Recipe for Weight Loss
October 26, 2004
Doctors publishing in this week's Circulation offer a recipe for weight loss they believe could help many overweight and obese people shed pounds and reduce their risk of heart disease.
The common sense plan calls for people with a body mass index between 25 and 29.9 to watch their diets, exercise regularly, and make some behavioral changes. Those changes include setting weight loss goals, getting help with stress, and finding social support. People in this weight range are generally considered overweight but not obese.
Researchers say people with BMIs that top 30 should
also consider drug therapy along with diet, exercise,
and behavioral changes. Those with BMIs of 35 or higher
who have been unable to lose
weight using these more conventional strategies
should be evaluated for gastric bypass surgery or other
weight loss operations.
The authors note losing even a small amount of weight -- about 5 percent to 10 percent of body weight -- can significantly improve measures of metabolic syndrome, which is known to lead to heart problems. Risk factors for metabolic syndrome include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, higher-than-normal blood sugar, and being overweight.
What’s the best way to reach your weight loss goals? The authors suggest a slow and steady approach. “Making lifelong dietary and physical activity changes is key for successful weight management,” says author Robert H. Eckel, M.D. “So, it’s important that people select a healthy diet that they can follow for the rest of their lives,” he says. For most people, that means reducing calories to the point where they can lose a pound or two a week.
The authors also call for doctors to work more closely with their overweight and obese patients to achieve these goals.
Source:www.ivanhoe.com
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