Diet & Weight Loss Management

With two-thirds of the United States population considered overweight or obese, the need for effective diet and weight loss management strategies has reached epidemic status. The National Institute of Health reports that being overweight places you at risk for type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis, and gallbladder disease. Successfully losing weight and maintaining losses challenges even the most dedicated dieter.

Theories/Speculation

Theories to manage weight loss abound including those that limit carbohydrates, fats or calories. The U.S. Department of Health and Social Services maintains that a calorie is a calorie and only reducing caloric intake can result in lost weight. Other diet and weight-loss theories, such as the low-carbohydrate diets recommended by Dr. Robert Atkins, theorize that eating fewer carbohydrates and more protein and fat causes the body to burn fat instead of sugar resulting in greater sustainable weight loss than high-carb, low-fat diets or calorie restriction diets. The Ornish Diet recommends consuming only 10 percent of your calories from fats and 70 percent from carbohydrates.

Time Frame

Losing weight takes time and managing weight loss requires permanent lifestyle changes. Most people experience more rapid weight loss at the beginning of their diet regimen. Following the initial loss, nutritionists at the National Institute of Health recommend losing 1 to 2 lbs. per week until reaching your goal weight. Research conducted by the Agricultural Research Service found that on all weight-loss diets tested, participants lost motivation at about six months. However, they noted that dieters on more moderate diets such as Weight Watchers and Zone stayed longer on the diet than those on more extreme diets.

Benefits

Successful diet and weight-loss management reduces disease risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report improved energy levels, mobility, mood and self-confidence for those individuals who successfully managed diet and weight loss.

Considerations

Pick a diet you can stick to for weight loss and lifestyle maintenance. Add exercises such as walking and weight training to support weight-loss management and increase fitness. Remove temptations from your kitchen including sugary desserts and candy. Receiving support from friends, family and professionals aids in diet and weight-loss management.

Expert Insight

An ABC News special report quoted Dr. Walter Willett, chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health saying that reducing carbohydrate consumption makes it easier for many people to manage weight loss. He continued, "following the low-fat, high-carb diet of the U.S.D.A. Food Pyramid may not only make it difficult to control weight, it could actually be dangerous."

Physicians with regular patient contact need special training in prevention and treatment strategies for diet and weight-loss management maintains "Obesity" magazine. A study conducted by Columbia University Medical Center found physicians needed to consider sociodemographic biases and literacy when developing diets and weight-loss recommendations for their patients.