Obesity Basics

Look around and you can't help but notice the problem -- 1 out of every 3 Americans is carrying extra weight, pounds that put them at risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, hypertension, shortened life span, stroke and high cholesterol. To solve this problem, the first step is to visit your physician for a full evaluation and a discussion regarding safe weight loss goals and a plan of action.

There will be many items that your physician will discuss with you, including your current medical problems, and what impact they will have on your weight loss goals. You will learn about your BMI, or body mass index, which is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared. This measurement provides a rough estimate of obesity severity. The higher the number, the greater your risk for health problems. A BMI between 25 and 30 is considered overweight and beyond 30 is obese. You should not lose more than 2 to 3 pounds per week or 8 to 10 pounds per month. Keep in mind the long-term goal of maintaining the weight loss. You will notice that men tend to lose weight more quickly than women because they have more muscle mass, which burns fat more quickly.

Now to the difficult part, what "diet" do you use? There is no simple answer here except to remember your weight is like a bank account, the more you put in (food) the more interest (fat) you generate. Your goal should be to use more than you are consuming. There are literally thousands of diets to follow, but you should stick to the basics. The less processed the food, the better it is for you. Green beans are good for you but less so when they come from a can with all those additives. Stick to the whole foods (raw fruits and vegetables), avoid fried meats (especially red meat), and keep sweets to the bare minimum. Remember all things in moderation will increase your likelihood of success. You must research the target calorie intake for your gender, height and weight. Your physician should be able to help you find these resources.
It will be difficult to lose weight with dieting alone. A weight loss program should incorporate a good diet and an exercise program appropriate for your current health status. Walking is always a great way to launch a new exercise regimen. It may only be 5 minutes a day to start, but you must begin somewhere. The human body has an amazing ability to adapt quickly, and this will be evident as walking becomes easier with time. The pace should be fast enough that you are a bit breathless while in a conversation. You should need to stop and take a breath after a sentence or two.

Other important components to an exercise program are stretching and resistance training. Stretching should be done after a warm-up and during the cool-down phase. Resistance training should be done 2 to 3 times per week, with a 24 hour resting period between workouts for each muscle group.

There are also weight loss medications and surgery, which should be considered a last resort after all conservative measures have failed. These are all only suggestions and you should consult with your physician before beginning any weight loss or exercise program.