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When it comes to obesity, an ounce of prevention is worth
far more than a pound of cure. According to goverment surveys,
nearly 60 million Americans are obese and 9 million are extremely
obese.
There are many reasons for people who are obese to lose weight.
Taking charge of your weight is one of the best ways to stay
healthy and live a longer, more productive life. Staying motivated
is a big part of weight loss success, because all diets work--if
you stick to them. Most successful dieters tell health care
providers that they lost weight and kept it off by doing their
own thing. In other words, they devised a personal plan they
could literally live with.
According to the National Institutes of Health, in 1999, almost
108 million Americans were overweight or obese. These conditions
substantially increase the risk of morbidity from  hypertension,
type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder
problems, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, and breast, colon
and prostate cancers. Please use this site to help set goals
for your weight loss and learn about the several factors that
influence your weight. Remember, there are no "super foods"
that either cause you to gain weight or lose weight. The answer
is in the number of calories consumed and the amount of exercise
used to burn off those calories.
The terms overweight and obesity are used by health experts
to indicate increased body weight in relation to height, when
compared to some standard of acceptable or desirable weight.
Health care providers use body mass index (BMI) and waist
circumference measurements to provide useful estimates of
overweight, obesity, and body fat distribution. Body mass
index (BMI) is the most common measure of expressing the relationship
(ratio) or weight to height. A BMI or 18.5 to 24.9 is considered
healthy. A person with BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight,
and a person with a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.
You can calculate your own BMI by first multiplying your weight(in
pounds) by 703 and then dividing that answer by your height
(in inches) squared. For example, for someone who is 5 feet
7 inches tall and weighs 220 pounds, the calculation would
look like this: 220 X 703 = 154,660 divided by (67 inches
X 67 inches = 4,489) which results in a BMI of 34.45. By definition,
that person would be looked upon by the medical community
as being obese.
Obesity is actually defined as an "excessively high amount
of body fat or adipose tissue in relation to lean body mass."
The amount of body fat includes concern for both the distribution
of fat throughout the body and the size of the adipose tissue
deposits. Body fat distribution can be estimated by skinfold
measures, waist-to-hip circumference ratios, or techniques
such as ultrasound, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance
imaging.
You didn't gain 100 pounds in a month and you likely will
not lose 100 pounds in a month. Losing weight, although sometimes
difficult, can be done. Starting with small and easy steps--taking
the stairs at work instead of the elevator, eating off smaller
plates, eating fewer fats and calories, taking a family walk
after dinner, drinking diet soda, not taking seconds, more
carrots (less cake), drinking lots of water, washing your
car by hand, asking a friend to exercise with you--all of
these can help you lose your excess pounds.
If you are obese, losing just 5% of your weight can have significant
health benefits. Using small steps and simple tips you can
successfully and sensibly lose the weight AND keep it off.
The result will be a better appearance, and a healthier, more
satisfied you. Lose the weight, regain your energy, increase
your self confidence, and start living again. You CAN do it!
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