Weight Control: Why It Matters, What Affects It, and How to Reach a Healthy Weight

If you are struggling with your weight, you are not alone: in the United States, more than 70 percent of adults are overweight or have obesity. Extra weight raises the risk of many health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and certain cancers.

Reaching and keeping a healthy weight can be hard, but a healthy lifestyle — healthy eating patterns and regular physical activity — can help you lose weight and lower your chance of weight-related illness.

What affects weight

You gain weight when you take in more calories, from food and drink, than you use in physical activity and daily living. Many things influence that balance:

• Your surroundings. Home, community and workplace shape daily choices. High-calorie, sugary, fatty food and drink is often easier to find — vending machines, cafeterias and events may offer few healthy options — and less healthy food can be cheaper. Many people move less because they spend more time on phones and other devices.
• Family. Overweight and obesity run in families, suggesting genes play a part. Families also share habits, such as high-calorie food and drink, or more time sitting in front of TVs and computers.
• Sleep. People who do not get enough sleep may eat more calories and snack more.
• Emotions. Some people eat when bored, sad or stressed, even when not hungry.
• Medicines and health conditions. Some medicines, such as steroids and certain antidepressants, can cause weight gain, as can some chronic conditions, such as Cushing's syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Reaching a healthy weight

It is a matter of balancing food and activity: to lose weight, take in fewer calories than you use.

Eating:

• more nutrient-rich food, with plenty of vitamins, minerals and fibre;
• less food and drink high in calories, salt, sugar and fat;
• less alcohol;
• healthier cooking — healthier oils, and baking or grilling instead of frying.

Moving: the general recommendation for adults is 150 minutes of physical activity a week, which can be split into short bursts through the day. It should include:

• aerobic activity ("cardio"), using the large muscles of the chest, legs and back to raise your heart rate and breathing;
• muscle-strengthening activity ("strength training"), pushing or pulling against something.

You can make these changes on your own or try a weight-loss diet or programme — but check with your health care provider first. They can tell you what a healthy weight is for you, help set goals and offer tips.

Medicines and surgery

• Weight management medicines may be prescribed if lifestyle changes or a programme are not enough. They are meant for people with weight-related health conditions and are used alongside healthy eating and activity. They work in different ways: some reduce hunger or make you feel full sooner; others make it harder for the body to absorb fat from food.
• Weight-loss surgery may be recommended for severe obesity, or serious obesity-related health problems, when other methods have not brought enough weight loss.

Keeping it off

Maintaining weight loss is hard, and slipping back into old habits sometimes is normal. Keep a balance of food and activity that works for you, and weigh yourself regularly to catch small changes early. After a setback, do not be discouraged: refocus on your healthy habits and keep going.

Sources

• MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, "Weight Control," drawing on the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://medlineplus.gov/weightcontrol.html
• Rewritten in hubnx's own words.