Many Americans struggle with weight loss. In fact, obesity has risen to be one of the world’s greatest factors of premature death and the cause of many secondary diseases such as arthritis, cancer, breathing problems, heart disease, and diabetes. Even obesity tops the list for health concerns for children.
Every culture has its secrets for helping people stay slim. Here are unusual weight-loss tips from around the world:
1. South Africa – Sip some rooibos tea.
Enjoyed throughout the country, rooibos tea is more robust than green tea. Because it’s naturally sweet, it needs no sugar. Tea-drinking cultures generally have lower rates of obesity.
2. Norway – Take a Sunday family tour.
It’s a deeply rooted Norwegian habit: On Sunday, everyone from toddlers to grandparents heads out to hike (in summer) or cross-country ski (in winter). Start a Nordic tradition in your house. Encourage everyone to go out for a walk or a jog around the neighborhood.
3. India- Be twisted up.
Most Americans respect yoga’s stress-busting and flexibility-enhancing power, but not many realize it facilitates weight loss. In fact, a recent study found that yoga devotees have a lower body mass index (BMI) than other exercisers do.
4. Japan – Perfect the power nap.
In this on-the-go country, many people take time for a daily 20- to 30-minute nap. There’s increasing evidence that chronic sleep deprivation raises the risk of weight gain. Next you feel hungry, try to sleep for awhile.
5. France – Sit long, and talk lots.
The French excel at the leisurely family meal. On average, 92 percent of French families dine together nightly, compared with 28 percent of American families. Lengthy meals actually encourage less eating because conversation slows down the fork and gives you time to realize you’re full.
6. Finland – Take up Nordic walking.
This is one of the Finns’ favorite outdoor activities. It’s not as exotic as it sounds: Aiding balance, hold a pair of inexpensive, lightweight walking poles in your hands. The poles also transform walking into a total-body workout that burns 20 percent more calories. Winter or summer, it’s a simple way to derive more fat-reducing benefit from your regular walk.
7. Netherlands – Swallow more herring.
The Dutch down about 85 million of these slippery fish per year-raw. They’re pickled, and then served unadorned as snacks or in soft buns with onions and gherkins for lunch. Oily fish like herring is slimming because it contains lots of omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, known to increase the amount of fat deposited around the belly area.
8. Malaysia – Turn up the turmeric.
This spice, a key ingredient in curries, grows wild in Malaysian jungles. One of its chief components is a substance called curcumin, which may turn out to be a potent fat fighter. Try some in your next stir-fry.