|
|
DIETS
-- CHOOSING A WEIGHT LOSS PLAN
|
|
|
Choosing a weight-loss program may be a difficult
task. You may not know what to look for in a weight-loss program
or what questions to ask. This fact sheet can help you talk to
your health care professional about weight loss and get the best
information before choosing a program.
|
| Talk
With Your Health Care Professional
If your health care provider tells you
that you should lose weight and you want to find a weight-loss
program to help you, look for one that is based on regular physical
activity and an eating plan that is balanced, healthy, and easy
to follow.
|
You may want to talk with your doctor or
other health care professional about controlling your weight before
you decide on a weight-loss program. Even if you feel uncomfortable
talking about your weight with your doctor, remember that he or
she is there to help you improve your health. Here are some tips:
- Tell your provider that you would like to talk about your
weight. Share your concerns about any medical conditions you
have or medicines you are taking.
- Write down your questions in advance.
- Bring pen and paper to take notes.
- Bring a friend or family member along for support if this
will make you feel more comfortable.
- Make sure you understand what your health care provider is
saying. Ask questions if there is something you do not understand.
- Ask for other sources of information like brochures or websites.
- If you want more support, ask for a referral to a registered
dietitian, a support group, or a commercial weight-loss program.
- Call your provider after your visit if you have more questions
or need help.
|
| Ask
Questions |
Find out as much as you can about your health
needs before joining a weight-loss program. Here are some questions
you might want to ask your health care provider:
About Your Weight
- Do I need to lose weight? Or should I just avoid gaining more?
- Is my weight affecting my health?
- Could my excess weight be caused by a medical condition such
as hypothyroidism or by a medicine I am taking? (Hypothyroidism
is when your thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone,
a condition that can slow your metabolism—how your body creates
and uses energy.)
About Weight Loss
- What should my weight-loss goal be?
- How will losing weight help me?
About Nutrition and Physical Activity
- How should I change my eating habits?
- What kinds of physical activity can I do?
- How much physical activity do I need?
About Treatment
- Should I take weight-loss medicine?
- What about weight-loss surgery?
- Could a weight-loss program help me?
|
| A Responsible and
Safe Weight-loss Program |
If your health care provider tells you that
you should lose weight and you want to find a weight-loss program
to help you, look for one that is based on regular physical activity
and an eating plan that is balanced, healthy, and easy to follow.
Weight-loss programs should encourage healthy behaviors that help
you lose weight and that you can stick with every day. Safe and
effective weight-loss programs should include:
- Healthy eating plans that reduce calories but do not forbid
specific foods or food groups.
- Tips to increase moderate-intensity physical activity.
- Tips on healthy behavior changes that also keep your cultural
needs in mind.
- Slow and steady weight loss. Depending on your starting weight,
experts recommend losing weight at a rate of 1/2 to 2 lbs per
week. Weight loss may be faster at the start of a program.
- Medical care if you are planning to lose weight by following
a special formula diet, such as a very low-calorie diet.
- A plan to keep the weight off after you have lost it.
|
| Get Familiar With the Program |
Gather as much information as you can before deciding
to join a program. Professionals working for weight-loss programs
should be able to answer the questions listed below.
What does the weight-loss program consist of?
- Does the program offer one-on-one counseling or group classes?
- Do you have to follow a specific meal plan or keep food records?
- Do you have to purchase special food, drugs, or supplements?
- Does the program help you be more physically active, follow
a specific physical activity plan, or provide exercise instruction?
- Does the program teach you to make positive and healthy behavior
changes?
- Is the program sensitive to your lifestyle and cultural needs?
What are the staff qualifications?
- Who supervises the program?
- What type of weight management training, experience, education,
and certifications do the staff have?
Does the product or program carry any risks?
- Could the program hurt you?
- Could the recommended drugs or supplements harm your health?
- Do participants talk with a doctor?
- Does a doctor run the program?
- Will the program’s doctors work with your personal doctor
if you have a medical condition such as high blood presure or
are taking prescribed drugs?
How much does the program cost?
- What is the total cost of the program?
- Are there other costs, such as weekly attendance fees, food
and supplement purchases, etc.?
- Are there fees for a follow-up program after you lose weight?
- Are there other fees for medical tests?
What results do participants typically have?
- How much weight does an average participant lose and how long
does he or she keep the weight off?
- Does the program offer publications or materials that describe
what results participants typically have?
If you are interested in finding a weight-loss program near you,
ask your health care provider for a referral or contact your local
hospital.
For additional, general information, contact:
Weight-control Information Network (WIN)
1 WIN Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3665
Phone: (202) 828-1025
Toll-free number: 1-877-946-4627
FAX: (202) 828-1028
Email: WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov
|
|
These publications from WIN offer more
information on weight-loss programs, healthy eating, and physical
activity:
Active
at Any Size, a brochure from WIN to help very large people
become more physically active. National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Publication No. 04-4352. Updated April 2004.
Better
Health and You: Tips for Adults, a brochure on healthy
eating, part of the series Healthy Eating and Physical Activity
Across Your Lifespan.
NIH Publication No. 04-4992. Updated June 2004.
Very
Low-calorie Diets, a fact sheet for health professionals.
NIH Publication No. 03-3894. January 2003.
Weight Loss
for Life, a brochure offering sensible weight-control
advice. NIH Publication No. 04-3700. June 2004.
|
| Additional Resources |
Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
Phone: (202) FTC-HELP (382-4357)
Toll-free number: 1-877-382-4357
Internet: www.ftc.gov/index.html
For the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) publication Weight
Loss: Finding a Weight Loss Program that Works for You,
go to http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/health/wgtloss.pdf..
For the FTC publication Weighing the Evidence in
Diet Ads, go to www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/health/evidence.htm.
International Food Information Council Foundation
1100 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 430
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 296-6540
Internet: http://www.ific.org/
|
| |
Weight-control Information Network
1 WIN WAY
Bethesda, MD 20892-3665
Phone: (202) 828-1025
Toll-free number: 1-877-946-4627
FAX: (202) 828-1028
Email: WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov
Internet: http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/
The Weight-control Information Network (WIN) is a
national information service of the National Institute of Diabetes
and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), which is the Federal Government’s lead agency
responsible for biomedical research on nutrition and obesity.
Authorized by Congress (Public Law 103-43), WIN provides the general
public, health professionals, the media, and Congress with up-to-date,
science-based health information on weight control, obesity, physical
activity, and related nutritional issues. Publications produced
by WIN are reviewed by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts.
This fact sheet was also reviewed by Susan Z. Yanovski, M.D.,
Director, Obesity and Eating Disorders Program and Co-Director,
Office of Obesity Research, NIDDK.
This publication is not copyrighted. WIN encourages users of
this fact sheet to duplicate and distribute as many copies as
desired.
|
|
