However, diets for weight loss have been shown to be ineffective and even damaging to health.
A well balanced that avoids the wrong dietary fats, refined sugars, and excess calories (which all contribute to weight gain), regular exercise, drinking adequate amounts of pure water and stress reduction can help maintain a healthy weight.
Weight loss has become a national obsession in America. As many as 40% of women and 24% of men in the U.S are trying to loose weight at any given time through such diverse methods as diets, special dietary supplements, exercise, behavior modifications and drugs.
While this obsession is often fueled by psychological needs (the urge to conform to an artificial of beauty fostered by media, fashion and peer pressure) rather than physical needs, it is estimated that 97 millions Americans are overweight.
Excess weight has been linked to a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, gallbladder disease, respiratory conditions, as well as breast, endometrial and uterine cancers in women and cancer of the colon and rectum in men.
In fact, 85% of Type II diabetes cases are attributed to obesity, along with 45% of hypertension, 35% of heart disease and 18% of high cholesterol.
Obesity has also been shown to result in a decreased life span for both women and men and may be contributing factor in as many as 300,000 deaths each year.
The answers to weight gain and weight loss, though, are not always simple and easy.
Under controlled settings, most people trying to lose weight are usually able to lose about 10% of their total body weight, but up to two thirds of that weight is regained within a year.
To achieve significant and permanent weight loss, you need to come up with a plan – incorporating healthier eating, exercise, and stress reduction.
Obesity and Weight Loss
