There are many
ways to lose weight,
but
it is not always easy to keep the weight off. The key to
successful weight loss is making changes in your eating and
physical activity habits that you can keep up for the rest of
your life. The information presented here may help put you on
the road to healthy habits.
Can I Benefit from
Weight Loss?
Health experts agree
that you may gain health benefits from even a small weight loss
if:
- you are
obese based on your body mass index (BMI) (see BMI chart
below),
- you are overweight based on
your BMI and have weight-related health problems or a family
history of such problems, or
- you have a waist that
measures more than 40 inches if you are a man or more than 35
inches if you are a woman.
A weight loss of 5 to 15
percent of body weight may improve your health and quality of
life, and prevent these health problems. For a person who weighs
200 pounds, that means losing 10 to 30 pounds.
Even if you do not need to lose
weight, you still should follow healthy eating and physical
activity habits to help prevent weight gain and stay healthy as
you age.
Find your weight on the bottom
of the graph. Go straight up from that point until you come to
the line that matches your height. Then look to find your weight
group.
* Without shoes ** Without
clothes
How Can I Lose Weight?
Your body weight is controlled
by the number of calories you eat and the number of calories you
use each day. To lose weight you need to take in fewer calories
than you use. You can do this by creating and following a plan
for healthy eating and a plan for regular physical activity.
You may also choose to follow a
formal weight-loss program that can help you make lifelong
changes in your eating and physical activity habits. See below
for more information on weight-loss programs.
Your Plan For Healthy
Eating
A weight-loss "diet" that
limits your portions to a very small size or that excludes
certain foods may be hard to stick to and not work over the long
term. Instead, a healthy eating plan takes into account your
likes and dislikes, and includes a variety of foods that give
you enough calories and nutrients for good health.
Make sure your healthy eating
plan is one that:
- Emphasizes fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and
milk products.
- Includes lean meats,
poultry, fish, bean, eggs and nuts.
- Is low in saturated fats,
trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
Your Plan for
Regular Physical Activity
Regular physical
activity may help you lose weight and
keep
weight off. It may also improve your energy level and mood, and
lower your risk for developing diseases like heart disease,
diabetes, and some cancers.
Any amount of physical activity
is better than none. Experts recommend doing at least 30 minutes
of moderate-intensity physical activity on most or all days of
the week for good health. To lose weight or maintain a weight
loss, you may need to do more than 30 minutes of physical
activity a day, as well as follow your healthy eating plan.
You can get your daily 30
minutes or more all at once, or break it up into shorter
sessions of 20, 15, or even 10 minutes. Try some of these
moderate-intensity physical activities:
- walking (15
minutes per mile or 4 miles per hour)
- biking
- tennis
- aerobic
exercise classes (step aerobics, kick boxing, dancing)
- energetic
house or yard work (gardening, raking, mopping, vacuuming).
What
Types of Weight-Loss Programs Are Available?
There
are two different types of weight-loss programs—clinical and
non-clinical. Knowing what a good program will offer and what to
watch out for may help you choose a weight-loss program that
will work for you.
Non-Clinical Program
What it is: A
non-clinical program may be commercially operated, such as a
privately owned weight-loss chain. You can follow a non-clinical
program on your own by using a counselor, book, website, or
weight-loss product. You can also join others in a support
group, worksite program, or community-based program.
Non-clinical weight-loss programs may require you to use the
program's foods or supplements.
What a
safe and effective program will offer:
- Books, pamphlets, and
websites that are written or reviewed by a licensed health
professional such as a medical doctor (M.D.) or registered
dietitian (R.D.).
- Balanced information about
following a healthy eating plan and getting regular physical
activity.
- Leaders or counselors who
show you their training credentials. (Program leaders or
counselors may not be licensed health professionals.)
Program cautions:
- If a program requires you to
buy prepackaged meals, find out how much the meals will
cost—they may be expensive. Also, eating prepackaged meals
does not let you learn the food selection and cooking skills
you will need to maintain weight loss over the long term.
- Avoid any diet that suggests
you eat a certain formula, food,
or combination of foods for easy weight loss. Some of these
diets may work in the short term because they are low in
calories. But they may not give you all the nutrients your
body needs and they do not teach healthy eating habits.
- Avoid programs that do not
include a physical activity plan.
-
Talk to your health care
provider before using any weight loss product, such as a
supplement, herb, or over-the-counter medication.
Clinical Program
What it is: A clinical program provides services
in a health care setting, such as a hospital. One or more
licensed health professionals, such as medical doctors, nurses,
registered dietitians, and/or psychologists, provide care. A
clinical program may or may not be commercially owned.
Clinical programs may offer
services such as nutrition education, physical activity, and
behavior change therapy. Some programs offer prescription
weight-loss drugs or gastrointestinal surgery.
Prescription weight-loss drugs
If your BMI is 30 or more, or your BMI is 27 or more and you
have weight-related health problems, you may consider using
prescription weight-loss drugs. Drugs should be used as
part of an overall program that includes long-term changes in
eating and physical activity habits. Only a licensed health care
provider can prescribe these drugs. See "Additional Reading" for
more information about prescription medications for the
treatment of obesity.
Gastrointestinal surgery
If your BMI is 40 or more, or
your BMI is 35 or more and you have weight-related health
problems such as diabetes or heart disease, you may consider
gastrointestinal surgery (also called bariatric surgery).
Most patients lose weight quickly, and many keep off most of
their weight with a healthy eating plan and regular physical
activity. Still, surgery can lead to problems that require more
operations. Surgery may also reduce the amount of vitamins and
minerals in your body and cause gallstones. See "Additional
Reading" for more information about gastrointestinal surgery.
What a
safe and effective program will offer:
- A team of licensed health
professionals
- A plan to help you keep
weight off after you have lost it.
Program cautions:
- There may be side effects or
health risks involved in the program that can be serious.
Discuss these with your health care provider.
For more detailed information
about choosing a safe and successful weight-loss program, see
"Additional Reading" at the end of this brochure.
It
is not always easy to change your eating and physical activity
habits.
You may have setbacks along the way.
But keep trying—you can do it!
