Taking Charge of Your Health: Weight Management

1
Taking Charge of Your Health Weight Management

• Frederick Schulze, D.Ed., CHES
• Asst. Professor, Health Science
• Lock Haven University
• of Pennsylvania

2
About the Author

• Dr. Frederick Rick Schulze founded and
  facilitates a weight management support group for
  students at Lock Haven University. He also
  struggles with weight management issues. Dr.
  Schulze lost over 100 pounds. Dr. Schulze
  teaches Consumer Health, substance abuse and
  Introduction to Health in a community health
  major.

3
Learning Objectives

• Recognize health risks associated with
  overweight
• Identify lifestyle factors that may contribute to
  a successful weight management program
• Identify consumer health issue related to
  weight-loss products
• Describe prevalence of overweight and obesity in
  America.

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Overweight and Obesity

• Epidemics in the United States
• More than ½ of all adults are overweight
• Nearly a quarter are obese
• Rate of obesity has doubled since 1960 and
  continues to rise
• Estimated if current trends continue, all
  Americans will be overweight by 2030.

5
Childhood Obesity

• On the rise with 1 in 3 children now is either
  overweight or at risk for becoming so.

6
Associated Health Problems

• Inactivity and overweight account for than
  300,000 premature deaths annually in United
  States, 2nd only to tobacco-related deaths.

7
Body Weight Satisfaction

• Many Americans are unhappy with their bodies
• More than ½ of Americans are dissatisfied with
  their weight status
• Only 10 are completely satisfied with their
  weight status.

8
Trying to Lose Weight

• 30 of adult males and 55 of adult females
  report having tried to lose weight in the last
  year reports among teen and college-age females
  much higher.

9
Healthy People 2010

• Sets the goal of decreasing number of obese
  people to no more than 15 of adults and 5 of
  children and teens
• Trends, however, seem to be moving away from
  these goals
• Americans consume an avg. of 160 more calories
  per day than they did 20 years ago and engage in
  less physical activity.

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Factors Contributing to Overweight Today

• Greater consumption of fast foods
• More meals eaten outside of home
• Increased portion sizes
• Increased consumption of soft drinks and
  convenience foods
• More time spent in activities such as playing
  video games, surfing the web, watching TV
• Fewer physical education classes for children and
  teens

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Factors (continued)

• Lack of comprehensive health education in schools
• Lack of nutritious school lunches
• Fewer short trips on foot or bicycles and more by
  automobile
• Greater labor-saving devices for household chores.

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Definitions

• Overweight
• Total body weight above the recommended range for
  good health as determined by typical large scale
  population surveys.

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Definition

• Obesity
• Serious degree of overweight. Usually measured
  using a Body Mass Index or BMI. BMI is defined
  as body weight in kilograms divided by the square
  height in meters.

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Health Risks of Excess Body Fat

• Obese people have overall mortality rate almost
  twice that of non-obese people
• Associated with unhealthy cholesterol levels and
  impaired heart function as well as death from
  cardiovascular disease
• Other health risks hypertension, some kinds of
  cancer, impaired immune function (cont.)

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Health Risks (continued)

• Gallbladder and kidney diseases, skin problems,
  sleep disorders, arthritis, bone and joint
  disorders
• Diabetes
• Psychological wellness such as depression,
  self-esteem (at failing to lose weight), stigma
• Discrimination from others and ostracism

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Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle for Weight Management

• Most weight problems and issues are
  lifestyle-related meaning they can be
  attributed to eating habits, exercise, coping
  strategies and our emotions.

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Dieting and Eating Habits

• Follow these GENERAL suggestions in daily calorie
  intake
• 1600 calories many sedentary women some
• older adults
• 2200 calories most children, teen girls,
  active
• women, sedentary men
• 2800 calories teen boys, many active men,
  some very active women

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Portion Sizes

• Most of us underestimate the amount of food we
  eat
• Limiting portion sizes is critical for good
  health
• Check serving sizes listed on packages learn to
  judge sizes more accurately.

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Cutting Back On Calories But Feeling Full

• Eat several servings of fruit per day beginning
  with breakfast and for dessert
• Add vegetables to as many things as possible
  (pizza, pasta, sandwiches)
• Snack on fruits rather than snack foods
• Limit servings of chocolate, fatty meats, butter,
  snacks that are fried

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Limiting Fat Calories

• Some fat is needed in the diet to provide
  essential nutrients to the body but avoid
  overeating fatty foods
• Avoid processed foods and meats, oils, butter,
  cream, lard
• Eat more fruits, vegetables
• Watch foods labeled fat-free or low-fat you
  may consume more calories overall.

