All About Weight Management Information
Manage Weight Loss is a free resource to help you make healthy food and lifestyle choices for you and your family. You'll find topics that will help improve your overall health and sense of well-being related to weight loss, relationships, diet, exercises, nutrition, vitamins, prevention, and more.
What is Obesity
Obesity is not just a cosmetic consideration; it is a dire health dilemma directly harmful to one's health. In the United States, roughly 300,000 deaths per year are directly related to obesity, and more than 80% of these deaths are in patients with a BMI (body mass index, which will be discussed later in this article) over 30. Obesity also increases the risk of developing a number of chronic diseases.
What Causes Obesity
The balance between calorie intake and energy expenditure determines a person's weight. If a person eats more calories than he or she burns, the person gains weight (the body will store the excess energy as fat). If a person eats fewer calories than he or she burns, he or she will lose weight. Therefore the most common causes of obesity are overeating and physical inactivity. At present, we know that there are many factors that contribute to obesity, some of which have a genetic component:
Genetics.
Overeating.
Psychological factors. etc.,
Does it matter where fat is?
Concern is directed not only at how much fat a person has but also where that fat is located on the body. The pattern of body fat distribution tends to differ in men and women. Women typically collect fat in their hips and buttocks, giving their figures a "pear" shape. Men, on the other hand, usually collect fat around the belly, giving them more of an "apple" shape.
What can be done about Obesity
All too often, obesity prompts a strenuous diet in the hopes of reaching the "ideal body weight." Some amount of weight loss may be accomplished, but the lost weight usually quickly returns. More than 95% of the people who lose weight regain the weight within five years. It is clear that a more effective, long-lasting treatment for obesity must be found, lest obesity lead to oblivion. We need to learn more about the causes of obesity, and then we need to change the ways we treat it.
Exercise and Obesity
The National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES I) showed that people who engage in limited recreational activity were more likely to gain weight than more active people. Other studies have shown that people who engage in regular strenuous activity gain less weight than sedentary people.
Treatment of Obesity
The first goal of dieting is to stop further weight gain. The next goal is to establish realistic weight loss goals. While the ideal weight is a BMI of 20-25, this is difficult to achieve for many people. Thus success is higher when a goal is set to lose 10% to15% of baseline weight as opposed to 20% to 30% or higher. It is also important to remember that any weight reduction in an obese person would result in health benefits.
Medication and Obesity
Medication treatment of obesity should be used only in patients who have health risks related to obesity. Medications should be used in patients with a BMI greater than 30 or in those with a BMI of greater than 27 who have other medical conditions (such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood cholesterol) that put them at risk for developing heart disease. Medications should not be used for cosmetic reasons. Like diet and exercise, the goal of medication treatment has to be realistic.
Surgery and Obesity
The National Institute of Health consensus has suggested the following guidelines for surgery in obese patients: Patients with a BMI of greater than 40. Patients with a BMI of greater than 35 who have serious medical problems such as sleep apnea, that would improve with weight loss.
New Research in Obesity
Researchers at UC Davis are studying how genes influence the amount of arachidonic acid (a fatty acid important in the synthesis of prostaglandins in the body) in the liver and muscle cells of a special strain of rats called Zucker rats.
They found that rats that have inherited obese genes from both parents have decreased levels of arachidonic acid in their muscles and liver. These rats will become fat even when fed a very low calorie diet.
More importantly, researchers were able to reduce body weight and body fat in these obese rats by feeding them a special fatty acid supplement that increased arachidonic acid in their muscle cells. Researchers also found decreased arachidonic acid in the blood of obese humans.
Almost any of the commercial weight-loss programs can work, but only if they motivate you sufficiently to decrease the amount of calories you eat or increase the amount of calories you burn each day (or both). What elements of a weight-loss program should a consumer look for in judging its potential for safe and successful weight loss?
A responsible and safe weight-loss program should be able to document for you the five following features: The diet should be safe. It should include all of the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) for vitamins, minerals, and protein. The weight-loss diet should be low in calories (energy) only, not in essential foodstuffs.
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