Do I really need to lose weight?

It is a very small group of people that are actually happy with their weight in this world. If you are one of them, then you should stand with pride for your optimistic outlook on your life and your body image. Even if you do have such an outlook, healthy weight loss may still be needed. Even if a person is happy with their body, they may not have reached their healthy weight.

If you are overweight, even by a small proportion, you are at a risk for a number of diseases. The primary concern is, of course, the strain on the heart and then heart disease itself. This can lead to a heart attack. Extra weight and then heart disease causes the heart to work harder to pump blood through the body. This can cause the heart to become fatigued. The primary cause of a fatigued heart is weight, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

In addition, heart disease and high cholesterol levels can put you at risk for a stroke. Strokes occur when blood, and therefore, oxygen cannot reach the brain. This is usually caused by a clot when the cholesterol causes a build up of fatty deposits in the blood vessels. A piece of this faty tissue, plaque breaks off and that is what causes the clot.

For women who wish to become pregnant, being overweight can interfere with this as well. Obesity changes the hormones in your body and if you don't get the right nutrients in the body, the body does not produce the right chemicals for the hormones needed to ovulate or carry a child. Even if you become pregnant, being overweight can increase the possibilites of complications such as miscarriage or even a type of diabetes that only shows up during pregnancies.

With obesity increasing at an alarming rate worldwide, weight management is at the forefront of the current health care crisis. Excess weight affects people of all ages. 120 Million Americans over the age of 20 are overweight and a staggering 59 Million Americans over the age of 20 are obese! One in five children between the ages of 6 and 11 is overweight.

The medical community reports that excess weight directly affects the health and well-being of millions of Americans. Increased risk factors for conditions such as Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Disease, Liver Disease, Diabetes and Arthritis are directly related to excess weight. Yet, the problem just gets bigger and bigger!

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), “American society has become ‘obesogenic,’ characterized by environments that promote increased food intake, non-healthful foods, and physical activity. Policy and environmental change initiatives that make healthy choices in nutrition and physical activity available, affordable, and easy will likely prove most effective in combating obesity.” This is the REAL healthcare crisis.

An easy way to gauge your health is to compare your current height and weight to the BMI chart. Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat.




When Body Mass Index (BMI) exceeds 30%, the relative risk of death related to obesity increases by 50%. ( American Obesity Association)

The Solution:
Let’s face it, your weight is not going to change unless you do something different. The solution starts with a solid commitment to losing weight with the goal to maintain a healthy weight. This commitment is often the hardest part but once you’ve made this important decision to take charge of your life and your health, you are well on your way to improved health and a better quality of life.

We suggest to keep a food diary to help make you aware of what you are eating. Being informed empowers you to make intelligent choices. You don’t have to give up great food to achieve your weight loss and health goals - many great foods are good for you! Avoid heavily processed foods such as potato chips, sugary snacks, fried foods, and soft drinks. Many energy drinks or soft drinks are loaded with refined sugar and caffeine, these simple carbohydrates are terrible for you. Make the decision to eliminate these types of foods from your daily life. Make each food choice a healthy one! Eat fresh, non-processed foods and, replace those daily burger meals and fries with a terrific chicken or Caesar salad. Replace sugar and calorie-laden drinks with healthy drinks. You’ll feel better and you won’t suffer from the dreaded “sugar crash”, which only perpetuates the downward spiral of your health.

Now put one foot in front of the other and get moving, moderate exercise is invigorating and healthful too! 10 to 15 minutes of moderate exercise each day is a great start. Take a walk, ride a bike, make time for yourself and take a pilates or yoga class – it’s good for YOU! Moderate exercise is good for your body and your mind!

Maintaining your healthy weight is like balancing your check book or bank account. You can eat a specific number of calories per day to maintain your weight, exceed this number of calories and you could see your weight increase. To lose weight, consume less calories than this base line number or increase your activity level. Making better food choices and increasing your activity levels are great additions to your new healthy lifestyle.