Weight Loss for Life

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Weight-control Information Network
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Therearemanywaystoloseweight,
butitisnotalwayseasytokeepthe
weightoff.Thekeytosuccessful
weightlossismakingchangesinyoureating
andphysicalactivityhabitsthatyoucankeep
upfortherestofyourlife.Theinformation
presentedheremayhelpputyouontheroad
tohealthyhabits.
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Can I beneft
from weight loss?
Healthexpertsagreethatyou
may gain health benefts from
evenasmallweightlossif:
◆ Youareconsideredobese
basedonyourbodymass
index(BMI)(seeBMI
chartonpage3).
◆ Youareconsidered
overweightbasedonyour
BMIandhaveweight-
relatedhealthproblems
orafamilyhistoryofsuch
problems.
◆ Youhaveawaistthat
measuresmorethan40
inchesifyouareaman
ormorethan35inchesif
youareawoman.
Aweightlossof5to7
percentofbodyweightmay
improveyourhealthand
qualityoflife,anditmay
preventweight-related
healthproblems,liketype2
diabetes.Forapersonwho
weighs200pounds,this
meanslosing10to
14pounds.
Evenifyoudonotneedto
loseweight,youshouldstill
followhealthyeatingand
physicalactivityhabitstohelp
preventweightgainandkeep
youhealthyovertheyears.
Some
Some


W
W
eight-r
eight-r
elated Health
elated Health
Pr
Pr
oblems
oblems
✔ diabetes
✔ heart disease
or stroke
✔ high blood
pressure
✔ high cholesterol
✔ gallbladder disease
✔ some types
of cancer
✔ osteoarthritis
(wearing away
of the joints)
✔ sleep apnea
(interrupted
breathing during
sleep)
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Body Mass Index
BMIisatoolthatisoften
usedtodeterminewhether
aperson’shealthisatrisk
duetohisorherweight.Itis
aratioofyourweighttoyour
height.ABMIof18.5
to24.9isconsidered
healthy,aBMIof25to29.9
isconsideredoverweight,
andaBMIof30ormoreis
consideredobese.Youcan
fnd your BMI using the chart
below,andyoucanalso
seetheweightrangethatis
healthyforyourheight.
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How can I lose
weight?
Toloseweightyouneedto
takeinfewercaloriesthan
youuse.Youcandothisby
creatingandfollowingaplan
forhealthyeatingandaplan
forregularphysicalactivity.
Youmayalsochoosetofollow
aformalweight-lossprogram
thatcanhelpyoumakelifelong
changesinyoureatingand
physicalactivityhabits.See
page6formoreinformationon
weight-lossprograms.
Your Plan for
Healthy Eating
Itmaybehardtosticktoa
weight-loss“diet”thatlimits
yourportionstoverysmall
sizesorexcludescertain
foods. You may have diffculty
makingthatworkoverthe
longterm.Instead,ahealthy
eatingplantakesintoaccount
yourlikesanddislikes,andin-
cludesavarietyoffoodsthat
giveyouenoughcaloriesand
nutrientsforgoodhealth.
Make sure your healthy
eating plan is one that:
◆ Emphasizesfruits,
vegetables,wholegrains,
andfat-freeorlow-fat
milkandmilkproducts.
◆ Includesleanmeats,
poultry, fsh, beans, eggs,
andnuts.
◆ Islowinsaturatedfats,
transfats,cholesterol,
salt(sodium),andadded
sugars.
The Nutrition Facts label
from the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) is found
on most packaged foods.
It tells you how many calories
and how much fat, protein,
carbohydrate, and other
nutrients are in one serving
of the food. For more
information on the Nutrition
Facts, see “Other Resources”
at the end of this brochure.
For more specifc information
aboutfoodgroupsand
nutritionvalues,visithttp://
www.healthierus.gov/
dietaryguidelines.
Your Plan for
Regular Physical
Activity
Regularphysicalactivity
mayhelpyouloseweight
andkeepitoff.Itmayalso
improveyourenergylevel
andmood,andloweryour
riskfordevelopingheart
disease,diabetes,andsome
cancers.
Accordingtothe2008
Physical Activity Guidelines
for Americans,experts
believealladultsshould
bephysicallyactive.Some
activityisbetterthannone,
andindividualswhoengage
inanyamountofphysical
activitymaygainsomehealth
benefts. The majority of
yourphysicalactivityshould
bemoderatetovigorousin
intensity.However,adults
shouldaimtoinclude
muscle-strengthening
activitiesaswell.Formore
informationonthePhysical
Activity Guidelines,seethe
“OtherResources”sectionat
theendofthisbrochure.
