By Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A.
Assistant Professor of Family Medicine
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

HAPPY NEW YEAR, IT'S TIME TO LOSE WEIGHT -- AGAIN!

Question: Every New Year’s I make a resolution to lose weight. I usually do lose some, but by the next New Year I've found it again. Why does this keep happening?

Answer: It makes good sense to keep your weight within 20 percent of the ideal for your height and build. This will help minimize your risk of such disorders as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Being overweight is almost always a mater of overeating. This is because the human body is very efficient. Fuel for the body's vital needs -- breathing, blood circulation, thinking and the additional demands of physical activity (as well as muscle and bone growth in children) -- is usually supplied by the day's intake of nutrients. If you eat more food than is necessary for these daily functions, the extra is converted into fat and saved for later. This, of course, produces weight gain. When consumption and energy expended are equal, the weight stays the same. In short, this means that the only way to lose weight is to eat less than is needed for each day's work. The body will draw upon the stored energy -- that unwanted fat -- to make up the difference.

Question: I know that I need to eat less and work out more often. What is the best diet for weight loss?

Answer: Successful weight loss takes more than following a simple diet sheet. P. M. Warwick, of Australia's University of New England, found that diet counseling was effective in changing the types of food eaten one year after the end of counseling, but it was unsuccessful in bringing about weight reduction. Researchers at the Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, W.Va., studied a "behavioral approach" to dieting. They helped people identify when they ate because of habit, anxiety or stress and then taught them a better method of dealing with each of these emotions. Two years later, 65 percent of the participants had maintained a weight loss.

There are more types of diets than could be counted in a day. That should tell you something. There is no one "correct" diet for healthy but overweight individuals. The body needs vitamins and minerals every day. Fruits and vegetables provide these nutrients. We also need some protein, which can come from meat, fish, eggs or cheese. These foods also tend to have fat with them, and fat is something you don't need in abundance when you are dieting; you want to use up the fat you have already stored in your body. Sweets only have calories for energy. They contain none of the essential vitamins, minerals or proteins. So, it is logical to eliminate sweets from your diet when trying to lose weight.

Regardless of the diet you choose, there are a few suggestions that may help you lose those extra pounds and keep them off. Eat at least two meals, and preferably three meals, per day. Put an adequate portion of each food on your plate then remove the serving bowls -- and the temptation -- from the table. Eat slowly so that you feel full by the end of the meal. Exercise regularly but set realistic goals.

Measure and record your weight once each week at the same time of day. For instance, Wednesday morning when you first step out of the shower. It is time to eat less if your weight is up two weeks in a row. You’ll find it’s easier to trim off a pound or two when necessary than to face the prospect again next New Year of having to take off another 20 pounds.

"Family Medicine" is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, P.O. Box 110, Athens, Ohio 45701. You can also send questions of general interest to Dr. Simpson at simpsonm@ohio.edu. Past columns are available online at http://www.FamilyMedicineNews.org.