Overweight and Obesity

     Overweight refers to overheaviness.  It is applied to a person  whose weight is 10 to 20% above the desirable body weight.  Obesity is a condition in which body weight is more than 20% above the desirable body weight, marked by excess body fat often resulting in significant impairment of health.

Probable Causes
• Faulty eating habits such as  bedtime snacking
• Overeating
• Inactivity (decreases energy expenditure)
• Endocrinal disorder
• Drug action effect

Probable Symptoms
• Overweight.  Weight is 10% above the desirable body weight  Body Fat percentage is more than 15% for men and more than 25% for women.
• Obesity.  Weight is 20% above desirable body weight.  Body fat percentage is above 20% for men and above 30% for women

Helpful Dietary Management
• Modify diet if the cause of obesity  is a faulty diet.  Only a small percentage of all obesity cases is non-dietary in nature.
• Manage overweight and obesity using a 3-stemmed program consisting of sound dietary management, exercise or physical activity, and behavior modification.
• Have a diet low in calories, low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates if reducing weight.
• Take daily food allowances in 3 regular meals with breakfast as heaviest and supper, the lightest.
• Omit super but not breakfast if ever skipping a meal is desired! allow a 5-hour interval between meals, and no less than 3 hours from the last meal to bedtime.
• Never snack just before bedtime.  It is a major offense.
• Drink from 6 to 8 glasses of pure water every day. Drink in between meals.

Note: A person should only lose weight but not get sick! remember, you did not grow that big overnight. Up to 2 pounds per week weight loss is desirable.