Weight Loss A National Obsession
Created on 2008-04-11 01:11:47
Everybody seems to be on a diet. Whether they are trying to lose a few pounds or a hundred pounds, dieters have their own ideas of what the best way is to lose the weight. To fuel this national obsession, there are hundreds of weight loss plans and methods that range from the sensible to the ridiculous.
There are many sound reasons why certain people should try to lose weight. Morbid obesity can lead to medical problems such as high blood pressure, Type 2 Diabetes, and heart disease. For the morbidly obese a healthy weight loss program should be followed that is designed specifically for that individual.
Losing weight is due to the body using more energy than it gains by eating food. There are two methods that can be used; physical exercise or dieting. Most people can lose weight by adding physical exercise to their routine. Aerobic exercise and strength training are great ways to help a person lose the pounds. Dieting can restrict carbohydrates; restrict fat or a combination of the two. Portion reduction is also advisable as portions of food we give ourselves or the portions restaurants give are usually too large.
The weight loss industry has grown every year and the number of weight loss programs seems to be on the increase. Many weight loss programs have been around for a long time, such as Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem, while others like eDiets.com, are relatively new. Other weight loss programs, such as the Grapefruit diet, are considered to be fad diets and not healthy. Any weight loss program which does not contain a balance of complex carbohydrates and protein is not suitable for long term weight loss.
Weight loss programs that offer the best chance of success are those which are based on real food. Weight Watchers is based on food that people have in their homes, while weight loss products such as Slim-Fast, is only suitable for short-term weight loss as it requires the use of shakes and meal replacement bars.
Weight Watchers is a very popular weight loss program which incorporates group meetings with formalized plan. Jenny Craig weight loss program offers a similar program, however, Consumer Reports reported that 83% of those people who were successful in weight loss did not participate in the group meeting weight loss plan. This figure implies that most people use sensible weight loss plans that include exercise with a balanced diet.
If you have decided to lose weight then choose a weight loss plan that includes a balanced diet combined with exercise, but Be aware that any plan you choose should not promise any more than a weight loss of a pound per week. Any more concistent weight loss than one pound per week would be considered unhealthy. *Always Consult your physician before selecting or beginning a diet.
