Current Affairs Study: number of Czech men suffering from weight problems, obesity, on rise

A new survey has suggested that Czech men, as opposed to women, are getting fatter and doing little to effectively battle the problem - even though it puts their wellbeing at risk. The new study released by the Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic shows that men between the ages of 45 and 54 have the most trouble with obesity and once they put the pounds (or kilos), they only rarely come off. Prague-based diet and wellness specialist Iva Málková says anyone wanting to lose weight needs to take a balanced approach for long-term effects:

“When we work with people wanting to lose weight we stress that the process should not be restrictive and painful because such an approach – a strict diet – usually means the client will be far less likely to stick with it. Instead, we ask our clients to write down what they eat and we restructure their regular diet with healthier foods. Exercise is equally important for weight to stay off and for people to live healthily.”

While men often try to tackle weight problems through an increase in sports and outdoor activities, some dieticians suggest they don’t take what they eat as seriously as their female counterparts, eating more healthily for a time but gradually slipping into previous bad habits. That leads to the yo-yo effect: any weight shed slowly but surely comes back.

The survey also noted that often many of those who have earlier weight problems, who do nothing, gradually slip into obesity unless they face the problem head-on; related illnesses, of course, are well-documented and well-known, including heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. An interesting note: the Institute of Health Information and Statistic’s study indicates that while men are most likely to suffer problems with weight between the ages of 45 and 54, the opposite is true for women, who are more prone to put on extra weight after 55.