How to Treat Obesity & Severe Overweight
Obesity and Weight Loss
How to Reduce Obesity and Control Your
Weight
How you decide to reduce obesity and lose
weight should depend on your individual circumstances.
- If you are mildly obese and feel confident
you can tackle your weight problem by yourself, you may decide to lose
weight with a sensible diet and exercise program.
- If you are mildly obese without confidence
in your ability to lose weight, or if you are seriously obese, you may
decide to contact your doctor and ask for an explanation of your weight
loss options.
- Whichever category you fall into, please
note that reducing obesity and controlling your weight requires maximum
support, both from your family and health advisors. Solving your obesity
problem and reaching a healthy weight is likely to be a lifelong process.
Obesity and Weight Loss
For most severely obese people, achieving
an "ideal body weight" is both unrealistic and unnecessary to
improve their health and reduce their risk for disease.
Benefits of Weight Loss
If you are overweight, losing as little
as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight may improve many of the problems
linked to being overweight, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
For example, if you weigh 200 pounds and are considered overweight on
the weight-for-height chart, you would need to lose 10 to 20 pounds.
Health Benefits of Weight Reduction
A 10 kg reduction in body weight can lead
to the following health benefits:
Mortality Benefits from Weight Loss
- 20+ percent fall in total mortality
- 30+ percent fall in diabetes related
deaths
- 40+ percent fall in obesity-related
cancer deaths
Hypertension Benefits from Weight Loss
Approximately 10 mmHg systolic and diastolic
blood pressure
Fat Levels Benefits from Weight Loss
- 10 percent total cholesterol reduction
- 15 percent low density lipoprotein cholesterol
reduction
- 30 percent triglycerides reduction
- 7 percent increase in high density lipoprotein
cholesterol
Diabetes Benefits from Weight Loss
Fall of 50 percent in fasting glucose.
Slow Steady Weight Loss is Best
- Slow and steady weight loss of no more
than 1 pound per week is the safest way to lose weight.
- Very rapid weight loss can cause you
to lose water or muscle, rather than fat.
- Over fast weight loss also increases
your chances of developing other problems, such as gallstones, gout,
loose skin and nutrient deficiencies.
- Making long-term changes in your eating
and physical activity habits is the best way to lose weight and keep
it off over time.
Obesity and Weight Loss - Importance of
Exercise
Losing weight is in itself beneficial to
reducing many health risks, including heart disease risk, but increased
cardio-respiratory fitness should also be encouraged. Normal weight men
with low cardiorespiratory fitness have a greater risk of cardiovascular
disease mortality than overweight or obese men who do not have low cardiorespiratory
fitness.
Obesity and Weight Loss - Choosing the
Right Weight Loss Program
The US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
(1998) guidelines have suggested that weight loss programmes should aim
initially to reduce body weight by 10% from baseline, at a rate of one
or two pounds (approximately 0.5–1 kg) a week, for six months.
- Avoid all fad diets
- Avoid all weight loss programs or diets
promising FAST weight loss of > 2 pounds/week.
- Do not rely on diet alone - get physically
active!
Obesity and Weight Loss - Basic Strategies
Eat Better
Whether you are trying to lose weight or
maintain your weight, you should take a look at your eating habits and
try to improve them. Try to eat a variety of foods, especially pasta,
rice, bread, and other whole-grain foods. You should also eat plenty of
fruits and vegetables. These foods will fill you up and are lower in calories
than foods full of oils or fats.
For more information on healthy eating,
see Dietary Guidelines and
Food Guide Pyramid
Increase Physical Activity
Making physical activity a part of your
daily life is an important way to help control your weight and lower your
risk for health problems.
- Spend less time in activities that use
little energy like watching television and playing video games and more
time in physical activities.
- Try to do at least 30 minutes of physical
activity a day on most days of the week.
- The activity does not have to be done
all at once. It can be done in short spurts - 10 minutes here, 20 minutes
there - as long as it adds up to 30 minutes a day.
- Simple ways to become more physically
active include walking to the store or taking the stairs instead of
the elevator.
Sources:
Weight Control Information Network (WIN).
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
UK National Health Service. |
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