Weight loss, dieting and research
With weight loss on the minds of MP’s, teachers and parents and many others, making sense of all the diet and exercise information is challenging enough for health professionals, let alone for their clients. The good news is that given the beneficial effects of weight loss treatments on medical conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, researchers continue to hunt for innovative ways to improve treatments and maintain weight loss.
Despite this there is a general perception that no-one succeeds at losing weight long term. This is however disputed by research that shows that around 20% of overweight people are successful at weight-loss in the long run, when this is defined as losing at least 10% of initial body weight and maintaining that loss for at least 12 months.
New directions in weight loss treatment programmes include placing and emphasis on behaviour as well as on exercise and nutrition. Some strategies involve self monitoring during high risk times, pre planning meals and grocery lists, monitoring portion size and type and incorporating multiple short bursts of vigorous activity into exercise schedules as well as partaking in lifestyle activities daily. For those seeking long term weight loss, these are highly recommended means to an end, but let’s take a closer look at what the experts recommend.
The National Weight Control Registry in the US provides information about the strategies used by successful candidates to achieve and maintain long term weight loss. Despite results differing for everyone, the research conducted by the centre that certain strategies seem to work more often across the board.
National Weight Control Registry members have each lost an average of 33kg’s and have kept it off for more than five years. To do so they engage in high levels of physical activity (an hour per day), eating a low calorie diet, eating breakfast regularly, self monitoring their weight, and sticking to a consistent eating pattern. Realistic goal setting, help with assessing their readiness for change, tools for controlling cravings, cognitive restructuring to increase their sense of self worth, relapse management and ongoing creative communication have all shown to be valuable as well.
Moreover these healthy lifestylers show that weight loss management may get easier over time. After they have managed to stay slimmer for two to five years, the chance of success dramatically increases. Continued adherence to diet and exercise leads to lower levels of depression, more self control, and better overall health.
According to Jakicic and Gallagher (2003) accumulated exercise’ is an important concept in weight management. For overweight people to achieve their goals, the evidence suggests that they should gradually progress to 60 minutes per day of accumulated exercise, with the optimal overall dose being around 200-280 minutes per week. It needs to include both low intensity exercises and more vigorous energy expenditure.
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