Obesity is a disease that affects at least 39 million Americans: more than one-quarter of all adults and about one in five children.
Some people are more susceptible to obesity than others.
Each year, obesity causes at least 300,000 excess deaths and costs more than $100 billion.
Obesity is the second leading cause of unnecessary deaths.
Despite its toll taken in death and disability, obesity does not receive the attention it deserves from government, the health care profession or the insurance industry.
Research is severely limited by a shortage of funds, inadequate insurance coverage for treatment, and discrimination and mistreatment of people with obesity.
Obesity is a chronic disease with a familial component.
The tendency to become fat is fostered by our lifestyle: lack of physical activity combined with abundant, tasty, high-fat food.
Obesity increases one's risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gall bladder disease and cancer of the breast, prostate and colon.
If maintained, even small weight losses (as little as 10% of body weight) improve your health.
The National Institutes of Health annually spends less than 1.
0% of its budget on obesity research.
Health insurance providers rarely pay for treatment of obesity, despite its serious effects on health.
Overweight persons are victims of employment and other discrimination and are penalized for their condition despite many laws and policies.
Weight Loss and Obesity About one-third of the North American population is overweight.
Because excess body weight is implicated as a risk factor for many different diseases (including heart disease, diabetes, several cancers, and gallstones), maintaining a healthy body weight seems prudent.
Unfortunately, losing weight' and keeping it off' is very difficult for most people.
Societies in which very little fat is eaten have virtually no obesity.
Reducing fat in the diet is an important component of weight loss efforts.
Foods with a high proportion of calories from fat should be eliminated or limited in the diet; these include red meat, poultry skins, dark poultry meat, fried foods, butter, margarine, cheese, milk (except skim milk), junk foods, and most processed foods.
Vegetable oils should also be restricted, as should nuts, seeds, and avocados (although these foods are healthful for people who have no weight problem).
Instead, the diet should be based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and non-fat dairy products (and low-fat fish for non-vegetarians).
Eating adequate amounts of fiber is believed to be important for individuals wishing to lose weight.
Fiber contains bulk and tends to produce a sense of fullness, which allows people to consume fewer calories.
However, research on the effect of fiber intake on weight loss is conflicting.
Some studies have shown that supplementation with a source of fiber accelerated weight loss in individuals who were following a low-calorie diet.
People who go on and off diets frequently complain that fewer calories result in weight gain with each weight fluctuation.
Evidence now clearly demonstrates that the body gets "stingier" in its use of calories after each diet.
This means it becomes easier to gain weight and harder to lose it the next time.
Therefore, dietary changes need to be long term.
Diets that are low in total calories may not contain adequate amounts of various vitamins and minerals.
For that reason, proponents of most weight-loss programs advocate taking a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement.
The mineral chromium plays an essential role in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats and in the action of insulin.
The herb guarani contains guaranine (which is nearly identical to caffeine) and the closely related alkaloids the bromine and the phylline; these compounds may curb appetite and increase weight loss.
Caffeine's effects (and hence those of guaranine) are well known and include stimulating the central nervous system, increasing metabolic rate, and producing a mild diuretic effect.
Ephedra sinica, commonly known as ma huang, is a central nervous system stimulant.
Double blind studies have shown that ephedra, particularly when combined with caffeine, promotes weight loss.
Some people are more susceptible to obesity than others.
Each year, obesity causes at least 300,000 excess deaths and costs more than $100 billion.
Obesity is the second leading cause of unnecessary deaths.
Despite its toll taken in death and disability, obesity does not receive the attention it deserves from government, the health care profession or the insurance industry.
Research is severely limited by a shortage of funds, inadequate insurance coverage for treatment, and discrimination and mistreatment of people with obesity.
Obesity is a chronic disease with a familial component.
The tendency to become fat is fostered by our lifestyle: lack of physical activity combined with abundant, tasty, high-fat food.
Obesity increases one's risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gall bladder disease and cancer of the breast, prostate and colon.
If maintained, even small weight losses (as little as 10% of body weight) improve your health.
The National Institutes of Health annually spends less than 1.
0% of its budget on obesity research.
Health insurance providers rarely pay for treatment of obesity, despite its serious effects on health.
Overweight persons are victims of employment and other discrimination and are penalized for their condition despite many laws and policies.
Weight Loss and Obesity About one-third of the North American population is overweight.
Because excess body weight is implicated as a risk factor for many different diseases (including heart disease, diabetes, several cancers, and gallstones), maintaining a healthy body weight seems prudent.
Unfortunately, losing weight' and keeping it off' is very difficult for most people.
Societies in which very little fat is eaten have virtually no obesity.
Reducing fat in the diet is an important component of weight loss efforts.
Foods with a high proportion of calories from fat should be eliminated or limited in the diet; these include red meat, poultry skins, dark poultry meat, fried foods, butter, margarine, cheese, milk (except skim milk), junk foods, and most processed foods.
Vegetable oils should also be restricted, as should nuts, seeds, and avocados (although these foods are healthful for people who have no weight problem).
Instead, the diet should be based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and non-fat dairy products (and low-fat fish for non-vegetarians).
Eating adequate amounts of fiber is believed to be important for individuals wishing to lose weight.
Fiber contains bulk and tends to produce a sense of fullness, which allows people to consume fewer calories.
However, research on the effect of fiber intake on weight loss is conflicting.
Some studies have shown that supplementation with a source of fiber accelerated weight loss in individuals who were following a low-calorie diet.
People who go on and off diets frequently complain that fewer calories result in weight gain with each weight fluctuation.
Evidence now clearly demonstrates that the body gets "stingier" in its use of calories after each diet.
This means it becomes easier to gain weight and harder to lose it the next time.
Therefore, dietary changes need to be long term.
Diets that are low in total calories may not contain adequate amounts of various vitamins and minerals.
For that reason, proponents of most weight-loss programs advocate taking a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement.
The mineral chromium plays an essential role in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats and in the action of insulin.
The herb guarani contains guaranine (which is nearly identical to caffeine) and the closely related alkaloids the bromine and the phylline; these compounds may curb appetite and increase weight loss.
Caffeine's effects (and hence those of guaranine) are well known and include stimulating the central nervous system, increasing metabolic rate, and producing a mild diuretic effect.
Ephedra sinica, commonly known as ma huang, is a central nervous system stimulant.
Double blind studies have shown that ephedra, particularly when combined with caffeine, promotes weight loss.