Obesity is when your body has an excessive amount of body fat as measured by your body mass index, or BMI. People with a BMI greater than 30 are considered obese, a term that covers about 30 percent of Americans. Carrying more fat than your body needs increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Losing weight, even as little as 5 to 10 percent of your current weight, can significantly improve your health. There are a number of diets obese adults can follow to help them get to a healthier weight.
Reduced-Calorie Diet
The key to losing weight is to reduce the amount of calories you eat each day. You can lose 1/2 to 1 lb. a week by decreasing your daily calorie intake by 250 to 500 calories a day. Talk to your doctor about how many calories you should eat each day to lose weight. Obese adults can lose weight by consuming 1,000 to 1,600 calories a day, according to MayoClinic.com. When following a reduced-calorie diet, it is important to eat a variety of healthy foods from each of the food groups to help you meet your nutrient needs. A healthy plan should include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean sources of protein such as fish and poultry and low-fat or nonfat dairy foods.
Very Low-Calorie Liquid Diets
Liquid diets are very low-calorie diets, with about 600 to 800 calories a day, that can help obese adults lose weight quickly. Because these diets are so low in calories, they should only be followed under the direct supervision of a physician. On a liquid diet most or all your meals are replaced with a liquid meal shake. These shakes are fortified with vitamins and minerals to help you meet your nutrient needs. You can lose up to 3 to 5 lbs. a week following a liquid diet. However, most people who lose weight following a liquid diet have a difficult time keeping the weight off. A good liquid diet program should offer a weight maintenance program that teaches you how to maintain your weight loss once you resume eating regular food.
Meal Replacement Diets
Meal replacement diets can also help you lose weight by limiting your calorie intake with low-calorie, portion-controlled meal replacement shakes or bars. On a meal replacement diet, you replace one or two meals with a shake or bar while continuing to eat one regular meal a day, plus healthy snacks. Meal replacement diets may be effective in the short-term, according to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, but like the liquid diet programs, you may have a hard time keeping the weight off once you go back to eating regular foods.
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