Obesity and Weight Loss

The definitions of "overweight" and "obesity" vary depending upon the weight of the person answering the question. Read Article below.... 

The term "overweight" refers to a Body Mass Index mildly greater than recommended for normal body weight. Obesity is a measure beyond overweight.

Person can be overweight in terms of pounds and yet not be "fat" if he or she is very muscular. In contrast, some people weigh within the normal range and yet they have excessive fat on their bodies.

What if you do add extra pounds:

Do not rush into the quick fix remedies advertised in tabloids and late night infomercials. Neither should you rush to the nearest surgeon advertising a cure for your weight problem. If it were that easy, we would all be petite.

Do not order a prescribed diet drug from another country. Drug industry is not well regulated in most other countries and the pills you get may not be what you had bargained for.

Be realistic in setting your weight loss goals. Do not expect to lose fifty pounds in a few weeks or a month. Remember, even a weight loss of 5% in results in significant health advantages in obese subjects.

Modify your behavior

Modify your eating, activity and thinking habits that promote overeating situations. Start this goal by maintaining a diary that records the time, amount and content of everything you eat.

Overeating can be subconscious and you may not even realize you are adding on calories. A food diary overcomes the "underestimation" of total caloric intake.

Track your thoughts/moods just before you consumed something that you should not have. Do not use food as a kind of antidepressant. Food is neither a trophy nor a cure for life's problems. Try other techniques like exercise or relaxation therapy to get rid of anger or other problems bothering you.

Eat less and better.If you don't have time to prepare balanced diet, buy salads instead of burger and fries at the fast food joints.

When attending get-togethers, focus on salads rather than cheese and meats. Use vinegar instead of cheese dressings.

Eat before you go to work. You will be less tempted to eat the junk food all around you at work.

During breaks at work, eat fruits and vegetables rather than the Danish and the brownies.

If you love sweets and can’t bear to give them up, eat sweet fruits or sugar-free yogurt.

Fad diets are frequently a failure. They frequently result in periods of little eating alternating with overeating. Then when you go off the diet, all the weight comes back, often with a few extra pounds. Crash diets can be dangerous because of the risk for lack of essential nutrients.

The U.S. government is studying the two very popular diets: a low carbohydrate encouraged by Robert Atkins and an opposing diet that has been advanced by Dean Ornish. Preliminary results suggest that neither may be a healthy way to lose weight. Until the final results are in, I would recommend sticking to tried and tested weight loss strategies.

Common sense ideas:

Always tell your doctor before you begin any weight loss or exercise program. You can also join organizations, such as Overeaters Anonymous.

Do not get hung up the ultimate target weight. It is easier to lose weight by concentrating on losing five pounds at a time.

Don’t go to the grocery store hungry, otherwise you’re more likely to buy sweet or fatty foods.

Reward yourself with non-food incentives during times of success. How about a walk in the park or going out to a movie with friends. Similarly, when depressed, think of what non-food alternatives may elevate your mood. Reading a tabloid or a trashy novel? Sex?

Obesity Clinic:

These clinics specialize in sensible weight loss. A multidisciplinary team performs the initial evaluation. A body scan may be done to determine the body composition. This allows the experts to individualize the diet and exercise plan for each patient.

If an obese patient doesn’t respond in a month, weight loss medications may be started. Only your doctor can determine if the benefits outweigh the risks.

Medications:

Medications ("diet drugs") are useful as an adjunct but not as the sole treatment. Until recently, Redux (Fen-Phen) was a very popular weight loss remedy but has been abandoned because of cardiac toxicity. Phentermine, a component of Fen-Phen is still available today but most physicians do not recommend it.

Currently used drugs include Xenical (orlistat) and Meridia (sibutramine). Xenical leads to weight loss by causing malabsorption of dietary fat. It can cause diarrhea, oily stools and gassiness. A fat soluble vitamin supplement is recommended one hour after taking Xenical. About 40-50% of patients have an average weight loss of about 5 percent of their body weight, which can be maintained as long as the drug is taken.

Meridia is recommended if patients cannot tolerate Xenical. It may also be used in addition to Xenical. Side effects include hypertension. About 25% of those who take Meridia have a weight loss of 15-20 pounds. Patients regain the lost weight after the drug is withdrawn.

Surgery:

Surgery may be an option in severely obese patients who have failed medical treatment. There is controversy whether such criteria should be relaxed for those whose livelihood depends upon their appearance, e.g. movie stars.

Several types of operations are available and some can be performed laparoscopically. Gastric banding and stapling has fewer side -effects but is also less effective than the bypass procedure, which can have significant physiologic and metabolic consequences. A combination of a short bypass plus gastric banding/stapling is usually performed.

Don’t assume you’ll go from size twenty to size eight. The operation is meant to provide a more functional status and not necessarily slim down to size petite. If the surgery allows a person to get out of the house and walk, it should be considered a success.

"Surgery is not a cure," says Mathias Fobi M.D., an obesity surgeon from Hollywood. "It is meant to give patients a tool to control their eating habits".

Liposuction improves the body shape and curves, but is not helpful against obesity. Some very imaginative operations have been devised, like removing fat from one place in the body and then repositioning at another site in the body, for example penile enhancement.

Caution: If you lose weight much easier and faster than you had expected, do talk to your doctor. It may signify a coincidental onset of an underlying illness.

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