Introduction
The cornerstone of losing weight is to eat fewer calories than the amount your body uses during the day. This "calorie deficit" will cause your body to use fat stores as fuel. A calorie deficit of approximately 3,500 kcal is needed to lose 1 lb. of fat tissue. Therefore, if someone eats 1000 kcal less per day than he/she uses up (7,000 kcal less than he/she uses up over a week), this person should lose
approximately two lbs. of fat in one week. In general, 85% of weight that is lost by dieting comes from fat and 15% from lean tissue (muscle).
Several important principles should be considered when trying to lose weight:
- Being overweight is a chronic condition and requires long-term treatment for long-term success;
- A slow rate of weight loss (<2% body weight loss/week) achieved by consuming a low-calorie diet is safer than a rapid rate of weight loss achieved by consuming a very-low calorie diet (800 kcal/day); li>Behavior modification is necessary for long-term lifestyle changes;
- Exercise is an important component of weight management because it is associated with long-term success and may have beneficial cardiovascular and psychological effects;
- Modest weight loss (5-10% of initial body weight) has considerable health benefits and should be considered a long-term goal for many people.
Medical Treatment Approaches for Weight Reduction
Dieting
I use several dieting approaches with my obese and overweight patients. The precise diet chosen depends on patient preference, coexisting illnesses, cost, and the calorie deficit desired. In general, the diet should provide adequate protein.
Copyright 2009 NBC Health
Click here to read the rest of the article at HealthVideo.com
