Are You Overweight? Try These Modern Strategies for Healthy and Long-Term Weight Management

Many people are overweight, often caused by genetics, lack of physical activity, or unhealthy eating practices. If people don't start addressing their excess weight, more than half of the population worldwide will be overweight or obese by 2035. Currently, 38% of the population is already struggling with this problem, so this doesn't come as a surprise.

Moreover, overweight individuals need to practice extra caution regarding their health. This is because being overweight vs obesity has different health connotations. They're both determined by your body mass index (BMI) or the measure of your weight compared to your height. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 makes you overweight, while 30 and above means you're obese. At first, there seems to be little difference, but being obese brings more health risks, including heart disease, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis.

Luckily, you can avoid obesity in many ways, like making lifestyle changes to eat healthier and manage stress better. Apart from these traditional approaches, you may find modern weight loss strategies more convenient and effective. If that is so, here are some you can practice:

Digitally track your food intake

Dieting is a common weight loss practice. After all, evidence proves that a calorie deficit is necessary to lose weight. However, even if you do this, you may still exceed the recommended calorie intake for weight loss since tracking calories can be tricky.

Instead of relying on reading nutrition labels and manual calorie computations, use a digital app or website to track your food intake. This will automatically calculate the calories you're eating per meal and serving, allowing you to eat more accurately according to your nutrition plan. A weight loss management specialist even recommends this, as it helps you practice accountability and provides insight into your eating habits. An app also has the added benefit of being customizable per person, so the caloric intake you're aiming for is tailored for you. To keep from forgetting to track your meals, log in your food details before or during eating.

Wear a fitness tracker

Exercising is effective for weight loss because it burns extra calories that would otherwise turn into fat. However, you may not burn as many calories as you think since you cannot measure it. Additionally, different bodies react differently to exercises.

To solve this, wear a fitness tracker. Wearable fitness trackers assist overweight individuals in shedding pounds by accurately measuring the number of calories burned daily, letting them know if they should exercise more to reach their goal, as their weight loss plan recommends. This is better than using apps or programs that only estimate your burned calories depending on your exercise duration because it accounts for an individual's metabolic rates. Some digital trackers can even monitor different health stats like heart rate, oxygen, and more. These are especially helpful to note since they can also influence a person's weight and well-being.

Get a microbiome test

Gut bacteria is a significant player in your weight loss. These organisms in your digestive tract determine how your body regulates appetite, glucose, and fat storage. In 2022, researchers even found that an excess of certain gut-dwelling chemicals called delta-valerobetaines can influence obesity. Given this, an imbalance in your gut bacteria may prevent weight loss.

To know if you have an imbalance that's hindering weight loss success, get a microbiome test at your local health center. Alternatively, you could also order an at-home microbiome test, although these run the risk of some contamination during shipping. The results of these tests will help you determine if you need to take probiotics—food or supplements containing microorganisms that improve the "good" gut bacteria—or prebiotics: food (usually high in fiber) that stimulates the growth of gut bacteria. Examples of probiotics are yogurt and cheese, while prebiotics often include whole grains and soybeans.

Consider taking weight loss medication

Some people cannot lose weight due to various factors—like genetics or hormonal imbalances—despite consistent dieting and exercise. In such cases, taking weight loss medication will greatly help combat being overweight.

Such medicines are available in pills or injections. They usually work by controlling your appetite or making you feel full so you prevent overeating. Some medications, specifically Orlistat capsules, decrease the fat your intestines absorb. Taking weight loss medication is a great help for those who can't reduce their weight with traditional methods. Before doing so, consult your doctor if you're eligible for medication.

Being overweight is detrimental to your health, especially if you're close to crossing the obesity threshold. To support your efforts, try the modern weight loss strategies discussed above.