Weight Management

According to the National Institutes of Health, about two thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight. Maintaining a healthy weight is important. If you are overweight or obese you may have a higher risk for certain health problems. Achieving a healthy weight can help you control your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. It may also help you prevent weight-related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and some cancers.

The key to reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is not about quick fixes or short-term changes in the foods you eat. It is about committing to making permanent lifestyle changes related to the type and quantity of food you eat, and the amount of physical activity you add to your daily routine. These lifestyle changes should balance the number of calories you eat with the number of calories your body uses. To maintain your weight, the calories you eat must equal the energy you use. To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than you use. The following tips can help you lose or maintain your weight:

• Choose low-fat, low-calorie foods.
• Cook healthy.
• Eat smaller portions.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Be physically active.
  

Talk with your doctor if you are having a hard time maintaining or losing weight.

• Basics for Reaching a Healthy Weight – This online program provides basic information to get you started with losing weight through good nutrition and exercise.
• Healthy Weighs for Life – Take this online program when you are ready to go beyond the basics. You will learn new skills and strategies to improve your success with weight loss.

• American Heart Association
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Nutrition.gov