Overweight & Obesity: Explained

1. Overweight & Obesity: Overview
2. Causes
3. Health Risks
4. Who Is At Risk
5. Signs, Symptoms & Diagnosis
6. Treatment
7. Weight Loss Medications
8. Weight Loss Surgery
9. Maintaining Weight Loss
10. Quick Facts Refererence
11. View All

Weight Loss Maintenance

Maintaining your weight loss over time can be a challenge. For adults, weight loss is a success if you lose at least 10 percent of your initial weight and you don’t regain more than 6 or 7 pounds in 2 years. You also must keep a lower waist circumference-at least 2 inches lower than your waist circumference before you lost weight.

After 6 months of keeping off the weight, you can think about losing more if:

• You’ve already lost 5 to 10 percent of your body weight
• You’re still overweight or obese

The key to further weight loss or to maintain your weight loss is to continue with lifestyle changes. Adopt these changes as a new way of life. However, if you want to lose more weight, you may need to eat fewer calories and increase your activity level. For example, if you eat 1,600 calories a day but don’t lose weight, you may want to cut back to 1,200 calories.

Adults should aim for 60 to 90 minutes of daily moderate-intensity physical activity. Children and teens should aim for 60 minutes of physical activity a day.

How Can Overweight and Obesity Be Prevented?

Staying at a healthy weight and preventing overweight and obesity can be achieved through living a healthy lifestyle. Because lifetime habits begin in childhood, it’s important for parents and families to create habits that encourage healthy food choices and physical activity early in life.

• Follow a healthy eating plan. Make healthful food choices, keep your and your family’s calorie needs in mind, and focus on the balance of energy IN and energy OUT.
• Focus on portion size. Watch the size of portions in fast food and other restaurants. The portions served are often enough for two or three people. Children’s portion sizes should be smaller than those for adults. Cutting back on portion size is a sure way to help keep energy IN and energy OUT in balance.
• Be active. Make personal and family time active. Find activities that everyone will enjoy. For example, go for a brisk walk, bike or rollerblade, or train together for a walk or run.
• Reduce screen time. Limit the use of TVs, computers, DVDs, and video games, because they crowd out time for physical activity. Health experts recommend 2 hours or less a day of screen time that’s not work- or homework-related.
• Keep track of weight and other measurements. Monitor your weight, body mass index, and waist circumference on a regular basis. Also, keep track of your children’s growth.

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