Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Living Well

Candace Carrie

Americans spend $33 billion dollars annually on weight-reduction products and services, including diet foods, drugs and programs. So, why are one in three American adults overweight?

Losing weight is not simple.

Many factors are involved in how much or how little food a person eats and how that food is metabolized by the body. Yet we all want simple fixes for this complex health problem. And there are plenty of entrepreneurs out there willing to sell us a quick and easy path to thinness.

There are no magic pills or products. When it comes to weight loss, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Losing weight and keeping it off requires setting reasonable goals, changing eating habits and getting adequate exercise. While diet pills or products may help people get started, they do not work in the long run unless you make dietary and exercise changes.

Studies have shown that most diet drugs, whether over-the-counter or prescription, only increase weight loss by about one half pound a week.

Diet drugs may have adverse side effects, such as increased blood pressure, heart palpitations and sleep disturbances. The prescription drugs, Pondimin and Redux, were recently withdrawn from the market, because long-term use produced heart valve disease in over 100 users.

An alternative to drugs is enrollment in a weight-loss program. Many people find formal programs helpful for planning diet and exercise strategies.

Programs that focus on long-term weight management, not quick weight loss are your best bet. The best programs will provide instruction on healthful eating, increasing activity and improving self-esteem.

According to the National Weight Control Registry, a nationwide study of men and women who have successfully lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least one year, nearly every subject (89 percent) modified both diet and exercise to lose weight. Fifty-five percent of the subjects used a formal weight loss program to lose weight and 45 percent lost weight on their own.

Registry members most often reduced calorie intake by limiting their fat intake, eating a variety of foods and limiting portion size.

Participants also reported being very active. Nearly three-fourths of successful losers performed 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most weekdays. Walking and aerobic dance were the most popular activities.

To maintain their weight loss, 88 percent of the registrants continue to watch their diets and exercise regularly.

The beginning of the year is when most people decide to do something about their weight.

If your new year's resolution is to lose weight and get fit, contact the Nevada County Extension office at (870) 887-2818 for information on Extension's NoonLiting weight control program starting in February.