How a poker player might guard against being overweight?

Obesity risk eventually surfaces in environments with inadequate mobility and an imbalanced diet. Furthermore, as most poker players combine a number of the factors that lead to excess body fat, knowing the causes of obesity and how to prevent it is essential knowledge for them.

Note that this is introductory material meant to raise poker players knowledge of health-related issues. Instead of self-diagnosing and self-medicating if you think you may be overweight or obese, see a qualified professional with medical training. Keep in mind that many people who identify as nutritionists or dietitians online do not hold a degree in medicine. Before giving them your health, request their diplomas, certifications, and other qualifying documentation.

What Separates Obese from Overweight?

The category “Endocrine Disorders, Eating Disorders and Metabolic Disorders/Eating Disorders” include weight gain.

Although being overweight is a little higher than average, it has no effect on how the body functions. The majority of obesity symptoms are not present in an overweight person, but they may include:

Apathy during episodes;
Somnolence;
The appearance of tiny skin folds and modifications to the figure’s outlines, such as the blurring or loosening of the silhouette;
The appearance of snoring or sleep apnea, which is characterized by breathing suspension;
Increased Perspiration, which causes skin irritation;
Intermittent bursts in pressure;
Breathing difficulties brought on by strenuous activity.

These symptoms are not a warning sign of pre-obesity because they can also be linked to other illnesses, such as depression, a deficiency in specific macronutrients, aging of the body, or difficulties following a COVID infection. A visit to the doctor is necessary to identify the precise reason of these symptoms.

When a person is obese, their body weight is much higher than normal and it affects how well their body functions. When it’s present, a person exhibits clear symptoms:

Breathing difficulties and the onset of tachycardia with mild physical activity, such as strolling along the street, climbing a short staircase to the first level, or lifting small household objects;
Breathing problems, even when at rest;
Prominent folds in the skin, as well as the expansion and distortion of the body’s limits, are obvious changes to the figure’s features;
Severe increase in sweating and the development of skin creases of diaper rash;
Pain in the bones and joints, particularly in the lower back, pelvis, and knees and legs;
Swelling around the limbs;
Increasing wasting away of muscles;
Heightened desire to eat and an increased appetite;
Decline in movement coordination and motor abilities;
Irregularities in women’s menstruation;
Reduced sexual desire.

Indigestion is a common side effect of obesity; the person is more likely than not to feel bloated or lightheaded after eating, get constipation or diarrhea, or experience a harsh or acidic taste in his mouth after not eating certain meals.

Obesity raises the chance of acquiring several ailments, which is why having excess body fat is harmful—not because it makes you fat or overweight. Infertility, prostatitis, arthritis, cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, rheumatism, and even cancer are among them.

Causes of poker player’s obesity.

Four factors increase the likelihood of obesity among poker players:

A sedentary lifestyle, unbalanced diet, chronic stress, and irregular sleep habits.

A diet that is out of balance or incorrect is one in which foods are high in different types of carbohydrates and fats but low in proteins and vegetable fibers.

This section’s first four reasons account for the majority of obesity cases worldwide. The remaining ones have varied cancers, hereditary characteristics (disposition to diseases or weight gain), pituitary gland abnormalities, metabolic abnormalities, and hormonal issues (including those brought on by using birth control pills).

The Definition of Obesity

Body mass index (BMI) calculation is the first step in diagnosing excess weight. It is computed by dividing the current weight in kilograms by the square of the height in meters. It is expressed in kilograms per square meter.

For instance, a person’s BMI is equal to 80/(1.70*1.70) = 27.7 if they weigh 80 kg and are 1 meter 70 centimeters tall.

There are seven states of the body in relation to body weight based on the BMI score. The WHO scale, for instance, was authorized in 1997 and looks like this:

Severe weight deficit (up to 16);
Weight deficiency (16-18.5);
Normal weight ranges from 18.5 to 25;
Overweight (localized obesity, or pre-obesity): 25-30;
Obesity can be classified as first-degree (30-35);
Second-degree (35-40); or
Third-degree (50+).

In addition, obesity of the IV degree can occur in individuals who are particularly large-framed and have a body weight that is at least double that of the typical minimum.

