In today's society, the media hound celebrities whether they lose a pound or gain one, so it's hard to grasp the concept of a healthy weight.
Obesity is determined by percentage of body fat and weight, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Having a large percentage of body fat, regardless of how much you weigh, is unhealthy. You could be of normal weight or underweight and still have an unhealthy amount of body fat. Being overweight means that you have a heavy weight, but not necessarily too much body fat. For example, people who are muscular weigh more than those who are not; their extra weight comes from muscle, not body fat.
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Regardless of the type or combination of obesity treatment, goal setting is an important part of any obesity treatment plan. While a person may want to lose a large amount of weight because of societal or fashion reasons, it is important to realize that setting and achieving a goal of reducing weight by as little as 5 percent to 10 percent of body weight will yield important, positive gains in health.
Treatment goals work best if they are individualized. For example, it is safe to lose one to two pounds per week, but a person may be more comfortable losing at the rate of one-half pound per week. Over one year, that is a 24-pound loss and, if that rate is maintained over three years, will lead to a significant 78-pound loss. Whatever treatment plan a person follows, losing weight slowly will be more effective and healthy over the long term because quick weight loss often spurs weight regain.
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In 2004, the National Institutes of Health reported that nearly two-thirds of U.S. adults were overweight or obese. Each year, countless studies investigate various weight-loss tactics, such as low-fat versus high-fat diets, whether it's beneficial to snack (or not) and the importance of exercise for weight loss and maintenance. Data from large groups whose members lost weight on their own, and kept it off, also has been analyzed to determine how they achieved success.
The latest studies conclude that a successful weight-loss plan is a mind/body undertaking that not only involves monitoring calorie intake and expenditure, but dealing with the psychological side of weight loss and habit change.
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