(NAPSA)-The Surgeon
General-Dr. Richard H. Carmona-and a health group called the Partnership
for Essential Nutrition have an important message for overweight
Americans: shedding excess pounds is one of the healthiest things you
can do-but only if you lose weight in a healthy way.
At a time when many
people have fallen prey to the promises of diet books and infomercials,
the Partnership for Essential Nutrition says don't be fooled by come-ons
like "Eat all you want and still lose weight." The truth is fad diets
that promise rapid weight loss by greatly limiting specific foods and
nutrients can undermine people's health, cause physical discomfort, and
lead to disappointment when people regain their weight back.
"If you are one of
the many Americans who are overweight, shedding excess pounds will
significantly improve your health, as long as you lose weight in a
healthy way," said Surgeon General Carmona. "The path to healthy weight
loss includes setting realistic goals and following a comprehensive
weight loss program that is sustainable-meaning the method must go
beyond losing the excess weight and address ways to keep it off."
What are the best
methods for healthy, long-term weight loss? To provide the latest facts,
the Partnership for Essential Nutrition has put new information on its
Web site-
www.essentialnutrition.org -that explains what works and what
doesn't. Based on information from government agencies and leading
public health organizations, the recommendations include:
·
Set realistic
expectations-According to the Federal Trade Commission, successful
weight loss is typically losing about 10 percent of your body weight in
six months.
·
Choose a comprehensive
weight loss program that is sustainable-This means the method must go
beyond losing the excess weight and address ways to keep it off.
·
It's the calories that
count-That's why nutrition experts recommend foods that are higher in
water content and contain fewer calories.
·
Watch your portion size-If
you practice portion control, it is possible to eat almost any type of
food and stay within a healthy range of calories.
·
Be more physically
active-For weight control, new dietary guidelines recommend 60 minutes
of activity on most days during the week.
·
Create a Supportive
Atmosphere-Research finds that dieters who lost weight on a buddy system
had better results losing weight and keeping it off.
Find more
tips at
www.essentialnutrition.org.
