What treatment is used for weight management?

Rebecca S. Reeves on behalf of National Lipid Association

Nutrition & Dietetics

The most highly recommended treatment for losing weight is a strong lifestyle change program which includes reducing calories, increasing physical activity and addressing factors in your life which could contribute to your weight. These factors can include portion sizes of food you eat, food selections when eating away from home, skipping breakfast, number of hours spent in front of TV or computer, number of hours you sleep, and how you handle food situations. Start walking about 15 minutes a day for three days a week and gradually increase until you are walking 150 minutes a week. Select an eating plan which includes healthy food selections from all food groups and then adapt it to your lifestyle. Remember, losing weight takes time and patience and small gradual changes are best maintained.

Dr. Ramani Durvasula, PhD

Psychology

There is no single treatment - there are numerous factors that are brought to bear in weight management - the amount of weight to be lost, behavioral factors, medical/metabolic issues, and age. It is essential that a person see a physician to rule out any medical contributors or understand factors that may impact the kinds of interventions used. In a small subset of cases, surgical interventions may be considered. But in general, the majority of weight management interventions include dietary changes, activity, and examination of the psychological and structural factors (e.g. relationships, finances) that are contributing to certain eating patterns. We all gain weight for different reasons so we need to use different approaches to losing it.

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Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.

Weight Maintenance

Losing the weight is only one step in the journey to better overall health. After the weight is gone, it's all about maintenance – adopting a lifestyle that incorporates healthy eating, daily exercise and continued goal setting. And there are lots of different ways to maintain your weight that help make the lifestyle switch easier: eat breakfast daily, load up on fruits and veggies and establish manageable weight loss habits like walking once a day. All of these can be easily incorporated in your healthy weight maintenance plan and keep you from putting the pounds back on.

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