Weight & Obesity

Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall health and can help you prevent and control many diseases and conditions. If you are overweight or obese, you are at higher risk of developing serious health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems, and certain cancers. That is why maintaining a healthy weight is so important: It helps you lower your risk for developing these problems, helps you feel good about yourself, and gives you more energy to enjoy life.

Weight management includes all the steps a person takes to maintain a healthy weight. This typically involves eating a well-balanced diet in which calorie intake matches energy output. Regular physical activity is another crucial component of weight management.

A person’s weight also depends on several other factors, including age, gender, behaviors and health status. Genetic factors also play a significant role, helping to determine a person’s height, size and shape of body frame. In addition, the eating and activity patterns established during childhood help to determine those patterns for life.

Diet and exercise are the chief controllable factors that influence a person’s weight. Generally, experts recommend a diet that is lower in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol. Such a diet should be rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, low-fat dairy products and other healthy foods.