Trying to Lose Weight
The North American Association for the Study of Obesity, in 2005, looked at the behaviors of those trying to lose weight. They wanted to determine if people who were trying to lose weight were following the recommended diet and physical activity suggestion.
The study found that 46% of women and 33% of men were trying to lose weight. Women tended to attempt weight loss at a lower BMI than men: 60% of overweight women (BMI between 25 and 29) were trying to lose weight, whereas 60% of obese men (BMI > 30) were trying to lose weight. Both those who had received medical advice to lose weight and those who had more education were more likely to try to lose weight.
Interestingly, most respondents, who were trying to lose weight, were not using minimum recommended weight loss strategies. Only 19% of women and 22% of men, trying to lose weight, reported eating fewer calories and participating in more than 150 minute of physical activity each week.
Eat Breakfast to Prevent Weight Gain
According to research reported in the Journal of American Dietetic Association, there are many ways that people can lose weight—the challenge is in helping them maintain a healthy weight. The priority is to prevent the gradual weight gain experienced by many people.
The North American Association for the Study of Obesity reported on a study examining weight gain during a 10-year period. The study involved 5857 men, who overall had a weight gain of 11 pounds or more over the 10 years. The study found that those men who ate breakfast were less likely to gain weight, regardless of their weight when the study began.
Eating breakfast may help prevent weight gain.
Determing Obesity
According to the August 2001 Obesity Reviews, calls for a movement toward weight standards based on actual measurements of body fat mass. Body mass index (BMI) is currently the most widely used classification system for obesity. However, BMI does not actually measure the amount of body fat.
BMI can be misleading and may not accurately represent body fat content in a number of situations. Conditions that may provide misleading information include: infancy and childhood; athletes; military personnel; aging; and racial differences.
Since it is an excess of body fat that is correlated with health risk, it is proposed that more attention be paid to developing databases and standards based on actual measurement of body fat rather than on estimates of body fat.
|
