Obesity: What About Diets?

• What is Obesity?
• Causes & Risks 
• What About Diets?
• Can Pills Help?
• What About Surgery?

What About Diets?

Fad diets with rapid weight loss are never affective in removing weight and keeping it off. In fact, most people will experience weight rebound after such losses to levels higher than they ever were before. Most of the weight you lose is from water, and it's not good for your body to go without food for extended periods.

Slow and steady weight loss of 1 or 2 pounds a week is considered the safest way to lose weight and the best way to keep it off. In many cases, losing weight can be accomplished by committing to eating a healthier diet, exercising and changing behaviors. Other treatments for obesity include prescription medications and surgery (see elsewhere).

Dietary changes

One way to lose weight is to consume fewer calories. The number of calories you need to maintain weight each day depends on several factors, including your age and activity level. Ask your doctor to help you. He may recommend that you work with a dietitian or a reputable weight-loss program.

Very-low-calorie liquid diets are sometimes prescribed as an intervention for seriously obese people. These diets, such as Medifast or Optifast, provide about 800 calories a day, but these diets aren't intended as a long-term solution to weight management.

Over-the-counter liquid meal replacements, such as Slim-Fast, also cut calories. They suggest that you replace one or two meals with their product and then eat snacks of vegetables and fruits and a healthy, balanced third meal that is low in fat and calories. Studies have shown that this can be effective.

Diet Rules To Live By

Choose healthy foods to include vegetables, fruits, grains and lean sources of protein. These foods optimize nutrition and taste and promote a healthy weight. Eat a variety of healthy foods instead of junk foods.

Reduce fat. Because fat has more than twice the calories of carbohydrate and protein ounce for ounce, reducing the fat content of your diet is a good way to cut calories. Foods high in fat include fast foods, pastries, red meat, dairy products, butter, salad dressings, mayonnaise and some nuts.

Choose the right carbohydrates. Nutrition experts generally agree that 45 percent to 65 percent of your total daily calories should come from carbohydrates, but be careful about those you eat. Steer away from simple carbohydrates such as table sugar and other sweeteners, and limit fruit juice. Try to eat plenty of complex, high-fiber carbohydrates, such as whole-grain bread and pasta, brown rice, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

Count calories and read food labels. Foods that are low in fat can sometimes be very high in calories.

Watch portion sizes. Appropriate serving sizes may be smaller than you think. A single 3-ounce serving of meat, for example, is about the size of a deck of cards.

Cut back on sweets by limiting candies, cakes, cookies, pies, doughnuts and frozen desserts.