According to the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, approximately 97 million adults in the United States are overweight or obese. Obesity increases your risk of medical problems such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke as well as certain types of cancers. While obesity is multifactorial and potential causes include genetics, cultural, social and behavioral factors, diet and food choices play a central role in the treatment of obesity.
Background
Obesity is defined as having excess body fat. The determination of whether you merit a diagnosis of obesity is based your BMI, or body mass index. This index is determined using a formula based on your weight and height. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal while a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight and above 30 is considered obese.
Low Calorie Diet
If you already suffer from obesity, treatment goals include weight loss over time and preventing further weight gain. The NIH advises that a low-calorie diet of approximately 1,000 to 1,200 kilocalories/day can reduce your body weight by an average of 8 percent over 3 to 12 months. Very low-calorie diets in which only 400 to 500 kilocalories/day are consumed do not provide an advantage in weight loss over time. Portion size can be difficult to estimate and is particularly important when on a low-calorie diet. The daily recommended amount of meat for a 1,200-calorie diet is 4 ounces, or a piece of chicken the size of the palm of your hand.
Low Fat Diet
While the quantity of the food you eat is important, the nutritive quality of the food is equally important. On a 1,200 calorie diet, 4 ounces of grains, 1 1/2 cups of vegetables, 1 cup of fruit, 2 cups of low-fat dairy products and 3 ounces of meat should be consumed daily. At least half of the grains should be whole grains such as whole-wheat bread or oatmeal. Any type of fruit may be consumed, and whole fruit is preferable to fruit juice. When choosing meats, low-fat meats such as chicken and fish should be eaten regularly with red meat eaten rarely. According to the NIH, low-calorie diets that emphasize low-fat foods result in the greatest amount of weight loss.
Benefits
Modifying your diet and carefully selecting healthy food can promote weight loss and ultimately change your body type from obese to overweight or from overweight to normal weight. This weight loss can prevent many of the medical complications of obesity as well as improve your self-image and prevent discrimination based on your size. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, even a 5 percent to 10 percent reduction in your total body weight can produce improvements in blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar.
Considerations
Diet modifications can be extremely difficult to maintain over time, and a good support system is imperative. MayoClinic.com suggests using a journal to express emotions, joining a support group of people struggling with the same issues and employing relaxation techniques are all ways to help you cope with obesity. Your physician can help you find resources in your community.
References
- National Institutes of Health: Obesity Education Initiative: Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults
- MayoClinic.com: Obesity
- United States Department of Agriculture: MyPyramid.gov: Inside the Pyramid
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Losing Weight
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