Fad diets

Alternative names

Weight loss - intentional; Dieting - fad diets; Losing weight

Definition

To successfully lose weight, you must carry out a plan to balance your caloric intake with exercise. Ideally, dieting should be done by eating a nutritionally balanced, low-calorie diet and increasing physical activity.

Information

The terms overweight and obese describe excess body weight. Overweight typically refers to weight 10% above the expected body weight for height and build. Obese refers to being 20% over the target. The greater the excess, the more significant the health risk.

Your health care provider has chart and tables that are used to determine what your target weight should be. They vary according to gender, height, age, and bone structure.

A simpler and more useful piece of information is Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is calculated by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by the square of your height (in meters).

To obtain your weight in kilograms, simply multiply your weight in lbs by 0.45. To obtain your height in meters, first multiply your height in inches by 2.5, then divide that number by 100. Don't forget to square that result when you use it in the equation.

To fall within the "healthy range" on the BMI, your result should be within 20 and 25. Results both smaller and greater than these values are associated with significant health risks.

Another important piece of information is your percentage of body fat. This can be determined by a registered dietitian or an exercise physiologist. Using an instrument called a caliper, the thickness of a fold of skin is measured (for example, on the back of the arm) to estimate your total body fat. The average adult woman of normal weight in the United States may have 20-30% body fat. Adult men in the United States average 10-20% body fat. Athletes usually have less, pregnant women usually have more.

WEIGHT LOSS

Although there are many programs advertised to help lose weight, the only proven long-term and safe method is to burn more calories than you consume.

This is achieved either by reducing the caloric intake (eat less food or healthier food) or by increasing the energy expenditure (exercise more). Often, behavior modification techniques like eating smaller portions are also used to help control eating habits. Once the weight is lost, these habits can be modified slightly for weight maintenance.

If you have unintentional weight loss, it can be a symptom of various medical or psychiatric disorders, or it can be from increasing your exercise or decreasing your food intake.

HEALTHY CALORIE INTAKE