A weighty struggle for Indian women

Eisha Sarkar

Posted on Hello Wellness on Sep 10 2010 3:43PM
 

Second attempt! This one will definitely be better. You try on the other little black dress. You see yourself in the mirror. It fits well... except for that muffin-like bulge on the side of your waist. And you thought you'd lost weight!

You go for the medium size dress of an international label and you find that you need a 'large'. And you aren't even fat. So why does the trial room experience put you on trial?

Women have a number of barriers towards maintaining a healthy weight. And for Indian women, with their genes and disposition to put on weight, it becomes a tad too complex.

Men lose it, women don't
Face it: Women won't lose as much fat as men or at the same rate.
Why? Fat in women is stored around the hips, butt and breasts to support her through pregnancy even during periods where food may be scarce. This fat is less mobile than the fat men store around the mid-section. It reduces women’s risk of cardiovascular disease when compared with men of the same age. Post menopause, women can begin to store fat more readily around the mid-section thus increasing their risk of cardiovascular disease.
Tip: Manage your body fat prior to menopause as it becomes more difficult with time.

Oily diet, slippery goals
Face it: Indian cooking requires the use of oil, ghee, or butter but the popular belief that you use more oil to fry the masala for better taste, is not justified.
Slippery goals: Indian women find it difficult to adhere to strict Western weight loss regimes because of the demands of their Indian palates.
Tip: Avoid deep-fried foods. For cooking, measure the oil with a teaspoon instead of pouring it out of a can.

Get slimmer, quicker
Face it: Many more women than men have attempted to and achieved weight loss through various crazy and unproven, although popular, weight loss strategies.
The yo-yo effect: Women are under more pressure than men to achieve an unrealistically lean body shape. This may lead to psychological consequences, especially if they are not genetically predisposed to looking like the desired body shape. With each severe bout of weight loss the body becomes increasingly protective of the energy it has left, making any further weight loss even more difficult.
Tip: Opt for a combination of balanced diet and regular exercise.

Go crash it!
Face it: Women are at greater risk of the vicious cycle of dieting than men.
Strained: A person can feel unhappy about their body image and decide to go on a diet. As a result they may feel deprived, then angry. In this state of mind the person is more likely to binge and food can become a coping strategy. The over-restrained eater can last for long periods of time until a situation (such as pregnancy) arises that give them an excuse to break their restriction and the gorging begins.
Tip: Fad is bad. Say no!

Eating for two at pregnancy
Face it: The prevalent misconception that a pregnant mother should eat fatty foods such as ghee and halwa for the baby to grow. This result: Rapid weight gain.
Tip: You don't need to eat twice as much. An increase of only 300 calories per day is good enough for  you and your baby.

Water, water, everywhere
Face it: Women often notice an increase in water retention during the week before menstruation.  If it’s minor, it’s ok. Yet if it seems major and occurs all the time, it can is result in puffiness or excessive weight gain.
Tip: Drink more water. Water retention happens when you are low on water. The body tends toward conserving water, and will retain a bit to keep you hydrated. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day helps shed extra water, reducing water retention. Also minimize extra sodium in the diet.

Stress adds up
Face it: Women experience anxiety much more than men and are more exposed to the effects of stress on weight loss.
Tip: The key is to reduce the guilt about eating. Should you really have to earn food by losing pounds?