Experts state that the root cause of weight gain lies in inadequate and unbalanced nutrition, hormonal changes, and the slowing down of metabolism with age. They also say that losing weight when not necessary can lead to very serious health problems, even death.
Emphasizing that the concept of diet is very wrongly imposed, Head of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan, said, “The nutrition process is a person's life companion. The implemented nutrition plans need to be prepared and carried out in parallel with one's lifestyle.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arslan: “If one truly wants to lose weight healthily and prevent the lost weight from being regained, support should be sought from dietitians.”
Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences, Head of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan, evaluated the topic of healthy eating and diet.
“Inadequate and unbalanced nutrition along with hormonal changes are at the root of weight gain”
Stating that inadequate and unbalanced nutrition, hormonal changes, and the slowing down of metabolism with age are at the root of weight gain, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan said, “Just as inadequate and unbalanced nutrition brings along the problem of obesity, we are also facing the problem of healthy eating obsession called orthorexia nervosa. Even though they are at their ideal weight, the desire for 'a little more, a little more, a little more' eventually leads to a very serious health problem. Some individuals, even with ideal body weight, have the mistaken idea of wanting to lose 'a little more.' We are talking about a process called brain training. First, a body analysis should be performed to determine if the person truly needs to lose weight or not. This needs to be analyzed very well. Then, adequate and balanced nutrition with an expert is important. Weight loss processes when not needed can bring about very serious health problems, ranging from hormonal changes to even death.”
If they lose 10 kilos, they gain 20 kilos back…
Drawing attention to the fact that people lose weight by applying various methods, both correct and incorrect, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan stated:
“I don't say they get thin; they lose weight. But afterwards, if they lose 10 kilos, they gain 20 kilos back. If they lose 5 kilos, they gain 10 kilos, perhaps even more, back. Every incorrectly applied method puts a mark on the metabolism and then comes back as more weight. ‘Teacher, we will do everything you say for 3 months, we will focus intensely on exercise, tell us to starve, and we will starve’ – there are those who say this. This is the fundamental mistake. When inadequate and unbalanced nutrition is resolved, there is no such problem as weight gain.”
“The concept of diet is being wrongly imposed”
Arslan also pointed out that the concept of diet is being wrongly imposed, saying, “When people hear 'diet,' they think they will be inadequately nourished, eat only one food group, or only protein-rich vegetables or fruits, and starve. The nutrition process is a person's life companion. For this reason, being able to act together with your life companion is very important. The implemented nutrition plans need to be prepared and carried out in parallel with one's lifestyle.”
It's not realistic to tell someone who has eaten pasta for years that they won't eat pasta!
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan pointed out that it's not realistic to tell a person who has eaten pasta for years ‘you won't eat pasta,’ and said, “The important thing is to adapt pasta into one's lifestyle and include it in the nutrition process with cooking methods that won't harm one's health.”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan also referred to popular diets, stating, “Various diets are applied. There was Atkins, the Stone Age diet emerged. There's the ketogenic diet. The gluten-free diet was very trendy for a while. However, all of these disrupt the microbiota of the Gastrointestinal (digestive) system and cause very serious health problems.”
Weight gain or loss is not just the number seen on the scale…
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan noted that it is necessary to understand the weight loss process, stating, “Once this is settled, after losing the weight that needs to be lost, the thought of wanting to lose more weight disappears, and a healthy process begins. What is this? First, it is necessary to analyze what the ideal weight is. People command themselves by only thinking about the body mass index and saying 'I am overweight, I am obese, I am fat.' However, body mass index is an average that emerges by taking height and weight as an index. It is a criterion that does not take fat into account. For this reason, people perceive their weight gain or loss actions only as the low or high number they see on the scale. For this reason, one needs to tell their brain their ideal weight, ideal body fat, and how to proceed on a path accordingly.”
As long as fat doesn't reach the ideal, that lost weight comes back again…
Emphasizing that people are aiming to lose weight very quickly and in a short time, and that this is a very wrong process, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan said, “Because the weight loss process varies from person to person. An individual who is morbidly obese, meaning extremely fat, loses weight faster because they have a large amount of body weight, whereas individuals categorized as thin, who are underweight or at their ideal body weight, may lose weight much slower. What is the average for this? Literature states it as half a kilo to one kilo per week. But it is a process that varies by person. A model client loses 300 grams per week. This is a good number for them. However, a morbidly obese client, whom we call very excessively overweight, can lose 4-5 kilos per week. This is water loss. This is also the issue of regaining lost weight. In other words, your body weight goes down. You say you lost weight, but as long as the fat does not reach the ideal, that lost weight comes back again.”
“The process of weight gain or loss is not just about nutrition”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan also stated that the process of weight gain or loss is not just about nutrition, and continued:
“Exercise also holds an important place. We are talking about a process related to the balance of energy intake and energy expenditure. Age has a significant importance. With the advancement of time, basal metabolism slows down every 10 years. There are specific processes like menopause. There are special periods like pregnancy, like breastfeeding. There are processes where certain diseases intervene, like hypothyroidism, like Hashimoto's. Like certain endocrinological diseases.
All of these actually trigger the weight gain process.
However, a life without exercise is also quite important. For this reason, since people are very active in their work lives, we offer practical suggestions, especially to desk workers. For example, parking their cars a little further from their workplace and walking, or not using elevators. Walks on weekends by the seaside, or in a park, in a garden… These are small tips that can make life more active. When you pay attention to these by also improving your nutrition, you prevent weight gain.'”
“Nutrition is not just about a single food group”
Stating that the nutrition process has turned into a market, a process called the food supplements and weight loss market, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan said the following:
“Nutrition is not just about a single food group. It is the amount of carbohydrates, protein, and fat a person consumes. A person should consume carbohydrates, protein, and fat. This balance should be adjusted specifically for that individual. One of the biggest mistakes made is many people applying a diet list that helped one person lose weight… The high visibility of uneducated people in the media and their giving tips on nutrition. There are many people who have lost their lives due to wrong and inadequate nutrition. There are many people who have caused health problems.
I want to underline that if one truly wants to lose weight healthily and prevent the lost weight from being regained, support should be sought from dietitians. It is very important that nutrition processes are adjusted by nutritionists and dietitians after a body analysis.'”
The fundamental problem is diet lists not adapted to lifestyle…
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Arslan stated that diet alone or exercise alone cannot be effective, saying, “Both are a whole. The fundamental problem is adopting a different life with diet lists not adapted to one's lifestyle and exercise programs not adapted to one's lifestyle.”