How to Manage Obesity Effectively?

We spend millions of pesos every year on diets and weight control paraphernalia, yet the results are dismal. For many, permanent,successful weight control is more difficult to achieve than victory over drugs, tobacco or alcohol. Being fat isn't healthful. Excess weight impairs health and shortens life. As little as 10 to 15 pounds of extra weight produces measurable changes that can lay the foundation for disease. And for every 10 pounds of overweight, a lifespan can be shortened by as much as a year.

People who are overweight need major revisions in thinking and attitudes. Weight control programs usually fail because they are short-term fixes for long term problems. It's time to face the reality that obesity can be serious and life threatening condition.

Managing obesity is much more than a dietary problem. Like diabetes, hypertension, alcoholism or smoking, obesity requires a comprehensive approach to lifestyle changes.

First, you have to have a long term commitment, a lifelong commitment that does not change when binges or other serious lapses occur. With this kind of commitment, you can get up when you fall, start again, and persevere.

Second, you need to identify and change habits that cause obesity. This may be as simple as eliminating soft drinks or cutting back on fats and oils. Or it may require you to completely restructure your eating patterns and lifestyle.

Third, attitudes often need radical surgery. Willingness to change is critically important. Read books, attend seminars, join fitness groups, and make friends with health minded people. Weight control is not a vanity trip. Keep the focus on improved health, and the weight will take care of itself.

Finally, look for a weight control plan that's consistent with a lifetime of good health. This will include regular exercise, a low fat, high fiber diet, and a physical, mental, and psychological outlook that meets your needs in every area of life . Weight control should be only part of a full and fulfilling life not its main preoccupation. Put your heart into it and keep it there.