| Obesity requires long-term
management. The goal of treatment is weight loss to improve or
eliminate related health problems, or the risk for them, not
to attain an ideal weight. |
| Treatment
consists of modifying eating behaviors, physical activity,
monitoring your behavior, such as understanding what may trigger
you to eat. If this treatment does not help to lose weight,
medications may be considered. In severe cases surgical
procedures can reduce the size of the stomach and limit how may
calories the intestines absorb. |
| Treatment also
covers the psychological and social components of obesity.
Stress management and counselling may be helpful. Family
support and creating community contacts help to deal with the
stereotypes and other social issues that are associated with
obesity. |
| Initial treatment |
The
U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends treatment for
anyone who wishes to lose weight and: |
| Is obese (has a
body mass index [BMI] of 30 or higher). |
| Is overweight
(has a BMI of 25 to 29.9) and has two or more health problems
that obesity may make worse, such as coronary artery disease
or type 2 diabetes. |
| Has a waist circumference of 40 in. (101.6 cm) in men or 35 in. (88.9 cm) in women, and two or more health problems that obesity may make worse. |
| For these people, the NHLBI recommends : |
| Losing 10% of their current weight at a rate of 1 lb(0.45 kg) to 2 lb(0.9 kg) a week for six months. |
| After 6 months, reevaluating to determine whether they need to lose more weight. If they have met their weight-loss goals, their health professionals may suggest weight maintenance. |
|
| Restricting calories
and increasing activity are the major components of treatment
for obesity. When following this treatment plan, keep in mind
the following: |
| Although a very low-calorie diet
results in quick weight loss, the weight is often gained back.
Over the long term, a low-calorie diet and a very low-calorie
diet have similar results. |
| Research indicates that
the most important factor in dieting is not the type of food
you eat, but how many calories you restrict. For example,
restricting only carbohydrates or fat will not result in any
more weight loss than an overall low-calorie diet. In a
low-carbohydrate diet, such as the Atkins diet, calorie
restriction, the length of the diet, and your initial weight
may be more important factors than carbohydrate restriction. |
| Research
indicates that physical activity is less helpful for initial
weight loss than for maintaining weight loss. |
| You may
begin to see an improvement in health problems related to
obesity, or reduced risk for these problems, after losing 5%
to 10% of your weight. |
| Before beginning
treatment, it is important to decide whether you want to lose
weight. If you are not motivated to do so, it will be more
difficult to make the lifestyle changes necessary to lose
weight. |
| If you do not lose weight, continue
to gain weight, have lost weight several times only to regain
it, or if your health professional is concerned about a
related health problem, you need surgery. |
| Should
I treat obesity with surgery? |
| Weight loss surgery
is being increasingly applied to treat morbid obesity. The
reasons are:Our current knowledge of the significant
health risks of morbid obesity, |
| The ineffectiveness of
current non - surgical approaches to produce sustained weight
loss and The relatively low risk and complications of the
procedure versus not having the surgery You have to
seriously consider the surgical option for reducing weight to
avoid its ill effects. |
If your BMI is over 40, or is
35 or higher and you have a serious medical problem that is
made worse by obesityIf you have been unable to reduce
weight or maintain weight under medically supervised programYou
have been obese for at least 5 years
Have no history of
alcohol abuseNot have depression or other major emotional
disorder |
| Weight reduction surgery is not for
all over weight people. It offers an alternative to those who
are unable to maintain weight loss through dieting. But it is
very important to know that to maintain weight loss after
surgery, you still have to eat less food, change the type of
food you eat and increase physical activity. |