Importantly! Due to BMI ignores the unique aspects of each person’s health and body composition, it might not accurately reflect reality. These include the size and thickness of some bones, excessive skin sagging, age, level of exercise, and the existence of injuries that have required the replacement of natural joints or body components with artificial ones.

Furthermore, BMI does not consider the degree of fat coverage of internal organs. As a result, a normal BMI and slim physique may conceal asymptomatic visceral fat, which eventually leads to organ dysfunction.

As a result, BMI is only used as an early assessment of the presence of a weight problem, following which medical interventions, including:

To determine the thickness of the fat layer and the location of the body’s largest concentrations of fat, ultrasound, MRI, and anthropometry are used;
Densitometry: used to measure brittleness and bone density;
Tests on the blood and urine to measure the body’s levels of glucose, cholesterol, and other chemicals linked to obesity.

Shaun Deeb, a poker player, got identical treatments in 2023 as part of a fat loss wager with Bill Perkins.

Visually, he assessed his body fat to be 35-40%, but a complete scan revealed more than 40% fat per 138 kg of body weight. That’s around 55 kilograms of pure body fat. In the photo, you can see that Deeb’s fat mass is focused on the abdomen. This is known as “abdominal obesity” and is particularly common in men due to biological sex differences. Fat is most commonly deposited in women’s thighs and buttocks, a condition known as “gynoid obesity”.

How Poker Players Can Prevent Obesity.

If you don’t have any comorbidities or diseases that necessitate medical intervention to prevent obesity, you should follow these four healthy lifestyle recommendations.

1. Limit your intake of sweets and fat.

Examine your usual diet and exclude foods high in added sugar, fatty foods, flour, bread (save for a minimal amount of whole grains), sausages, confectionery, and canned goods. Avoid sugar in tea and coffee, and choose lactose-free dairy products.

Include extra fruits, veggies, and herbs on your menu. Try to consume them fresh at least once a day, without cooking, but make sure to thoroughly wash them.

Instead of fatty meats like beef, lamb, and pork, opt for chicken, turkey, fish, or seafood.

Snack on almonds, sweetish sprouting beans (mung beans, peas, lentils), and fruit and vegetable chips that have not been sweetened.

Eat no later than two hours before bedtime. Stop eating when you no longer feel hungry; it is better to eat modest meals every 3-4 hours than to overeat 2-3 times each day.

Drink plenty of pure water throughout the day; it helps break down body fats.

Lower, or even better, keep alcohol intake to a minimum by emphasizing small amounts of naturally fermented drinks (cider, light beer, wine).

2. Intensify Your Exercise.

Maintaining a healthy activity level doesn’t require you to purchase a gym or swimming pool subscription. It’s sufficient warm up every hour throughout the work day, take a half-hour stroll in the fresh air once a day, and engage in a set of pleasant physical activities two to three times a week (yoga, stretching, playing active games, etc.).

Walking twice a day, one hour before bedtime and one before the start of the working day, is better for efficiency. Naturally, this does not apply to the frosty period; nobody will gain from taking a walk in the bitter cold.

By the way, while choosing a training program, you should largely consider the advice of a therapist rather than a trainer because your existing health may necessitate giving up particular kinds of load.

3. Set up a sleeping schedule.

Start your bedtime and wake-up routines simultaneously. Your body will need to adjust to this regimen over the course of a few months, but it will benefit from better sleep. If the nature of poker loading makes this impossible, attempt to get as much sleep as you require each day. The processes that occur when you sleep are too crucial to your health to be ignored, so don’t trade sleep for other types of relaxation.

4. Reduce stress.

At the same time, this is both a simple and challenging pieces of advice, because poker stress can only be relieved if you drastically alter your attitude toward the game or simply stop playing. However, there is a simpler solution to limit the amount of sources of stress other than poker. In some circumstances, working with a psychologist may be necessary, such as if your stress is caused by thinking about or speaking with specific persons.

Bonus: Visit Your Doctor Regularly

If you take care of your health — taking tests on a regular basis, having examinations, and following the recommendations of specialists — your chances of acquiring not just obesity, but also other diseases will not only reduce, but will also be constantly controlled.

So, what about you? How do you control your weight? Diets or physical activities? How often do you visit your doctor and make a medical checkup.