Weight is controlled by numerous environmental and genetic factors, many of which have yet to be determined. Obesity is both epidemic and carries numerous health risks. Body mass index, or BMI, is commonly used as a measure for ideal weight. It is defined as weight, in kilograms, divided by height in meters, squared. Being overweight is defined as having a BMI higher than 25 and obesity is defined as a BMI higher than 29.9. Treatment typically involves some combination of lifestyle changes including diet and exercise, drug therapy and surgery. A health care professional should be consulted for the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions including obesity and dietary considerations.
Types of Weight-Loss Diets
There are many weight-loss diets. Depending on your general health and other medical conditions, some diets may be more effective than others. The basic idea for any diet is to decrease the number of calories eaten to less than the number of calories used. Diets may be classified as balanced low-calorie diets, low-carbohydrate diets, low-fat diets, Mediterranean diets or fad diets, according to a 2001 article in "Obesity Research."
Calories
An anecdotal report by Dr. Mark Haub, a professor of nutrition at Kansas State University, notes that the professor ate convenience store snack foods such as cakes and cookies, limited his calories, and lost 27 lbs. over two months. This is not advised as a general diet for weight loss. It emphasizes that the most important element of a weight-loss diet is the calories consumed rather than its exact composition. However, the composition can matter for health, as fruits and vegetables contain fiber, vitamins and minerals that are absent from junk food.
Health Benefits of Weight Loss
Obesity is associated with numerous adverse health conditions including increased rates of death. Obese people have higher rates of type II diabetes, high fat and cholesterol in the blood, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, gout, blood clots, acid reflux, arthritis, liver disease, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea, dementia, cancer, irregular menses, sexual dysfunction and depression.
Weight Loss Diets and Alternative Interventions
Weight-loss diets can help to stave off the medical conditions associated with obesity. Along with exercise, weight loss is both possible and healthy. If necessary drug management and possibly bariatric surgery can be used as interventions as well in some people.
References
- "Obesity Research"; Popular diets: a scientific review; Freedman et al; 2001
- National Public Radio: Professor's Weight Loss Secret: Junk Food
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 17th Ed."; Anthony S Fauci et al; 2008
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