This allows us to have a stable evolving figure.
In France, 31% of the population is overweight and 15% obese. Overweight and obesity are considered risk factors for diseases: type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular, metabolic, joint disorders and cancers. Excess weight is often due to poor eating habits, insufficient physical activity, and sometimes also mental health problems. All people who watch their weight weigh themselves regularly, but you should not overdo it and, above all, weigh yourself at the right time to keep track of your weight.
For Dr Marine Cotinat, gastroenterologist, the first thing to know is not to weigh yourself every day because “It’s no use at all.” Weighing yourself too often can create an unhealthy obsession: “It’s a bit like compulsion. However, by weighing yourself every day, you don’t see the number move much, it’s stressful to see that within a day, you haven’t lost anything.” The gastroenterologist advises instead to weigh yourself once a month. “At worst, if you really want to do it, you can weigh yourself once a week, but no more.”
To weigh yourself correctly, the most important thing is to do it in the same way in order to have a stable evolving figure. Therefore, Dr. Cotinat recommends weighing yourself “in the morning on an empty stomach, upon waking up and without clothing”. In addition, she also advises measuring your abdominal perimeter. “It is the abdominal perimeter which is the most representative of abdominal fat.” This fat further influences the risk of disease. The abdominal circumference measurement is taken at the narrowest level of the waist, equidistant between the bottom of the ribs and the pelvic bone.
For people who want to lose weight, our contact points out that “what’s interesting is losing over time.” Remember not to compare yourself to others : “When it comes to diets, men generally get there faster than women. But this is not always the case.” Difficulties in losing weight also depend on certain excess foods which will retain water for example, but also hormonal factors or even age. “You have to understand that no one is equal, and what matters is the result.”
Thanks to Dr Martine Cotinat, gastroenterologist and author of “I want to lose belly” published by Thierry Souccar.
