Read 36 times since Saturday, January 14, 2012
There are a lot of overweight people in Scotland. Probably 90% of people working with a Glasgow personal trainer do so to lose weight. Weight loss in Glasgow has become a serious issue with the nation's health hanging in the balance. Scotland is the second most obese country in the world, trailing only America, and this places a huge burden not only on the finances of our country but more importantly on the tens of thousands of families that are crippled by obesity and all the terrible illnesses that are associated with it.
Diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, certain forms of cancer, and so on kill thousands of Scots every year long before their time. It is sad that adult obesity is a self inflicted condition and that all these ills could be easily avoided. It is also sad that obesity is so common place in Glasgow that it is accepted and not seen as a blight on society when it clearly is. People have such low expectations of themselves and of others that little effort is made to check the rise in obesity in all but a few cases.
A few weeks ago a scientific study was reported in the press stating that people who joined a weight loss organisation, the study specifically referred to weight watchers, lost nearly 3 times as much weight as people who were left to follow NHS approved weight loss advice on their own. The average weight loss for the people with support was around 11lbs in a year compared to 4lbs over the same time for those with advice but no support. This was reported in such a way that trumpeted the effectiveness of weight loss organisations over going it alone. It should have been reported as a near complete failure for both groups.
It is entirely possible to lose 1lb a week with basic improvements to your diet and a slight increase in physical activity. This is 52lbs in a year, nearly 5 times the weightwatchers result. How hard were these people trying? The people in this study on NHS support were presumably told that they had to lose weight or there could be serious health implications, and they could still only lose an average of 4lbs in a year. That is less than 5 grams a day! That is pathetic.
All you need to lose weight is a little understanding of diet and exercise basics and the gumption to act on them long term. Get past the first 10 days of your new lifestyle and you will be past the worst of the withdrawal symptoms for the life that was making you fat. Iain Smith (MPhil/CSCS) owns Standout Gym, an independent warehouse gym in Glasgow, focusing on weight loss. He offers small group training as an affordable alternative to Glasgow personal training. Iain is a former international decathlete with 17 years coaching experience. www.standoutgym.com.
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