Youcanbephysicallyactive
everydayforoneextended
periodoftime,oryoucan
breakitupintoshorterses-
sionsof20,15,oreven10
minutes.Trysomeofthese
physicalactivities:
◆ walking
(15minutespermileor
4milesperhour)
◆ biking
◆ tennis
◆ aerobicexercise
classes(stepaerobics,
kickboxing,dancing)
◆ energetichouseoryard
work(gardening,raking,
mopping,vacuuming)
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B
What types of
weight-loss
programs are
available?
Therearetwodifferenttypes
ofweight-lossprograms—
clinicalandnonclinical.
Knowingwhatagood
programwillofferandwhat
tolookformayhelpyou
chooseaweight-lossprogram
thatwillworkforyou.
Nonclinical Program
What it is:Anonclinical
programmaybecommercially
operated,suchasaprivately
ownedweight-
losschain.You
canfollowa
nonclinical
programon
yourownby
usingacounselor,
book,website,or
weight-loss
product.Youcan
also join others in
asupportgroup,worksite
program,orcommunity-
basedprogram.
Nonclinicalweight-loss
programsmayrequireyou
tousetheprogram’sfoods
orsupplements.
What a safe and effective
program will offer:
◆ Books,pamphlets,and
websitesthatarewritten
orreviewedbyalicensed
healthprofessionalsuch
asamedicaldoctor
(M.D.)orregistered
dietitian(R.D.).
◆ Balancedinformation
aboutfollowingahealthy
eatingplanandgetting
regularphysicalactivity.
◆ Leadersorcounselors
whoshowyoutheirtrain-
ingcredentials.(Program
leadersorcounselors
maynotbelicensed
healthprofessionals.)
Program cautions:
◆ Ifaprogramrequires
youtobuyprepackaged
meals, fnd out how much
themealswillcost—they
maybeexpensive.Also,
eatingprepackaged
mealsdoesnotletyou
learnthefoodselection
andcookingskillsyouwill
needtomaintainweight
lossoverthelongterm.
◆ Avoidanydietthat
suggestsyoueata
certainformula,food,or
combinationoffoodsfor
easyweightloss.Some
ofthesedietsmaywork
intheshorttermbecause
theyarelowincalories.
Buttheymaynotgive
youallthenutrientsyour
bodyneedsandtheydo
notteachhealthyeating
habits.
◆ Avoidprogramsthatdo
notincludeaphysical
activityplan.
◆ Talktoyourhealthcare
providerbeforeusingany
weight-lossproduct,such
asasupplement,herb,
orover-the-counter
medication.
Clinical Program
What it is:Aclinicalprogram
providesservicesinahealth
caresetting,suchasa
hospital.Oneormore
licensedhealthprofessionals,
suchasmedicaldoctors,
nurses,registereddietitians,
andpsychologists,provide
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care. A clinical program may
or may not be commercially
owned.
Clinical programs may offer
services such as nutrition
education, physical activity,
and behavior change therapy.
Some programs offer
prescription weight-loss drugs
or gastrointestinal surgery.
Prescription Weight-loss
Drugs
If your BMI is 30 or more,
or your BMI is 27 or more
and you have weight-related
health problems, you may
consider using prescription
weight-loss drugs. Drugs
should be used as part of an
overall program that includes
long-term changes in eating
and physical activity habits.
Only a licensed health care
provider can prescribe these
drugs. See “Additional
Reading” for more
information about
prescription medications for
the treatment of obesity.
Bariatric Surgery
If your BMI is 40 or more,
or your BMI is 35 or more
and you have weight-related
health problems such as
diabetes or heart disease,
you may consider bariatric
surgery (also called
gastrointestinal surgery).
Most patients lose weight
quickly. To keep the weight
off, most will need to eat
healthy and get regular
physical activity over the
long term. Surgery may also
reduce the amount of
vitamins and minerals that are
absorbed by your body. The
rapid weight loss as a result
of bariatric surgery may also
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causegallstones.Seethe
“AdditionalReading”section
formoreinformationabout
bariatricsurgery.
What a safe and effective
program will offer:
◆ Ateamoflicensedhealth
professionals.
◆ Aplantohelpyoukeep
weightoffafteryouhave
lostit.
Program cautions:
Theremaybesideeffects
orhealthrisksinvolvedin
theprogramthatcanbe
serious.Discussthesewith
yourhealthcareprovider.
