Issue Date: December 9, 2007
The weight-loss secret
Accentuate a good diet and exercise to make it work.
By Dr. Tedd Mitchell
According to 2004 information from the Centers for Disease Control, 66% of adults are overweight or obese. And the problem is not just limited to grown-ups. The percentage of children and adolescents who are classified as overweight has more than doubled since the 1970s.
The problems associated with obesity include such devastating things as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Our current lifestyle has certainly been a major contributor to the problem, but genetics also plays a role. Which one plays a bigger role has been a topic of great interest for several decades.
Keep fitness in mind as a goal instead of focusing on weight.
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Another conundrum is that everyone doesn't lose weight at the same rate. As much as we tell folks to watch their diet and to exercise, it's a fact that doing so works well for some people and not so well for others.
Various studies have been done to determine the rates at which people tend to lose weight. The participants are put on the same diet and exercise regimens. The results have shown that some people gain weight (in the form of fat) more rapidly than others when given excess calories, and they often lose fat more slowly when calories are restricted. The differences are rooted in how we metabolize food, which, to a large extent, is determined genetically.
Some of you reading this might be thinking, "Because I come from a family of husky people, there's no way I can lose weight." That's not true. You can. But for those individuals with a greater genetic predisposition to hang on to extra weight, losing weight is likely to be more difficult.
So, how can we win the ongoing struggle to control our weight? First, accentuate the positive. Don't focus on the weight. Instead, focus on developing healthy eating habits and being more active.
For one thing, make a strong effort to include more fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. You also need to make physical activity a priority in your daily routine. Healthy weight control requires burning extra calories, which comes through increased activity. One way to do that is to develop a "work-week" mind-set about activity; that is, from Monday through Friday, keep in mind that you owe yourself a daily bout of exercise.
Having a positive perspective toward your health is a better approach than the negative, self-sacrificing mode many people adopt in an attempt to lose weight. Above all, remember this: Not all of us can be skinny, but all of us can be fit.
Contributing Editor Tedd Mitchell, M.D., president and medical director of Dallas' Cooper Clinic, writes HealthSmart every week.
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