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Complex Carbohydrates

• Traditionally, dieters cut bread, pasta and
  potatoes to control weight
• These are sources for complex carbs (also
  vegetables and whole grains and they help you
  feel full and maintain a healthy body weight
• Avoid high-fat toppings on carbs and try plain or
  low-fat yogurt.

22
Protein

• The average American consumes more than adequate
  amounts of protein
• Very few people need extra dietary supplements
  except specific athletes or weightliftters or
  other conditions
• Foods high in protein are often high in fat
• Limit to 10-15 of total daily calorie intake.

23
Your Eating Habits

• Small, frequent meals at regularly scheduled
  times
• Regularly scheduled snacks of fruit or vegetables
• Do not skip meals
• No foods are off limits however in order to
  encourage success moderation is the key

24
Physical Activity

• Burns calories and keeps metabolism geared
  towards using food for energy instead of storing
  it for fat
• Begin slow and gradually increase to 30 minutes
  per day
• Can include gardening, aerobics, walking,
  swimming, housework, bowling, etc.

25
Your Emotions

• How we think about ourselves plays an important
  role in weight management
• Negative self-talk such as Im terrible if Im
  not thin! will limit success
• Positive internal dialogue is important
• Support groups such as Overeaters Anonymous offer
  on-going emotional assistance

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How We Cope

• People cope with stress in many ways
• Some use alcohol, drugs, tobacco or sex
• Others use food for comfort, to alleviate
  boredom, loneliness, despair, depression, anxiety
  or fatigue
• Overall healthy lifestyle will alleviate need for
  food (continued)

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How We Cope (continued)

• Stress management such as visualization,
  progressive muscle relaxation
• Massage therapy
• Friendship network
• Exercise
• Hobbies, volunteer work
• Learning to manage conflict

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Strategies for Losing Weight

• Studies show people can do it on their own
• Studies show those who succeed usually included
  exercise in their plan and focused more energy on
  projects, careers and personal interests.

29
Food Diaries

• Most people do not realize the amount of food
  they eat per day and what they are doing at the
  exact time they are eating that food
• Suggest taking notebook and taking a one week
  diary
• Note in diary all intake of foods, snacks, drinks
  and activities while eating

30
Consumer Watch on Diet and Weight-Loss Marketplace

• Consumer warnings against trying any weight-loss
  method promising to induce loss of more than 2
  pounds per week
• It is probably a fad diet if it lacks important
  nutrients or even whole food groups
• National Council Against Health Fraud warns
  consumers to be wary of any weight-control
  program that encourages the use of special
  products rather than learning how to make wise
  food choices from the conventional food supply.

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Fasting

• A few days of fasting are unlikely to be
  dangerous, but prolonged fasting leads to
  dangerous metabolic imbalances
• Fasting is popular because it can provide
  dramatic weight-loss but it is primarily water
  rather than fat
• Lost water is regained quickly when eating is
  resumed.

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Weight-Control Organizations

• TOPS (Take-Off Pounds Sensibly) started in 1948
  and has over 11,000 chapters, 275,000 members in
  20 countries members must submit weight goals
  and a diet from a health professional in writing
• Weight Watchers started in the 1960s and includes
  diet, behavior modification and exercise and is
  worldwide.

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Weight-Control Organizations (cont.)

• Overeaters Anonymous founded in 1960 is
  non-profit for individuals who define themselves
  as compulsive overeaters. It has about 8500
  groups in 50 countries. It operates on the
  premise that overeating is a progressive illness
  that cannot be cured but can be arrested. They
  follow a 12-step plan similar to Alcoholics
  Anonymous.

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Other Suggestions for Weight-Management

• Resist temptation to always clean your plate
• Do not eat while talking on the phone or watching
  TV
• Control alcohol intake (high calorie)
• Share appetizer and dessert in restaurants
• Eat a healthy snack before going to a holiday
  party so you will feel full

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Summary

• No miracle cures or products
• No revolutionary diets
• No pill or potion
• However, you and your lifestyle are in control of
  weight management.

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References

• Barrett, S., Jarvis, W. Kroger, M. London, W.
  (2002) Consumer Health A Guide to Intelligent
  Decisions. McGraw-Hill.
• Insel, P. Roth, W. (2002) Core Concepts in
  Health (9th Ed.).
• McGraw-Hill.