Regardlessofthetypeof
weight-lossprogramyou
choose,besureyouhave
follow-upvisitswithyour
healthcareprovider.Heor
shemaysuggestwaysto
dealwithsetbacksor
obstaclesyoumayfacealong
theway,aswellasanswer
anyquestionsyoumayhave
asyoumoveforward.
Formoredetailed
informationaboutchoosing
asafeandsuccessful
weight-lossprogram,seethe
“AdditionalReading”section
attheendofthisbrochure.
It is not always easy to change your eating
and physical activity habits.
You may have setbacks along the way.
But keep trying–you can do it!
1o
Additional
Reading
From the Weight-control
Information Network
Active at Any Size
describes the benefts of
beingphysicallyactiveno
matterwhataperson’ssize.
Thebrochurepresentsa
varietyofactivitiesthatlarge
people can enjoy safely.
Bariatric Surgery for
Severe Obesity describes
thedifferenttypesofsurgery
availabletotreatsevereobesity.
Itexplainshowgastrointestinal
surgerypromotesweightloss
and the benefts and risks of
eachprocedure.
Changing Your Habits:
Steps to Better Health
guidesreadersthroughsteps
thatcanhelpthemdetermine
what“stage”theyarein—
howreadytheyare—tomake
healthylifestylechanges.
Oncethatstageisdetermined,
strategiesonhowtomake
healthyeatingandphysical
activitychangesareoffered.
Just Enough for You
describesthedifference
betweenaportion—the
amountoffoodaperson
choosestoeat—anda
measuredserving.Itoffers
tips for judging portion sizes
andforcontrollingportionsat
homeandwheneatingout.
Prescription Medications for
the Treatment of Obesity
presentsinformationon
medicationsthatsuppress
appetiteorreducethebody’s
abilitytoabsorbdietaryfat.
Thetypesofmedicationsand
the risks and benefts of each
aredescribed.
Walking…A Step in the
Right Directionofferstips
forgettingstartedona
walkingprogramand
illustrateswarm-upstretching
exercises.Italsoincludesa
samplewalkingprogram.
Weight and Waist
Measurementexplainstwo
simplemeasures—BMIand
waistcircumference—tohelp
peopledetermineiftheirweight
and/orbodyfatdistributionare
puttingtheirhealthatrisk.
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Other Resources
U.S.Departmentof
Agriculture.MyPyramidPlan.
April2005.Availableat
http://www.mypyramid.gov.
U.S.FoodandDrug
AdministrationCenterfor
FoodSafetyandApplied
Nutrition.How to Understand
and Use the Nutrition Facts
Label.June2000.Available
at http://www.cfsan.fda.
gov/~dms/foodlab.html.
U.S.DepartmentofHealth
andHumanServices(DHHS).
Physical Activity Guidelines
for Americans.October2008.
Availableathttp://www.
health.gov/PAGuidelines.
NationalDiabetesInformation
Clearinghouse,National
InstituteofDiabetesand
DigestiveandKidney
Diseases,NationalInstitutes
ofHealth(NIH).Diabetes
Prevention Program.DHHS.
NIHPublication
No.09–5099.2008.

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Weight-control Information Network
1WINWay
Bethesda,MD20892–3665
Phone:(202)828–1025
Toll-freenumber:1–877–946–4627
Fax:(202)828–1028
Email:[email protected]
Internet:http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov
TheWeight-controlInformationNetwork(WIN)isaserviceoftheNational
InstituteofDiabetesandDigestiveandKidneyDiseases(NIDDK)ofthe
NationalInstitutesofHealth,whichistheFederalGovernment’slead
agencyresponsibleforbiomedicalresearchonnutritionandobesity.
AuthorizedbyCongress(PublicLaw103–43),WINprovidesthegeneral
public,healthprofessionals,themedia,andCongresswithup-to-date,
science-basedhealthinformationonweightcontrol,obesity,physical
activity,andrelatednutritionalissues.
PublicationsproducedbyWINarereviewedbybothNIDDKscientistsand
outsideexperts.ThispublicationwasalsoreviewedbyF.XavierPi-Sunyer,
M.D.,M.P.H.,Director,NewYorkObesityResearchCenter,St.Luke’s-
RooseveltHospitalCenter,andEnglishH.Gonzalez,M.D.,M.P.H.,
CommunityMedicineandCurriculumDevelopmentCoordinator,
St.Vincent’sEastFamilyMedicineResidencyPrograminBirmingham,AL.
Thispublicationisnotcopyrighted.WINencouragesusersofthisbrochure
toduplicateanddistributeasmanycopiesasdesired.
NIHPublicationNo.04–3700
January2009
NIH Publication No. 04–3700
January 2009