain weight loss product.
Situations like this are often seen in the news.
Women’s enthusiasm for weight loss far exceeds many people’s expectations. Many women who are not even overweight constantly talk about losing weight. Although society is hostile towards overweight individuals, as obesity can indeed lead to many chronic diseases, oftentimes people follow the trend of losing weight without actual necessity.
Extreme weight loss and improper weight loss methods can cause more harm than obesity. For instance, blindly taking weight loss pills like my friend did, led to gastrointestinal issues and potential damage to the liver and kidneys. Many weight loss pills contain prohibited substances that forcefully eliminate the body’s water content, resulting in weight loss, or contain laxative-like components that cause excessive bowel movements leading to weight loss.
Unhealthy dieting can lead to malnutrition, irregular menstruation, anemia, hair loss, gallstones, memory decline, and other health issues.
Excessive exercising for weight loss could cause physical injuries like acute kidney damage, knee injuries, and if moderate exercise is not consistently maintained, it might not lead to effective weight loss and could result in a rebound weight gain after stopping exercise.
Some extreme weight loss methods pose even greater risks, such as inducing vomiting for weight loss through methods like throat picking or tubing, where food is consumed excessively and then forcibly vomited, these individuals are referred to as “rabbits,” with many following this approach. While this method may help maintain weight to achieve weight loss, it can lead to habitual gastric acid reflux, eventually causing conditioned reflexes where individuals feel like vomiting after eating, potentially leading to conditions such as anorexia, esophageal cancer, and depression. Inducing vomiting can also cause electrolyte imbalances in the body, resulting in conditions like hypokalemia, which can be severe and fatal. These dangers are not exaggerated!
In conclusion, weight loss is permissible, but it must be approached scientifically and sensibly, without blind and random choices.
Moreover, some individuals simply do not require weight loss. Being skinny is not the only beauty standard.
For an adult woman with a height of 160cm, weighing around 110 pounds is considered a healthy weight. Even at 120 pounds, there is no need to overly stress about weight loss! Although slightly overweight, being healthy is what truly matters.
According to the World Health Organization’s recommended weight calculation method for women, the equation for standard weight is (height in cm – 70) × 60%, for instance, a woman with a height of 160cm should ideally weigh around 54kg.
Another standard weight calculation method for adults is self-height – 105, so for a 160cm height, the standard weight should be 55kg. A range within 10% above or below this weight is considered normal. Meaning, for a height of 160cm, weights between 99 pounds to 120 pounds do not necessarily require strict weight loss measures.
If the weight exceeds 20%, reaching over 130 pounds, then it is considered obesity, and weight loss should be considered.
By using the now commonly utilized Body Mass Index (BMI), where BMI = weight in kilograms / height in meters squared, the ideal range is 18.5-23.9. A BMI below 18.5 indicates being underweight, above 24 is considered overweight, and above 30 indicates obesity. If these numbers are diagnosed, then it’s not just for aesthetics but for health that weight loss is necessary.
Of course, for individuals who regularly exercise and have a higher proportion of muscle mass than fat in their weight, even with a BMI of 30, weight loss may not be essential.
Weight is one factor, but for those with a large bone structure and minimal fat, being overweight might not be the case. If a woman’s waist circumference exceeds 80cm, then weight loss should be considered. If the waist circumference surpasses 85cm, the risk of various chronic diseases doubles!
The standard waist measurement for women: Height (cm) ÷ 2-14(cm), ±5% range is normal. For a 160cm tall woman, the standard waist circumference should be around 66cm, with 63cm-76cm considered normal.
When considering weight loss, it is essential to improve the spleen and stomach function, eliminate dampness. Many people claim they gain weight just by drinking water, but it’s not the fault of water, it’s an issue with the spleen. When the spleen is weak and unable to transform and distribute water properly, the water consumed turns into internal waste, toxins, and eventually into fat – will one not gain weight?!
Recommended dampness and spleen regulating treatment: Four Gentlemen Soup – lotus seeds, fox nuts, Chinese yam, and Poria fungus in a ratio of 1:1:1:1, each 20-30g. Grind into powder, soak in water for consumption, or cook into a soup or porridge. This combination has excellent spleen-invigorating and dampness-removing effects. These are food ingredients that directly or indirectly enhance the function of the spleen and kidneys, laying a foundation for successful weight loss.
Furthermore, in weight loss efforts, avoid staying up late, maintain regular meal times and portions, follow a schedule, engage in appropriate physical activities, and kneel for 10-20 minutes after meals to aid digestion. Persevere, and weight loss will eventually be successful.
