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Weight control and diet - Highlights

Description

An in-depth report on losing and managing weight safely for health benefits.

Alternative Names

Dieting; Obesity; Weight loss

Highlights:

Overview:

A stable weight depends on a balance between the energy you get from food and the energy you use.
When a person consumes more calories than the energy they use, the body stores the extra calories in fat cells.

Genetic Risk Factors:

Studies of twins found that genetic factors have a considerable influence on BMI and obesity. Nevertheless, a study of over 4,300 twins found that physical activity can override the genetic predisposition for high body mass index and wide waist circumference.

Overweight Epidemic in Children:

Weight problems in children and adolescents are rising at an alarming rate. In 2004, 19% of young children aged 6 - 11 were overweight, an increase of 8% from 1994. Among children aged 2 - 5, 13.9% were overweight in 2004, up from 7.2% 10 years earlier.
We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) is a new national program designed to help children live healthier lives. This program "focuses on three important behaviors: improved food choices, increased physical activity and reduced screen time."

Obesity and Diet:

Enough food is produced in the US to supply 3,800 calories every day to each man, woman, and child in the country.
Fast foods tend to be served in larger portions. They generally contain more calories and unhealthy fats, and fewer nutritious ingredients, than homemade or restaurant meals.
Snack foods and sweet beverages, including juice and soft drinks, are specific problems that add to the increasing rates of obesity.

Resources

www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines -- Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
www.eatright.org -- American Dietetic Association
www.nutrition.gov. -- Nutrition.gov
www.asbs.org -- American Society for Bariatric Surgery
www.cnpp.usda.gov -- Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
http://fnic.nal.usda.gov -- Food and Nutrition Information Center
www.americanheart.org -- American Heart Association
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org -- National Eating Disorders Organization
www.abct.org -- Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy
www.fda.gov -- Food and Drug Administration
http://win.niddk.nih.gov -- Weight-Control Information Network

References

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DeMaria EJ. Bariatric surgery for morbid obesity. N Engl J Med. 2007;356(21): 2176-2183.

Despres JP, Golay A, Sjostrom L; Rimonabant in Obesity-Lipids Study Group. Effects of rimonabant on metabolic risk factors in overweight patients with dyslipidemia. N Engl J Med. 2005;353(20):2121-2134.

Dixon JB, O'Brien PE, Playfair J, et al. Adjustable gastric banding and conventional therapy for type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 299(3):316-323.

Fernstrom JD, Courcoulas AP, Houck PR, et al. Long-term changes in blood pressure in extremely obese patients who have undergone bariatric surgery. Arch Surg. 2006;141(3):276-283.

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Gorin AA, Phelan S, Wing RR, et al. Promoting long-term weight control: does dieting consistency matter? Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004;28(2):278-281.

Haworth CM, Plomin R, Carnell S, et al. Childhood Obesity: Genetic and Environmental Overlap with Normal-range BMI. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 Apr 17 [Epub ahead of print].

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Kramer MS, Matush L, Vanilovich I, et al. Effects of prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding on child height, weight, adiposity, and blood pressure at age 6.5 y: evidence from a large randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;86(6):1717-1721.

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National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2007 With Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. Hyattsville, MD: 2007.

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Reviewed last on: 5/25/2009
Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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