Normal BMI does not equal health. New obesity guidelines focus more on waist circumference and visceral fat
Recently, Taiwan released the "Clinical Care Guidelines for Adult Obesity and Obesity Related Complications and Diseases in Taiwan". Zhenxing Hospital has identified five key points: the inability to lose weight is not due to lack of effort; A normal BMI does not necessarily mean overall health; The weight loss goal should be tailored, and a 5% reduction will give you a feeling; Losing weight is not just about eating less and exercising more; Success is not just about losing weight.
Many people have this experience when trying to lose weight: they have already eaten less and exercised more, but their weight has not decreased, or they have finally lost weight and quickly regained it. In the end, I felt that my willpower was not strong enough. Research has found that weight loss is not just about looking at the numbers on a weight scale, but also about protecting heart, blood vessels, and overall health.
The diabetes Society of the Republic of China recently released this guideline, and the participants include metabolism, cardiovascular, kidney, liver, spirit, nutrition and other specialties. It re emphasizes the core of obesity treatment. Zhenxing Hospital said that obesity is related to many factors such as genetics, hormones, sleep, psychological stress, and dietary environment. Even if someone successfully loses weight, their body may regulate their appetite and energy metabolism to slowly regain weight. So gaining weight does not mean treatment failure, nor can it be solely blamed on an individual's lack of self-control.
The guidelines also remind that BMI is a commonly used obesity screening tool, but it cannot fully reflect a person's health status. Even if BMI is within the normal range, if there is a large belly and more visceral fat, it may increase the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and fatty liver. So when evaluating obesity, in addition to height and weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids, liver and kidney function should also be considered, and attention should be paid to whether muscle mass is sufficient.
In terms of weight loss goals, the guidelines no longer encourage blindly pursuing significant weight loss. Some patients may experience a 5% weight loss, which may lead to improved indicators such as blood sugar, blood pressure, and triglycerides. If you want to improve severe fatty liver or sleep apnea, you may need to reduce it by 10% to 15%. The actual goal depends on the individual's obesity level, complications, and overall health.
Zhenxing Hospital said that adjusting one's lifestyle is still the foundation of weight loss, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, and sufficient sleep. But if the goal cannot be achieved after adjustment, it does not mean that we can only continue to hold on. Nowadays, there are also methods for treating obesity, such as medication, endoscopy, and weight loss metabolic surgery. Physicians can choose according to the condition.
Weight loss should not only depend on how much weight is lost, but also on avoiding muscle loss. Especially for mature and middle-aged people, if they lose weight quickly without eating enough protein or doing resistance exercise, they may increase the risk of muscle atrophy and physical decline. So in addition to reducing fat, weight loss should also try to preserve muscle and body function as much as possible.
Zhenxing Hospital reminds that the purpose of obesity treatment is not to make everyone become a "paper man", but to reduce the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver and other obesity related diseases.
