Weight gain/loss is a contentious issue that needs to be handled delicately without ostracising anyone in the process.
Dieting and exercise can help people lose weight, but whether it’s by choice or is advised for medical reasons, it comes with a lot of challenges as well as health benefits.
It seems that just about every week brings a new diet craze: wiring your jaws shut, combining coffee and protein, or even using medication side effects as a weight loss tool.
All diets come and go but one thing remains: a combined effort of dietary changes and consistent exercise can yield positive results without jeopardising your health the way quick fixes can.
1. Slimming wires/Jaw wiring:
TikTok is no stranger to quirky hacks that we sometimes find helpful and sometimes just shocking. Slimming wires/Jaw wiring, known in the medical community as maxillomandibular fixation, had social media in tizz.
With this weight-loss method your jaw is wired shut for four to six weeks, depending on your doctor’s advice, after which you will be required to follow a liquid diet. While most saw the results they hoped, medical experts advised people to tread with caution as those who “fasted” for more than 30 days experienced serious consequences. One of these is refeeding syndrome, which occurs when food is reintroduced after long periods of malnutrition or starvation, and can be life-threatening.
2. Proffee:
Another TikTok trend stirring up controversy among health experts is combining cold coffee brew (or espresso shots) and a premade protein drink to create a beverage known as “proffee”.
Improved metabolism and appetite control, both of which may aid in weight loss, are two health benefits of coffee. However, experts advise people to exercise caution when it comes to health-related trends such #profee, because no scientific research has been done on its efficacy for weight loss and the risk factors that may be associated with it.
Whether you’ve fallen for nutrition myths in the past, it can be hard to decipher fact from fiction when you’re desperate for help and everywhere you turn people are making claims on social media that a particular regimen works wonders.
In the meantime, dietitians keep advising that eating less and exercising more is a good way to lose weight.
Honestly, we all know better than to follow every fad we come across. But we do it anyway.
3. The hashtag #OzempicWeightLoss:
Approximately 422 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes. Having an understanding of how to prevent, detect, and control diabetes are crucial to curbing its development and utilising appropriate techniques to combat it.
With so many competing and sometimes contradictory diet trends, finding a healthy eating strategy that works for you might seem impossible. #OzempicWeightLoss made rounds on social media for on of its side effects – weight loss. Ozempic is a treatment for Type 2 diabetes.
The medication helps balance out hormones like insulin, which may curb appetite and allow people to shed pounds by eating less. Once a person is diagnosed with chronic illnesses they are often required to take medication to alleviate their symptoms and prevent disease progression. Taking your prescribed medicine as directed by your health-care practitioner is vital. Taking such medication without a doctor’s prescription could cause your condition to worsen, land you in hospital, and possibly result in death
Consider consulting a dietitian if you find conflicting information about what to eat.
