Effective Ways In Losing Weight Alabama

Overeating and lack of exercise are the principle behavioral factors that lead to obesity. As technology and transportation dominate the 21st century, lifestyles have become increasingly sedentary. Societal pressure to produce and succeed leaves less time to plan and prepare wholesome meals. Add the ever-present ads for processed, high fat, high-sugar junk foods, and it is easy to see why obesity is so commonplace. Intake of a healthy breakfast gives the body more energy and lessens the possibility of overeating or consuming unhealthy foods during the day. Exercise is another determining factor. Yes, we burn calories through physical activity. But there is more to it than that. Exercise builds lean muscle. As the ratio of lean muscle to body fat increases, so does the BMR. The higher our BMR, the more calories we burn. A safe and effective weight-loss program is one that combines calorie cutting with exercise to maintain lean muscle mass.

The body mass index (BMI) is a widely used formula to calculate obesity because body fat is considered within the calculated result. To calculate body mass index for a given height and weight, use the following formula: BMI = weight in kilograms (pounds divided by 2.2) divided by the square of the height in meters (inches divided by 39.4). Guidelines created in 1998 state that the BMI must be 24 or less in order for one's weight to be considered healthy. An individual with a BMI 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight. Obese individuals have a BMI greater than 30. Body mass index is associated with overall mortality. Studies have indicated that the greater the BMI in the individual, the greater the risk of death from all causes. Smoking and the presence of heart disease, cancer, or other disease increases the risk of death even more in both men and women.

A recent study investigated the efficacy of weight-loss counseling via telephone or e-mail versus the standard approach, which utilizes self-help literature. Most people lead busy lifestyles, which may make it difficult to seek face-to-face professional help in a weight management facility. This randomized controlled study included 1,386 subjects who were assigned to one of three treatment approaches: phone counseling, e-mail counseling or the control group, which was treated with a traditional approach that only included self-help brochures. Researchers evaluated each participant based on body weight and the results of a questionnaire by which their food intake, physical activity and waist measurements were calculated. After six months, the researchers compared the results. It was revealed that although all of the groups lost weight and reduced their fat intake, the phone and e-mail groups lost more weight and had greater improvements in their diets than the control group. Those in the phone group also increased their physical activity and lost slightly more weight than even the e-mail group. It appears that utilizing phone and e-mail counseling is an effective approach for weight-loss management especially for people that may not have the time to join a program that requires face-to face counseling.¹

¹ Van Wier MF, Ariens GAM, Dekkers JC, et al.  Phone and e-mail counselling are effective for weight management in an overweight working population: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health. Jan2009.