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Balance the food
you eat with physical activity -- maintain or improve your weight
Many Americans gain weight in adulthood,
increasing their risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes,
certain types of cancer, arthritis, breathing problems, and other illness.
Therefore, most adults should not gain weight. If you are overweight and have
one of these problems, you should try to lose weight, or at the very least, not
gain weight. If you are uncertain about your risk of developing a problem
associated with overweight, you should consult a health professional.
How to maintain your weight
In order to stay at
the same body weight, people must balance the amount of calories in the foods
and drinks they consume with the amount of calories the body uses. Physical
activity is an important way to use food energy. Most Americans spend much of
their working day in activities that require little energy. In addition, many
Americans of all ages now spend a lot of leisure time each day being inactive,
for example, watching television or working at a computer. To burn calories,
devote less time to sedentary activities like sitting. Spend more time in
activities like walking to the store or around the block. Use stairs rather
than elevators. Less sedentary activity and more vigorous activity may help
you reduce body fat and disease risk. Try to do 30 minutes or more of moderate
physical activity on most -- preferably all -- days of the week.
The kinds and amounts of food people eat
affect their ability to maintain weight. High-fat foods contain more calories
per serving than other foods and may increase the likelihood of weight gain.
However, even when people eat less high-fat food, they still can gain weight
from eating too much of foods high in starch, sugars, or protein. Eat a
variety of foods, emphasizing pasta, rice, bread, and other whole-grain foods
as well as fruits and vegetables. These foods are filling, but lower in
calories than foods rich in fats or oils.
The pattern of eating may also be
important. Snacks provide a large percentage of daily calories for many
Americans. Unless nutritious snacks are part of the daily meal plan, snacking
may lead to weight gain. A pattern of frequent binge-eating, with or without
alternating periods of food restriction, may also contribute to weight
problems.
Maintaining weight is equally important
for older people who begin to lose weight as they age. Some of the weight that
is lost is muscle. Maintaining muscle through regular activity helps to keep
older people feeling well and helps to reduce the risk of falls and fractures.
How to evaluate your body weight
The health risks due to excess weight
appear to be the same for older as for younger adults. Weight ranges are shown
in the chart because people of the same height may have equal amounts of body
fat but different amounts of muscle and bone. However, the ranges do not mean
that it is healthy to gain weight, even within the same weight range. The
higher weights in the healthy weight range apply to people with more muscle
and bone.
Weights above the healthy weight range
are less healthy for most people. The further you are above the healthy weight
range, the higher your weight-related risk. Weights slightly below the range
may be healthy for some people but are sometimes the result of health
problems, especially when weight loss is unintentional.
Location of body fat
Research suggests that the location of
body fat also is an important factor in health risks for adults. Excess fat in
the abdomen (stomach area) is a greater health risk than excess fat in the
hips and thighs. Extra fat in the abdomen is linked to high blood pressure,
diabetes, early heart disease, and certain types of cancer. Smoking and too
much alcohol increase abdominal fat and the risk for diseases related to
obesity. Vigorous exercise helps to reduce abdominal fat and decrease the risk
for these diseases. The easiest way to check your body fat distribution is to
measure around your waistline with a tape measure and compare this with the
measure around your hips or buttocks to see if your abdomen is larger. If you
are in doubt, you may wish to seek advice from a health professional.
Problems with excessive thinness
Being too thin can occur with anorexia
nervosa, other eating disorders, or loss of appetite, and is linked to
menstrual irregularity and osteoporosis in women, and greater risk of early
death in both women and men. Many people -- especially women -- are concerned
about body weight, even when their weight is normal. Excessive concern about
weight may cause or lead to such unhealthy behaviors as excessive exercise,
self-induced vomiting, and the abuse of laxatives or other medications. These
practices may only worsen the concern about weight. If you lose weight
suddenly or for unknown reasons, see a physician. Unexplained weight loss may
be an early clue to a health problem.
You do not need to
lose weight if your weight is already within the healthy range in the figure,
if you have gained less than 10 pounds since you reached your adult height,
and if you are otherwise healthy. If you are overweight and have excess
abdominal fat, a weight-related medical problem, or a family history of such
problems, you need to lose weight. Healthy diets and exercise can help people
maintain a healthy weight, and may also help them lose weight. It is important
to recognize that overweight is a chronic condition which can only be
controlled with long-term changes. To reduce caloric intake, eat less fat and
control portion sizes (box
6). If you are not physically active, spend less time in sedentary
activities such as watching television, and be more active throughout the day.
As people lose weight, the body becomes more efficient at using energy and the
rate of weight loss may decrease. Increased physical activity will help you to
continue losing weight and to avoid gaining it back (box
5).
Many people are not sure how much weight
they should lose. Weight loss of only 5-10 percent of body weight may improve
many of the problems associated with overweight, such as high blood pressure
and diabetes. Even a smaller weight loss can make a difference. If you are
trying to lose weight, do so slowly and steadily. A generally safe rate is
1/2-1 pound a week until you reach your goal. Avoid crash weight-loss diets
that severely restrict calories or the variety of foods. Extreme approaches to
weight loss, such as self-induced vomiting or the use of laxatives,
amphetamines, or diuretics, are not appropriate and can be dangerous to your
health.
Weight regulation in children
Children need enough food for proper
growth. To promote growth and development and prevent overweight, teach
children to eat grain products; vegetables and fruits; lowfat milk products or
other calcium-rich foods; beans, lean meat, poultry, fish or other
protein-rich foods; and to participate in vigorous activity. Limiting
television time and encouraging children to play actively in a safe
environment are helpful steps. Although limiting fat intake may help to
prevent excess weight gain in children, fat should not be restricted for
children younger than 2 years of age. Helping overweight children to achieve a
healthy weight along with normal growth requires more caution. Modest
reductions in dietary fat, such as the use of lowfat milk rather than whole
milk, are not hazardous. However, major efforts to change a child's diet
should be accompanied by monitoring of growth by a health professional at
regular intervals.
ADVICE FOR TODAY
Try to maintain your body weight by
balancing what you eat with physical activity. If you are sedentary, try to
become more active. If you are already very active, try to continue the same
level of activity as you age. More physical activity is better than less, and
any is better than none. If your weight is not in the healthy range, try to
reduce health risks through better eating and exercise habits. Take steps to
keep your weight within the healthy range (neither too high nor too low). Have
children's heights and weights checked regularly by a health professional.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Path:
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and Nutrition Information>Balance
the food you eat with physical activity -- maintain or improve your weight
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