In today's world, Americans are constantly bombarded with a never-ending abundance of weight-control information as new research, "fad diets" and exercise programs emerge. Unfortunately, this information is often confusing, complicated and even contradictory. The resulting chaos is leading many people to make serious -- even life-threatening mistakes in pursuit of the ultimate goal: weight loss.
The extent of the weight control "problem" is very serious. Here's some amazing statistics found by American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM):
- Americans eat 5-10% fewer calories than 20 years ago, yet weigh approximately 5 pounds more.
- In the U.S., 50 million men and 60 million women ages 18-79 are overfat, including more than 12 million who are considered severely obese.
- One out of five children ages 5-17 is obese.
As you can see, this is a serious problem. At any given time, approximately 20 million adults in the U.S. are dieting to lose weight and another 20 million think they should. Not surprisingly, it is estimated that Americans spend more than 30 billion dollars annually on diet books, products and services.
The key question is, "How did Americans reach this point?" Obesity can be caused by several factors, including eating too many calories, eating a high-fat or high-sugar diet, genetics, having a sluggish metabolic rate and leading a sedentary lifestyle.
Contrary to popular belief, obesity in this country appears to be primarily the result of a sedentary lifestyle, not overeating. This is easy to understand in today's highly automated world of remote controls, computers, etc. Think about how active you were when you were younger and what life was like when you did not have all those "luxurious" gadgets. Research shows that obese people don't necessarily eat more calories than their peers, they simply move less. As a result, they burn fewer calories and store more fat, which causes their fat cells to expand (adipocyte hypertrophy).
Another problem is the demand for "quick fixes" to promise immediate weight loss. Americans want things TODAY! They want weight loss through nutritionally insane plans such as fasting, the semi-starvation diet, the all-grapefruit diet, the high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet, the high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet -- several of which have been shown to cause serious health problems. Now you can understand how challenging it is for the average person to know what is sound advice.
The first important fact to realize is that dieting just doesn't work for most people. Ninety percent of all dieters regain lost weight within one year and 99% within five years. Many are trapped by the "yo-yo" syndrome in which they repeatedly lose and regain weight. As a result, the weight-loss industry is flourishing simply because no diet gimmick or special food is ultimately successful at long-term weight control.
So what does it take? First of all, swear off diets forever. Instead, commit to a lifetime of sensible eating habits and combine that with a smart exercise program. Make sure your exercise program includes both aerobic exercise, such as walking, biking or swimming, and strength training along with stretching.
A sensible diet and exercise approach to weight reduction recommended by experts is a weight loss rate of 1-2 pounds per week. Although this may not produce a rapid weight loss, it will provide you with a medically sound and effective strategy for "winning the losing game," and increase chances of truly keeping the weight off for good.
Deborah Plitt, C.C.S has been in the health and fitness industry for 13 years. She has owned her own home-based personal training business for seven years and has been the Assistant Director of Conway Hospital Wellness & Fitness Center for five years. Deb is certified as a personal trainer, group exercise instructor, water aerobics instructor, weight management consultant and is an expert in arthritis and exercise. Deb is also an ACE faculty member and a member of the Life Fitness Academy.
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