A Young Woman’s Guide to Loosing Weight the Safe Way
Are your old habits of grabbing fast food at lunch, munching on popcorn at
the movies, and drinking soda pop daily starting to pack the pounds onto your
body? You shouldn't be surprised-and you aren't alone. Obesity among young women
in the United States is becoming an issue of serious concern
Obesity can foster poor self-esteem and pave the way for eating disorders.
In addition, young women who are losing the battle with the scale are potentially
setting themselves up for future health problems down the line, such as heart
disease, stroke, Type II diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
You are never too young, too overweight, or too busy to make vital changes
in your lifestyle that will help you lose or maintain weight. In addition, positive
lifestyle changes can help you live a longer, healthier, more productive life.
Lose Weight the Safe Way
Craig M. Wax, D. O., an osteopathic family physician practicing in New Jersey,
says osteopathic medicine can play an essential role in the fight to lose weight.
"As an osteopathic physician, I focus on my patients' entire well-being-including
analyzing any stresses in their lives before placing them on a weight loss program,"
explains Dr. Wax. "One of the things I ask my patients to do is submit
a detailed three-day dietary history. This helps me to work with my patients
to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of their current diet and exercise
choices."
Dr. Wax recommends that anyone starting a weight loss program should seek the
advice of a physician and keep in mind two key elements to healthy weight loss:
nutrition and exercise.
Nutrition
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than
60 percent of young people eat too much fat and that less than 20 percent of
them eat the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
What does this have to do with weight loss or weight maintenance? Everything!
According to Dr. Wax, one of the essential actions to take in creating a healthier
diet is to replace simple carbohydrates (such as sugars and simple starches)
and fats with complex carbohydrates and fiber. That means eating more foods
like wheat bread, bran cereal, oatmeal, and brown rice.
In addition to reducing your intake of simple carbohydrates and fats, you
need to make sure you eat a balanced diet. A report by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) emphasizes that an important part of healthy eating is getting enough
of the five basic food groups in your daily diet.
The recommended number of servings from each of the five basic food groups are
found on the Food Guide Pyramid developed by the United States Dietary Association
(USDA) and the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The pyramid recommends:
- Milk, yogurt, and cheese group-2 to 3 servings a day
- Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts group-2 to 3 servings a
day
- Fruit group-2 to 4 servings a day
- Vegetable group-3 to 5 servings a day
- Bread, cereal, rice and pasta group-6 to 11 servings a day
Keep these recommended servings in mind as you choose your foods. But also
read labels on food products to determine how much saturated fat, cholesterol,
fiber, and certain nutrients are found in each serving. Remember to strive for
a daily intake of the recommended Daily Value for carbohydrates, dietary fiber,
vitamins, minerals, fat, cholesterol, and sodium. To obtain the daily recommended
values, consult your physician or the Food Guide Pyramid.
Exercise
You don't have to become a cross-country skier, Olympic swimmer, or a Wimbledon
champ to lose weight. But you do need to get up off the couch.
According to Dr. Wax, exercising at least 30 minutes a day-or even every other
day-along with proper warm-up and cool-down periods, is an essential part of
proper weight loss.
"I suggest my 'Good Sweat Rule' to patients," says Dr. Wax. "If
you can work up a good sweat for 30 minutes, and hold a conversation during
that time without being out of breath," he explains, "you are giving
your body a proper workout for cardiovascular fitness and weight loss."
Try swimming, speed walking, bicycle riding, or jogging. Join a health club
and commit yourself to working out no fewer than three days a week. Think you
are too busy to set aside time to exercise at a gym? Then get your activity
in other ways. Try walking to work instead of taking the bus. Use your lunch
hour to take a walk or to make use of an employee fitness room at your job.
Take the stairs instead of elbowing your way into the elevator. And when you
go shopping, park your car a ways from the store so you can get in a little
walking!
Forget About Short Cuts
"I wish there was a short cut to healthy weight loss" exclaims Dr.
Wax. "Conventional wisdom holds true. Healthy diet and exercise are the
cornerstones of proper weight management. "
Despite the warnings from physicians about taking short cuts to weight loss,
many young women choose fad diets, go on starvation diets, skip meals, or take
diet pills because they want to obtain the glamorized image of thinness and
beauty.
"Most people know that starving themselves or trying fad diets are bad
ideas," says Dr. Wax. "But, some young women are being influenced
by advertisements for popular diet drugs that promise a 'natural' way to shed
pounds quickly."
Many of these diet pills are available over-the-counter and are never reviewed
or approved by the FDA. Taking some of these pills can be risky business, cautions
Dr. Wax. "You generally will be taking a product that has not been truly
tested," warns Dr. Wax. "For one thing, the product might not even
work. But worse yet, you have no idea what risky side effects the pill can cause.
As a consumer, you need to be aware of the risks and benefits of any medicine
or supplement before taking it."
Most diet pills induce weight loss because they produce stimulant, diuretic,
or laxative effects. Although they enable the user to shed water weight (which
can be unhealthy), they do not assist the body in long-term weight loss, fat
loss, or health management. In addition, several diet pills are so full of caffeine
they can speed up the heart rate significantly. This can lead to heart palpitations
and shortness of breath. And after the effect of the pill begins to wear off,
you may experience fatigue.
Weight Loss Takes Time
Whatever kind of exercise and nutrition plans you opt for, do not become discouraged
if the pounds refuse to drop off right away. Proper weight loss takes time.
If you lose even a few pounds per month, you are losing weight safely. Going
for more gradual, safer weight loss also means that you are more likely to keep
weight off. People who choose fad diets or dietary aids are more prone to gaining
back the weight before long.
"Ultimately, people have to become responsible for their own health by
teaching themselves better habits," notes Dr. Wax. "By making healthy
nutrition and exercise choices early in life, you may be able to avoid serious
health problems when you are older, such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension,
and obesity."
Did You Know...?
- The estimated annual cost of obesity and overweight in the U.S. is about
$117 billion
- The percentage of young people who are overweight has doubled in the last
20 years
- More than one-third of young people do not regularly engage in vigorous
physical activity
- Many diseases can be caused and can be worsened by poor diet and lack of
exercise. Such diseases account for more than 60 percent of U. S. medical
care expenses yearly.
More Info
Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
Mail Stop K-46
4770 Buford Highway, N. E.
Atlanta, GA30341-3717
(770) 488-5820
www.cdc.gov |
American Council on Exercise
4851 Paramount Drive
San Diego, California 92123
(858) 279-8227
www.acefitness.org
|
Shape Up America!
c/o WebFront
Solutions Corporation
15009 Native Dancer Road
N. Potomac, MD 20878
(240) 631-6533
www.shapeup.org |
Source: Centers for Disease Control