Weight Loss Around the World: Tips from Different Cultures - Ajit Patel Wellness

Although obesity is a worldwide issue, different cultures have different solutions for losing weight and bolstering their wellness. So, if you’ve been doing weight loss the British way and not seeing any results, maybe it’s time you took a virtual trip around the world and investigate what other countries’ weight loss strategies might do for your wellbeing.

1. UK: Ok, let’s start with how we do it here in Blighty. In the UK, the name of the dieting game is to downsize on the supersizing. Any nutritionist will tell you that supersizing your meal will supersize you, while smaller portions can help you to shed pounds, and only eat what your body really requires. Simon Hartley, executive editor of Reader’s Digest UK, suggests that the British diet technique of smaller portions is perhaps a lingering vestige of the frugality instilled by Second World War rationing – Yule Britannia.

2. Thailand: As Thai food is among the spiciest in the world, it not only raises your metabolism but also slows down your eating. According to Dr. Arya Sharma, scientific director of the Canadian Obesity Network, in the West ‘we eat too fast. By the time your body signals that it’s full, you’ve already overeaten. Eating slower is an effective strategy to avoid weight gain.’ Pass the Pad Thai.

3. France: No one does a leisurely family meal better than the French. The statistics show that 92% of French families dine together every night, spending at least 33 minutes just on eating dinner every weekday, and 43 minutes at weekends. It may sound counterintuitive, but eating a lengthy meal encourages you to eat less – after all, how many fat French people have you seen? Melodie Yong, registered dietician for the Heart and Lung Institute of St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, explains, ‘It generally takes 20 minutes from the time you’re full for your brain to realize you’re full, so taking longer to eat means you’ll end up eating less.’

4. Brazil: Rice and beans is a traditional dish in Brazil, which Brazilians enjoy at just about every meal in order to stay slim. A recent study, published in the journal Obesity Research, showed that if you eat a diet consisting primarily of rice and beans, your risk of becoming weight is 14% lower than if you dined on typical Western fare. The reason? Rice and beans are low in fat and high in fibre, which stabilises your blood-sugar levels. Yong asserts, ‘Beans are a great healthy addition’ to any meal.

5. Poland: The way Poles stay so slim is by staying in for dinner more often than they eat out. Typically, people in Poland only spend 5% of their family budget on eating out. Yong points out, ‘People who eat out a lot tend to eat less-healthy food and to be heavier than people who do.’ Moreover, there is a close connection between the rise in obesity over the last 30 years and the decline of cooking at home, linked in part to the increasing number of women in the workforce. In order to save pounds – both on your waistline and in your pocket – it might be a good idea to track and jot down how often you eat out and how much you spend each month, so that you can gradually cut back.

6. Germany: On a daily basis, an impressive 75% of Germans eat a breakfast usually consisting of whole-grain cereals, breads and fruit. Sharma argues, ‘If you could make just one change to impact the obesity epidemic, it would be to get everyone eating breakfast.’ Breakfast has a notable impact on your weight, one reason for which being that skipping breakfast makes your brain’s reward centre light up more vividly if you see a high-calorie food. This makes you more likely to indulge.

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