Anaheim, Ca - Feast and famine. Stuff and starve. Resolve … and relapse. Sound familiar? Millions of Americans, belts squeezing after the holidays, jump grimly aboard the diet bandwagon on January 1st, determined to “get skinny” fast – only to tumble off, more frustrated than ever, within a week or two. Worse, all those good intentions go down the drain until the next January.
But this year can be different! Instead of doggedly pursuing a lonely battle to reach an unrealistic body size, honor a new attitude toward health and weight. It’s a time to celebrate a healthy lifestyle that last a lifetime and address eating and weight problems in a positive way.
The fact is - a healthy weight is crucial for a long, high-quality life. Obesity experts have confirmed what we see every day: More than 125 million Americans age 20 and older are overweight or obese, putting them at a dangerous risk of heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, diabetes, depression and other health concerns. Yet, most adults, saddled with unrealistic visions and bad advice, don’t realize the gains that modest weight loss can offer. Losing just 10 percent of one’s body weight, slowly and steadily, can greatly improve the odds against these life-threatening conditions.
Trying to lose too much weight too fast is a recipe for frustration, as well as thinking that you have to lose weight alone! Research shows that the more support people have during weight loss, the better their results. The help of friends and professionals can provide invaluable weight loss information, companionship throughout the process, support during setbacks, and celebration during successes! Why is support so crucial? It’s because weight loss requires more than counting calories. Successful, long-term weight loss is a complex process that demands physical, behavioral and emotional changes. Weight loss centers can provide a host of professionals to help with these changes; practical tools to simplify the process; objective dietary expertise for those confused by all of the current conflicting information;
Not sure if you need to lose weight? These days, the scale may not tell the whole story. Experts say Body Mass Index (BMI) provides a reliable indicator to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. BMI is a measure of weight relative to height; measurements over 25 are considered overweight and over 30, obese. A healthy weight for a 5-foot-6-inch person is between 120 and 150 pounds. That person would be considered overweight at 150 to 180 pounds and obese at more than 190 pounds. Want more information?
