Exercise: An Essential Component of Obesity Treatment

Obesity is one of the most frequently encountered health problems today. Exercise Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meral Küçük Yetgin, noting that easy access to unhealthy foods and physical inactivity form the foundation of obesity, drew attention to the importance of exercise and healthy nutrition in obesity treatment. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meral Küçük Yetgin, emphasizing that a properly structured and sustainable exercise program increases the success of obesity treatment, also noted that exercise is a protective force in preventing the regaining of lost weight. Yetgin explained common misconceptions and what we should do. Pointing out that society's most important shortcoming is the failure to distinguish between physical activity and exercise, Yetgin states: "Being physically active is the responsibility of every individual in society, regardless of whether they have obesity or not, for their health. Unfortunately, approximately 75% of the Turkish population is not physically active. A sedentary lifestyle is one of the most important factors causing obesity. However, obese individuals need to not only be physically active but also follow a structured exercise program regularly."

What matters is reducing fat mass and increasing muscle mass

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meral Küçük Yetgin, pointing out that one of the common mistakes is exercising at a tiresome intensity with the belief that longer duration and excessive load exercises are more beneficial, continued as follows: "What matters is maintaining a personalized exercise model that reduces body fat while preserving muscle mass, at the correct intensity, duration and frequency, and modifying it when necessary. The recently popular trend of taking 10,000 steps daily is misleading people into thinking they are exercising. Of course, reaching this goal at the end of the day is an indicator of being physically active, but structured exercise is also necessary alongside it. By taking 10,000 steps daily to be physically active and also walking 3,000-3,500 steps on 3-4 days per week for 30 minutes, we can bring our walking to the moderate-intensity exercise level required for health."

Sedentary lifestyle is one of the fundamental causes of obesity

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meral Küçük Yetgin states: "Recent research shows that globally, sedentary behavior among the causes of obesity has surpassed unhealthy nutrition problems. This situation increased further due to restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite improved access to physical activity compared to the past, attention needs to be paid to the fact that people's activity levels are decreasing. In our country, this problem starts in childhood. Within the education system, children have limited access to sports programs. Families' perspective on sports also affects this. With inadequate sports culture, children as future adults form the foundation of a sedentary society. The fact that access to unhealthy foods is cheaper and more accessible than before, combined with a sedentary lifestyle, creates the foundation for the two causes of obesity.

Correct exercise is very important

Emphasizing the importance of the first health professional an obese individual contacts during treatment providing proper guidance, Exercise Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meral Küçük Yetgin continued: "An obese individual may have first consulted a nutritionist or an exercise specialist for treatment purposes. In such cases, the individual must be referred to a physician, the underlying causes of obesity should be investigated, medical treatment should be arranged if necessary, and then nutrition, psychological support and exercise interventions supporting the treatment should be addressed. Obesity itself is a cardiovascular risk factor before exercise. For this reason, the individual should be evaluated for these risks before starting exercise. If there are additional diseases accompanying the obesity, they should be addressed. On the other hand, exercise should be personalized. An exercise model that the individual will enjoy, structured at the correct duration, frequency and intensity, should be modified according to the individual's physical fitness and health gains if necessary. Exercise contributes not only to weight loss. There are also metabolic health gains. For obese individuals, walking is the safest form of exercise. Swimming is another type of exercise that can be recommended for individuals with a high body mass index. Such cardiovascular system-effective exercises should be performed at least three times per week, for at least 30 minutes, at moderate intensity, or reach a total weekly goal of at least 250 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise. However, obese individuals should not neglect muscle exercises alongside such cardiovascular system-effective exercises. For this purpose, resistance exercises such as Pilates, resistance band exercises or weight lifting should be added to the program on at least 2 days per week. The most effective exercise model for obese individuals is combining aerobic and resistance exercises in this way. Warm-up before exercise and cool-down phases after exercise should not be neglected in terms of protecting muscles and tendons."

Exercise prevents regaining lost weight

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Meral Küçük Yetgin, emphasizing the importance of exercise for a healthy life following obesity treatment, concluded: "Obesity treatment is a long-term process that even requires lifelong behavior change. After acquiring the habit of exercising, maintaining it is necessary to preserve health gains. An obese individual who is currently exercising can continue the weight loss process through modifications to the exercise model during pauses. Furthermore, exercise is an important component in preventing the regaining of lost weight. Exercise maintains its value as a protective force in obesity prevention, obesity treatment, and preventing weight regain after treatment."