Struggling to lose weight healthily? The key is sustainability, says Pharmanex

Sticking to a weight management regimen could help you keep the extra kilograms off in the long run.

Fans of bubble tea and Korean fried chicken are spoilt for choice in Singapore, with a number of franchises opening shop here.

Regularly indulging in these food fads, however, may be taking a toll on our health. 

The Health Promotion Board's National Nutrition Survey found that the average Singaporean ate more calories daily than what is recommended in 2018.

Figures released by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in 2018 also showed that 36.2 per cent of Singaporeans aged 18 to 69 were overweight. 

Aside from junk food cravings, weight gain can be linked to overeating, stress eating, genetics, medication, and a sedentary lifestyle - a common affliction of working adults in desk-bound jobs, who lack the time and energy for exercise. 

THE HEALTH RISKS OF BEING OVERWEIGHT

Needless to say, being overweight can lead to numerous chronic health conditions.

According to the United States' Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, people who are overweight tend to be at a greater risk for diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease. 

Excess body weight could also affect your mobility.

For instance, it could exert extra pressure on your knee joints that can hasten the breakdown of knee cartilage over time, increasing your chances of developing osteoarthritis in the future. 

Severe weight gain can affect both adults and children. The same study by MOH found that there are more overweight children today, as compared to decades ago.

Overweight children are also more likely to carry the extra weight into adulthood. 

THE PITFALLS OF CRASH DIETS

Losing weight can feel like an uphill climb, and may tempt some to turn to quick-fix diets. But doing so without proper guidance can adversely affect your health, says Dr Joseph Chang, chief scientific officer and executive vice-president of product development at Nu Skin. 

He explains: "By definition, a diet is not a regular eating plan that is expected to be maintained throughout life. Furthermore, extreme diets that impose bans on certain food groups can weaken the body and cause malnutrition, due to insufficient intake of important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre or good fats."

Some people may also starve themselves to achieve their desired body weight, Dr Chang adds.

"Starvation can cause rapid weight loss because there is a drastic drop in food intake. But after periods of starvation, the dieters always tend to eat more, which causes their body weight to bounce back quickly."

SLOW AND STEADY WINS THE RACE

Let's face it: Shedding weight is a struggle and can, at times, make you feel demoralised when the bathroom scale doesn't show the weight improvement that you wish. But a balanced diet and exercise regimen can help you see an improvement in your health and weight. 

Hoping to lead the charge in the health and wellbeing of Singaporeans is Pharmanex, with its science-backed weight management programme known as ageLOC TR90 - a 90-day regimen that is said to promote healthy weight loss.

At its recent bi-annual ageLOC TR90 Walk, an event held to celebrate individuals who have taken the first step to embrace a healthier lifestyle, Nu Skin Enterprises Singapore conducted a complimentary body composition test for participants. 

More than half of the 1,049 participants surveyed were considered overweight. Those between the ages of 30 and 39 made up the largest group of overweight people at the event.

Aside from gaining a better understanding of their bodies, participants also learnt to start taking care of their health - beginning with a healthy diet to manage weight loss. 

Dr Chang says that a weight management programme (as opposed to a diet) needs to take into account three crucial aspects to work optimally: promote a healthy metabolism, maintain lean muscle mass and control appetite to reduce food cravings. It should also be designed around a scientific understanding of how the body works to avoid unwanted negative effects, such as muscle loss or nutritional deficiency. 

THE QUALITY BEHIND A SCIENCE-BACKED DIET

Pharmanex's science-supported eating plan has one key aspect that separates it from other traditional diets: balanced protein intake across all three meals.  

Dr Chang explains: "Traditional diets restrict calories by reducing the intake of fats, carbohydrates and proteins equally. Our ageLOC TR90 eating plan does the same thing, but maintains and distributes protein intake evenly across all your three meals. 

"This helps to support lean muscle throughout the day and, along with the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables, provides satiety and appetite control. It is a truly sustainable eating plan." 

The eating plan ensures that each meal provides the body with a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fruits and vegetables. And instead of counting calories tediously, ageLOC TR90 encourages users to learn how to measure and control their food portions using their palm and fist.

ageLOC TR90 is designed to feel more like a "lifestyle plan" that can be maintained for life, says Dr Chang.

"Many of our users find it easy to continue with the eating plan, even after their 90-day programme is over. They use it as a guide to eat healthily long after they've achieved their ideal weight."

Dr Chang adds that the company identifies genes related to fat storage and burning to help reduce fat storage, increase the burning of fats and support healthy body functions with its ageLOC TR90 weight management products.

To maintain the quality of their products, Nu Skin keeps to a 6S philosophy: Selection, Sourcing, Specification, Standardisation, Safety and Substantiation. 

Nu Skin developed its own standards for development and manufacturing processes, maintaining quality, efficacy and safety controls through each and every stage to ensure unsurpassed results that meet only the highest standards.

Together with experts and suppliers, Nu Skin researchers study the ingredients that go into their products.

Nu Skin's team of scientists then looks into potential sources of these key ingredients. 

Pharmanex products are also tested for the presence of microbes, heavy metals and other contaminants to meet product safety standards.

The company says it takes great care to ensure that each product claim is backed up by scientific literature and research studies.

For many of us, getting in shape and achieving a healthy, ideal weight will likely be a New Year's resolution in 2020.

With a little help from TR90, this could just be one resolution that we keep. 

This article is brought to you by Nu Skin.