Women2Women - Summer 2018 - 31

change Developing a detailed plan that includes parameters
for healthy eating, and physical activity, and addresses barriers
to behavior change is the foundation to obesity treatment and
prevention. Unfortunately, this is not what we find in the many
self-proclaimed weight loss programs that exist today.
Sifting through the weight lost
industry can be overwhelming to
say the least. A simple Google search
for "weight loss" brings up about
46,500,000 results. Many of these
programs boast a competitive edge
on weight loss and health. They work
hard to convince the consumer that
there is an easy and fast way to achieve
optimum weight loss and health, but
only if you have the money to pay for
it. The consumer can find clarity in
an industry saturated with fad diets
and gimmicks by identifying resources
that use evidence-based practices.
These practices incorporate successful
strategy to improve outcomes derived
from various sources of evidence
including research, national guidelines
and specialized knowledge and skills
of experts. Experts include Registered
Dietitians in diet, food, and nutrition
as well as Exercise Physiologists and
Certified Personal Trainers in physical activity and fitness. Weight loss
education helps target the motivation
and the change in behaviors necessary
to make weight loss a successful and a
long-lasting effort.

Our increasingly sedentary lifestyles make it difficult to match
our food intake with the energy we need in a day; consuming
far more energy from food than needed results in the growing
rate of obesity. The U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services Physical Activity and Guidelines for Americans provides
science-based guidelines to help children and adults improve their health
through appropriate physical activity.
All adults should avoid inactivity and
some physical activity is better than
none; those who participate in any
amount of physical activity gain some
health benefits.

Clinical Guidelines define overweight as
a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9 kg/
m2 and obesity as a BMI of ≥30 kg/m2.
BMI correlates well with total body
fat... however, it has limitations
identifying excess abdominal fat which
is independently associated with greater
health risks. For example, men who
have waist circumferences greater
than 40 inches, and women who have
waist circumferences greater than 35
inches are at a higher risk of developing
diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

To achieve long-term lifestyle change,
dietitians and nutrition experts alike
work with clients to set up specific,
realistic health goals and meal plans
tailored to each person. Meal plans
that encourage whole food, fiber-rich,
portion controlled are individualized
to the person. Strategies that impact
food preparation, mealtimes, snacking
and emotional eating should also be
included in creating a health promoting
diet. Additional recourses to successful
healthy eating include keeping a food
diary. People who keep a food diary lose twice as much weight
as those who do not, according to a 2008 study published by
the American Journal of Preventative Medicine. Whether it is by old
fashion pen and paper or the latest software that helps transcribe
a picture of what you eat onto a food log, the food diary helps
create accountability and addresses problem areas within the diet.
A weight loss goal involves more than a number on a scale but
also addresses the changes that need to take place in eating habits
and exercise routine in order to achieve long-term weight loss.

For substantial health benefits,
adults should do at least 150 minutes
(2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of
moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes
(1 hour and 15 minutes) a week of
vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or
an equivalence combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic
activity. Aerobic activity should be
performed in episodes of at least 10
minutes, and preferably, it should
be spread throughout the week. For
additional and more extensive health
benefits, adults should increase their
aerobic physical activity to 300 minutes
(5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity,
or 150 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an
equivalence combination of moderateand vigorous-intensity activity. Adults
should also do muscle-strengthening
activities that are moderate- or high-intensity and involve all major muscle
groups on 2 or more days a week, as
these activities provide additional
health benefits.
Fighting obesity is more than
numbers on scale, daily calories, and
minutes on a treadmill. It starts with
education to provide the principals for
an individualized plan that addresses
behavior change, motivation and how
to overcome barriers.
By Lizzy Hawk, MS,
RDN, CDE, and Andrea
Thompson, RDN, LDN,
Penn State Health,
St. Joseph

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