What's the best way to encourage obese or lazy persons to exercise and eat healthily?

Question

EDIT::
Gyms, sporting facilities, nice parks,etc are all within easy reach but no amount of well-intentioned advice would make my siblings and some close friends convinced about the benefits of maintaining good health.
And those who are obese here may very well be lucky to receive great tips and encouragement from kind answerers, to turn their lives around and be happier. Have an OPEN mind in everything you read or do.

Answer 1

Low Carb Dieting Tip
Your rate of metabolism dictates how many calories you burn. Heredity, gender, age, body size. diet and nutrition, activity level, and your overall health factor in on determining how high or low your metabolism is. It is normal for metabolism levels to lower as a person ages. Because of this it is important to begin stepping up your exercise routines in your thirties and forties.

Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Eat Regularly - Eating 5-6 small meals throughout the day will give you energy throughout the day--helping you to burn calories. Whereas, calories eaten during larger meals tend to get stored as fat.
Maintain a Balanced Diet - Not only how often you eat is important, but your food choices are equally as important. Nurture you body with the appropriate balance of protein and carbs.

Eating whole foods rather than processed food gives your digestive system a workout that burns calories. For example: choose an apple over apple juice.
Workout with Weights - Building muscle mass will replace stored fat. As you build muscle tissue your metabolism increases.
Don't Forget Cardio - You need to get that heart rate up and breathe a little heavier. Twenty to thirty minutes of cardiovascular activity 5 days a week is recommended. Brisk walking or swimming are good. Or utilize exercise equipment (exercise bike, treadmill, or elliptical trainer)
Fruits and vegetables are clearly an important part of a good diet. Almost everyone can benefit from eating more of them, but variety is as important as quantity. No single fruit or vegetable provides all of the nutrients you need to be healthy. The key lies in the variety of different fruits and vegetables that you eat.
Some basic fruit and vegetable tips:
• Try to eat more fruits and vegetables. If you need 2,000 calories a day to maintain your weight and health, aim for at least nine servings (4½ cups) a day.
• Choose a variety of different fruits and vegetables. It's easy to get into a rut when it comes to the food you eat. Break out and try a wider variety - include dark-green, leafy vegetables; yellow, orange, and red fruits and vegetables; cooked tomatoes; and citrus fruits.

Answer 2

If it is someone you are concerned about then lead by example.

If you’re talking generally, ie. The Government/local councils encourage people to more active then don’t follow their example, they haven’t a clue!

People have a choice at the end of the day, if they can afford the food, not in debt, and they choose not to exercise or the sort, then that is -their- choice and regardless of everything you must respect that.

Not everybody who is ‘obese’ is unhappy with their lifestyle, which is where it comes in to ‘know’ your audience.

Target the people who -do- want to exercise, whether to lose weight or not, and provide them with encouragement and information.

The internet is great these days but there is nothing like a personal touch.

Local councils should be encouraging more ‘club-based fitness’ that doesn’t mean having to go to a gym, a whole range of activities could be included from walking, running, cycling et cetera. I realise there are private clubs for this however they can seem so daunting for a novice to join, where as council run groups could provide a ‘gentle entry’ into exercise.

Gyms these days are completely useless, targeted towards the young woman who wants to look her best, filled with cardio machines which aren’t worth their weight in sweat. The fresh air is more beneficial than being closed in a crowded room that sticks of body odour, yes I‘d take the chill of a winter morning over that any day, and have done.

Gyms are only ever good for weights.

Answer 3

You start with- "Hey, let's walk around the block then grill some chicken together" and work up slowly to...."Hey, let's join a gym together." In between, find shows like Fit TV's Diet Doctor, (know when it is on) and then casually be flipping through the channels and watch it.

After a person begins moving, the motivation to eat right will usually follow. Then, try to get them to go to www.mypyramid.gov so they can see what they are supposed to eat and see all of their foods broken down into vitamins and micronutrients. First, go to the site yourself and journal your foods eaten for a few weeks, and print off your daily intakes....especially the "daily calorie balance" chart that shows whether you have created a positive or negative energy balance.

This will take some time. It's like rehab to an addict. There are no magic words. You have to lead by example.


***Oh - to the poster with the comment on "gyms" - even though I haven't been in one in over a decade, I used to own a couple and I also trained fitness professionals nationally. f It's very important to try to get some professional guidance here since obese people are usually also unhealthy.

The poster used the word "obese" and since we don't know the age of the person(s) he is referring to, an assessment from a fitness professional is necessary. I wouldn't recommend vigorous exercise in the absence of a real health professional for any obese person. Maybe I should have used another word besides "gym" since that word does indeed sometimes evoke panic.

Answer 4

Make the exercise fun. Keep it short and simple. Find out what the person might enjoy and base the exercise around that. Remember even if they start out with only 5 or 10minutes per day, the main aim is to get them moving!
As for the diet, small changes. Pick one aspect of their diet to work on at a time, for example in the first month the goal might be to make sure they eat breakfast every morning.

Gab&Thomas.................. You are as bad as the insults you are slinging because you are judging someone you do not know! If you do not have helpful constructive advice then you have no right being here.

Answer 5

I really wish I knew. If you find out get in touch with the World Health Organisation, they are desperate!

One you do start going regularly it is easier, because it becomes enjoyable and even a little addictive. However for example even people who buy a gym membership only end up going about 7 times in the first year, even if they have paid for it, and then give up.

It must be a change in cultural attitudes that is needed,neither pride, fear nor shame seem to work.

Answer 6

Hi,

I've tried so many different diets in the last 10 years that I can say now, they don't work!
A few months ago, I came across a great product for weight loss and like many others I was skeptical about it. But I really wanted to lose weight and I tried it. The results were excellent and I lost 20 pounds in 2 months. I felt fantastic and I dropped another 5 pounds safely. That's why I recommend you check this product at http://www.fit-thin.info where they have a free trial and you only pay 5.49$ shipping and handling.
Good luck!

Answer 7

Stop people like you from objectifying them is a start. Why don't you concentrate on your own problems. It is a sad world when society is so hung up on material possesions and being aesthetically pleasing. Do you see beauty on the inside or are you too shallow? I sincerely doubt that you care enough to be concerned about their health. Most sad shallow people like yourself find it easy to make fun of people with weight problems because they wear their struggle while sorry S.O.B.s like you have to point it out. Name something that you struggle with internally and wear it on your back so we can all ridicule you. Or are you too cowardly?

Hey cauzz, read the first sentence dummy.

Answer 8

Be considerate and keep your mouth shut. You dont know what other people go through.

Do you also encourage skin and bones thin people to eat more and gain some weight?

Diversity is what makes this country interesting. Dont judge others.

Answer 9

Show them pics of grossly obese people, give them a list of what inactivity can do to you (weight gain, heart attacks, etc.).

Research and tell them the benefits of eating healthier and exercising.

Answer 10

my father is a bit overweight...
i turned on the tv to a workout show where a woman was teaching kickboxing and told him "that woman could kick your butt with one arm tied behind her!"
try playing with their dignity a little bit.. haha