A study conducted last year showed that more than 40 percent of Taiwanese who tried to lose weight resorted to “extreme diets” and other regimens that were harmful to health, a medical group said on World Obesity Day yesterday.
The research showed that 52.7 percent of Taiwanese tried to lose weight last year, up from 33.5 percent in the previous year, suggesting a rise in obesity awareness, the Taiwan Medical Association for the Study of Obesity told a news conference in Taipei.
About 48 percent of those who engaged in weight-loss regimens had a body mass index exceeding 24, which by Taiwan’s standards qualify them as medically overweight or obese, it said.
Photo: Lo Bi, Taipei Times
More than 90 percent of those who were overweight or obese in the study tried to rein in their weight through diet or exercise, the association said.
However, 40 percent of them tried to lose weight through ill-advised diets, such as total abstention from carbohydrates or eating small-portion snacks in lieu of meals, it said.
Dubbed “extreme diets,” these dangerous regimens could result in malnutrition, muscle atrophy, metabolic disorders and a higher risk of gaining weight after ending their diets, said Lin Wen-yuan (林文元), an obesity expert who heads the association.
The study also showed that only 20 percent of those trying to lose weight sought professional advice, Lin said.
Scientific diet management, regular exercise and appropriate medical interventions are the only safe and effective way to lose weight without unnecessarily burdening the metabolic system or triggering illness, he said.
Medications such as Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) can drastically facilitate weight loss, and can treat high blood sugar and blood lipid levels, sleep apnea and cardiovascular diseases, Lin said.
However, GLP-1 is a medical drug that has side effects and can only be safely administered under medical supervision, he said, urging people to purchase them over-the-counter abroad.
Foundation secretary-general Gao hsiang-han (高湘涵) said that treatment by medical professionals, proper diet and regular exercise are the three essential components of a healthy weight loss regimen.
Medical intervention and use of pharmaceuticals must only be applied with a doctor’s prescription, she added.
Health Promotion Administration Director-General Shen Ching-fen (沈靜芬) said that more than half of the adult population in Taiwan are facing weight-related health challenges.
Citing the agency’s 2020-2024 National Nutrition and Health Survey, Shen said that 51.3 percent of people aged 18 or older in Taiwan were considered overweight or obese.
The theme for this year’s World Obesity Day is “8 Billion Reasons to Act on Obesity,” Shen said, calling on the society to directly confront the issue of obesity.
The agency, in collaboration with the medical association, has published a health manual titled Let’s Talk About Obesity: 100 Things You Should Know (一起聊聊肥胖症：你應該知道的100件事) to provide the public with the right ideas about healthy weight management, she said.
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
RSS