Weight Loss, Diet & Exercise:
Advice From American College of Sports Medicine
In excess of 55 percent of adults in the
United States are classified as either overweight or obese. To address
this significant public health problem, the American College of Sports
Medicine recommends that the combination of reductions in energy intake
and increases in energy expenditure, through structured exercise and other
forms of physical activity, be a component of weight loss intervention
programs.
An energy deficit of 500-1000 kcal.d-1
achieved through reductions in total energy intake is recommended.
Moreover, it appears that reducing dietary
fat intake to <30 percent of total energy intake may facilitate weight
loss by reducing total energy intake. Although there may be advantages
to modifying protein and carbohydrate intake, the optimal doses of these
macro-nutrients for weight loss have not been determined.
Significant health benefits can be recognized
with participation in a minimum of 150 min (2.5 h) of moderate intensity
exercise per week, and overweight and obese adults should progressively
increase to this initial exercise goal. However, there may be advantages
to progressively increasing exercise to 200-300 min (3.3-5 h) of exercise
per week, as recent scientific evidence indicates that this level of exercise
facilitates the long-term maintenance of weight loss. The addition of
resistance exercise to a weight loss intervention will increase strength
and function but may not attenuate the loss of fat-free mass typically
observed with reductions in total energy intake and loss
of body weight.
When medically indicated, pharmacotherapy
may be used for weight loss, but pharmacotherapy appears to be most effective
when used in combination with modifications of both eating and exercise
behaviors. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that the
strategies outlined in this position paper be incorporated into interventions
targeting weight loss and the prevention of weight regain for adults.
Source: Jakicic JM, Clark K, Coleman E,
Donnelly JE, Foreyt J, Melanson E, Volek J, Volpe SL; American College
of Sports Medicine. 2001
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