Weight Management (Part 7)

Facts to Know

About 133 million Americans—about 66.3 percent the nation—are overweight or obese


More than two-thirds of Americans don't meet basic activity level recommendations, and 24 percent are completely sedentary.


According to the American Obesity Association, obesity (and unhealthy dietary habits and lifestyles that don't include much or any physical activity) is the second leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.


4. According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), 40 percent of newly identified cases of anorexia are in girls ages 15-19, and over half of teenage girls use unhealthy weight control behaviors, such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, taking laxatives, and vomiting. And the obsession with weight starts early—NEDA reports that 42 percent of first- to third-grade girls want to be thinner, and 82 percent of 10-year-olds are afraid of getting fat.


Children and teens who are overweight often have a lifelong struggle with their weight and are at high risk for developing diabetes, high blood pressure, diseased arteries, damaged hearts and liver damage.


If a woman's waist circumference divided by her hip measurement is greater than 0.8, she is considered to have a high amount of visceral fat, which is the type of fat that surrounds the internal organs. This is especially true if her waist measurement is more than 35 inches. This type of fat is associated with higher risk of certain diseases and conditions like diabetes and heart disease.


If you eat 250 calories per day fewer than needed to maintain your weight, and exercise enough to burn an additional 250 calories a day, you will lose about a pound per week.


Your basal metabolic rate, or the number of calories your body needs just to maintain its basic functions, is determined by multiplying your current weight by 10. You need additional calories to provide energy for daily activities; the more active you are, the more calories you need.


According to the American Obesity Association and the CDC, an estimated 36 percent of Americans are trying to lose weight and 56 percent are attempting to maintain a weight loss.


Despite the ads that claim miracle weight-loss for some products, there simply is no magic formula for losing weight. Fad diets, like those based on cabbage soup, grapefruit or protein, may help you lose some pounds—often water weight—in the short run but they don't work in the long term because they're impossible and unhealthy to maintain. The truth is, permanent weight loss takes time and requires a permanent change in eating and exercise habits.


Key Q&A
How do I know if I'm overweight, underweight, or if my weight is normal?

One measure of overweight and obesity is your body mass index (BMI), which can be determined by dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and then multiplying by 705. For example, a woman who is 5'6" and weighs 140 would have a BMI of 22.6, as follows:

5'6" = 66 inches


66 squared = 4356


140 divided by 4356 = 0.0321


0.0321 x 705 = 22.6



If a woman's BMI is under 18.5, she is considered underweight; between 18.5 and 24.9, she is considered of normal weight; between 25 and 29.9, overweight; 30 or greater, obese. However, if she has more muscle mass than normal, these numbers won't apply, and her health care professional should measure her body composition to determine her degree of overweight.

My health care professional says I need to lose 10 pounds. Why should I bother with such a small amount?

Being overweight, even by 10 pounds, can be bad for your health. If you are overweight, you are more likely to develop health problems including heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, some forms of cancer, gout, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and osteoarthritis.

As hard as I try, I just can't lose that 10 pounds. Shouldn't I just give up?

Your weight management efforts shouldn't necessarily be measured by the number of pounds you lose. Eating more healthfully and adding physical activity to your day have health benefits of their own, including improvements in your chronic disease risk factors such as blood pressure, blood sugar levels and cholesterol.

I need to lose 10 pounds. Are appetite suppressant medications appropriate for me?

Appetite suppressant medications may be appropriate for carefully selected patients who are at significant medical risk because of their obesity. They are not recommended for use by people who are only mildly overweight unless they have health problems that are made worse by their weight. These prescription drugs should be used only with the careful supervision of a health care professional. When they are used, these medications must also be combined with physical activity and improved diet.

My health care professional says my weight is normal, but I need to exercise more. Why should I exercise if I don't need to lose weight?

Exercise not only improves your cardiovascular health and conditioning, but it can help ward off illnesses like cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis. Plus, it has psychological benefits and helps reduce stress.

My health care professional says I'm underweight. What's so bad about that?

Underweight women are susceptible to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, resulting in a loss of bone density and muscle tissue.

What sort of health care professional can help me set and achieve weight management goals?

A physician may be the best place to start for a full health assessment and referral. An endocrinologist is a physician who specializes in metabolic conditions including obesity. A nutritionist or registered dietitian can evaluate your diet and suggest ways of fighting various health problems or simply becoming healthier by modifying your diet. A personal trainer provides one-on-one goal setting and professional expertise, most often in the area of fitness and exe exercise.

Is liposuction an effective way to lose fat?

Liposuction does, indeed, remove fat from specific regions of your body. But if you haven't learned to eat healthfully and incorporate physical activity into your lifestyle, you will regain any lost weight (although your new fat deposits may develop in different sites on your body). In addition, liposuction surgery has side effects and can have serious complications. You should talk to an unbiased health care professional, such as your primary care physician, prior to making any decisions about liposuction.

What is a healthy diet?

Half your plate at main meals should consist of colorful vegetables, one quarter should consist of grain products such as whole-grain bread, pasta, whole grain rice and cereals and one quarter should consist of meat, fish or poultry. Several times a week, substitute dishes made from dried beans or peas as your main course. Eat plenty of fruits. Low-fat milk products like yogurt should be eaten as a side dish or as a beverage three times each day. These proportions will help lower your saturated fat intake and increase the amount of fiber in your diet, both of which have been shown to decrease risk for heart disease. While you should try to cut back on fats and sugars, allow for an occasional treat. Also, your fat consumption should be 20-35 percent or less of your total caloric intake, with saturated fats accounting for less than 10 percent of your fat intake.

How much should I exercise?

The "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005" recommend healthy women do some sort of physical activity on most or all days of the week for 60 minutes. These minutes can be accumulated—30 minutes of an aerobics video in the morning and 30 minutes of brisk walking in the evening, for example. If you have been inactive, you need to work up slowly to this amount so you don't get injured or overly fatigued and then discouraged. And remember, the more vigorous and longer your workout, the greater the health benefit. The best way to keep weight off once it's been lost is to do 60 to 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most days, being careful not to exceed your specific daily calorie requirements.