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There are many reasons for people to be following a diet.
Perhaps it is a special, doctor-advised regimen meant to control
or prevent certain illnesses such as high blood pressure or
diabetes. Maybe a diet is required due to particular food
allergies like a gluten-free diet or for people who are lactose
intolerant. The option of a diet such as vegetarian or macrobiotic
might simply be a personal lifestyle choice. However, most
people who are dieting are doing so because they are overweight.
According to the National Institutes of Health(NIH), in 1999,
almost 108 million adults in the United States were overweight
or obese--55 percent of the adult population. Being obese
or overweight substantially increases the risk of morbidity
from hypertension; type 2 diabetes; coronary heart disease;
stroke; gallbladder disease; osteoarthritis; sleep apnea;
and breast, prostate and colon cancers. In addition to the
thousands of lives that are cut short by obesity, the economic
cost is staggering. The total costs attributable to obesity-related
disease approaches $100 billion annually (NIH).
There are lots or reasons to lose weight. To be healthier.
To feel better. To look better. To have more energy. No matter
what the reason, successful weight loss and healthy weight
management depend on sensible goals and expectations. In fact,
losing even five to 10 percent of your present weight is the
kind of goal that can help improve your health. Experts suggest
aiming for a loss of 10 to 20 pounds which is very realistic
and quite doable. Did you know that 20 pounds equals 9,072
paper clips, or 1,599 quarters, 480 slices of uncooked bacon
or 2.5 bowling balls?
What you weigh is the result of several factors: how much
and what kind of food you eat; whether your lifestyle includes
regular physical activity; whether you use food to respond
to stress or loneliness; your psychological and genetic make-up;
your age and health status.
Successful weight loss and weight management programs should
address all of these factors. That's the reason to ignore
products or plans that promise quick and easy, permanent results
without permanent changes in your lifestyle. When it comes
to evaluating claims for weight loss products, the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) recommends a healthy portion of skepticism.
Before you spend money on programs or products that promise
fast and easy results, weigh the claims carefully. They probably
will not work, and the use of some products may not be safe.
Food specific diets rely on the myth that some foods have
special properties that can cause weight loss or gain. However,
no single food can. Many of the fad diets--like the infamous
Cabbage Soup Diet--can undermine your health, cause physical
discomfort (gas) and lead to disappointment when you regain
the weight soon after you lose it. There are no "superfoods."
That's why you should eat moderate amounts from all food groups,
not large amounts of a few special foods.
Doctors, dieticians, and other health experts agree that the
best way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories and increase
physical activity so you burn more energy. A reasonable goal
is to lose about a pound a week. For most people that means
cutting about 500 calories a day and exercising regularly.
Taking charge of your eating habits is one of the best ways
to stay healthy. Staying motivated is a large part of your
success, because most diets work--if you stick to them for
the long term. Most successful dieters tell researchers that
they lost weight and kept it off by doing their own thing.
They devised a personal plan of eating and exercise which
they could stick with. And you can do it too!
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