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Being overweight or obese represents a serious health risk, and in many countries has replaced smoking as the most common preventable cause of death. Excessive bodyweight contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes, heart and circulatory diseases and encourages the growth of certain types of tumours, contributing to a shorter life expectancy. Investigations have shown that even people who are a little overweight will lose years off their life, compared to people of normal weight. The impact increases with the growth of excess weight and, for seriously obese people, can even lead to a life expectancy that is cut ten years shorter. However, it is not just a person’s lifespan that is…
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The human body relies on regular energy intake. Without it, no cell would be able to carry out its function for long. Compounds containing energy, such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins, are provided via food and then digested by the body. Therefore, the energy released allows the body to work and maintains basic functions like circulation, breathing, digestion and a constant body temperature. The energy required during physical and mental rest is also known as resting metabolism. This, however, leaves a wide scope for interpretation, so for better comparability the basal metabolic rate is defined. This is the resting metabolism under standardised conditions. This measurement is made in…
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Along with a variety of nutritional programmes and diets, exercise is primarily regarded as the wonder-weapon against excess weight. Energy is not only used up during exercise itself, but also afterwards through the “after-burner" effect. Additionally, regular physical activity promotes muscle growth and thus increases the basal metabolic rate, which facilitates further weight loss or the maintenance of weight.
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According to estimations of the WHO (World Health Organisation) around 400 million children and adolescents were affected by being overweight or obese in 2016. In many countries, it is also the case that the growth in people affected is faster amongst children than it is for adults.
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The human body follows the beat of biological rhythms – primarily the Circadian rhythm. With a period of about 24hours, it influences the bodily functions including the sleep-wakening rhythm, intake of nutrients and daily fluctuations in body temperature, heart-rate, blood pressure and hormone production. Research into the Circadian rhythm even earned an American research team the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2017.
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Undoubtedly, cholesterol has a poor reputation and has become the topic of a decades-old debate. It is suspected that cholesterol increases the likelihood of arteriosclerosis and facilitates heart attacks and strokes. Because of this, it has long been classified as dangerous and cholesterol-containing foods such as eggs, meat and butter have been demonized.
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Despite tremendous advances in cancer treatment, millions of people are still diagnosed and die from cancer each year worldwide. Tumors are the main cause of cancer-related deaths in industrial nations. However, it is estimated that about half of cancer cases could be preventable through a healthy lifestyle. A decisive factor in this context is to avoid nicotine, engage in regular exercise and maintain balanced nutrition. Over the last years, another independent risk factor for the development of cancer has became apparent: obesity.
