Is obesity a failure of will power?

No, obesity is a disease. It’s affected by genetics, metabolism, even medications that you are taking for another reason. Scientists are realizing that it’s not controlled by one single isolated chemical process in the body. There are more than 9 different hormones that affect obesity. These hormones are in the brain, in the fat cells, in the digestive system. There is still more research in obesity that needs to be done.

How can I tell if I am overweight?

For adults, the ranges of BMI (Body Mass Index) are broken down this way:

Underweight adults are those with a BMI <18.5

Normal weight adults have a BMI = 18.5–24.9

When the BMI is 25–29.9, this is classified as Overweight.

An adult is formally diagnosed with Obesity when the BMI is 30 or greater

You can find out your BMI by following this link and using the calculator at cdc.gov.

How much weight do I need to lose to “Get healthy?”

Losing just 3% to 5% of your weight (ie, if you weigh 200 pounds, this means losing 6 to 10 pounds) -- losing 3-5% can lower:

• blood sugar

• risk for developing diabetes

• triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood

Losing a little more weight is even better...

Losing 5% to 10% of your weight (10 to 20 pounds if you weight 200 pounds) can:

• lower your blood pressure

• improve your cholesterol

• reduce need to take medicine for blood pressure, diabetes, and lipids

• lower triglycerides and blood sugar even more

Losing weight can also help with problems like:

• sleep apnea

• liver damage

• osteoarthritis (wear and tear on knees and other joints)

Losing weight helps you feel better

• gives you more energy

• makes it easier for you to move around

• improves your quality of life

• helps keep you from having weight-related health problems in the future

What is better for weight loss, diets or exercise?

You get thin in the kitchen, you get fit in the gym. If you don’t eat the food in the first place, then you don’t have to spend precious hours exercising to burn off the excess calories.

We encourage exercise, because exercise helps you to build lean muscle. More muscle means more calories burned, even outside of the gym. If you build the muscle, it can help you to maintain the weight that you’ve lost from dietary changes.

Is there something that my kids should be doing to prevent obesity?

5-4-3-2-1-0

5 servings of fruits or non-starchy vegetables per day; corn, potato chips and french fries don’t count as vegetables under this system

4 or more home cooked meals together as a family every week

3 meals per day; limit snacking; try a cup of water first if you’re not sure if you’re hungry or thirsty

Less than 2 hours of screen time per day

1 hour of physical activity per day

0 sugar sweetened beverages per day