It is now well recognized that obesity and overweight has spread amongst all sections in the developed nations and amongst the richer sections in the developing nations. It has become a lifestyle problem. Lowered physical activities along with the type of food that are consumed are the main cause of the problem. Processed food has been displacing fresh food in the departmental stores and the super markets. Processed food is convenient for the people caught up with the busy urban life as they are easy to prepare.
The entry and predominance of beverages and junk food or fast food in our dietary practices are now reckoned to be the primary cause of obesity and overweight. The weight loss market too has been expanding alongside the increase in the number of the overweight. The market for various solutions such as the restructured diet, diet food, herbal appetite suppressant, medication and also surgeries is expanding. There are also a variety of publications and e-books on how to burn belly fat and how to burn away fat and build muscles. Professionals and fitness centers too offer advices.
Modern technologies and techniques are used by the processing industry to process the fresh food so that they remain fresh for a longer time and the shelf life is increased. Bacterial infection of the food is also minimized. The techniques commonly used include separation of various components, pasteurization, salting, autoclaving, cooling and drying. These are made available on the shelves in the stores and they require hardly any further preparation or are easy to prepare before they are consumed.
Separation techniques such as centrifugation, pressing and milling are used to extract juices, flour, oils etc as well as minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and vitamins. These processes modify the nutrient content of the food. Phytochemicals, vitamins and other substances are often lost when food is heated. The nutritional value of the food is modified and lowered. The need to enrich the processed food with additional important nutrient arises as a result. The processed food is inferior in terms of nutrient value when compared to the fresh wholesome food. Fresh foods have more sodium, GI starches, fiber, potassium, unoxidized essential fatty acids and vitamins. Harmful substances such as oxidized fats and trans fatty acids are often found in processed food.
Obesity is a big problem because it's a greater risk to our health and self-esteem. So, we should watch the food we eat and exercise more.
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