Here in the United States, the matter of health and weight are inextricably tied. Health and weight go hand in hand after all, linked together with conclusive science in the field. In fact, obesity – and all of the health problems that is has been known to lead to – has even been declared to be the second leading cause of preventable death in this country, second behind smoking and smoking alone. But here in the United States, far too many of us are overweight or even obese, with BMIs (body mass indexes) that are far above the healthy levels, far above where they should be.
In fact, it’s estimated that only about one third of all adults throughout the country are considered to be at a healthy weight, meaning that more than half, a solid two thirds, are not. And of these adults that are not at a healthy weight, up to one third of them are obese. Some would even be considered to be morbidly or even super morbidly obese. And when you are obese, you are at a considerable risk of many different medical conditions, ranging from high levels of blood pressure to stroke, diabetes, heart disease, and even certain types of cancer.
But losing weight itself can be very difficult, as the fifty four percent of adults who are trying to lose weight can attest to. In fact, up to have of all people who feel unsuccessful at losing weight say this is the case at least in part because they lack the discipline to do it on their own, citing the need for a support system as one of the most important components of any given weight loss journey. And it makes sense, as losing weight often requires a great deal of lifestyle changes – lifestyle changes that are not temporary but instead must be permanent if weight loss is expected to continue and the new healthy weight to be sustainable over the course of the individual person’s life time.
For instance, healthy eating can be a challenge for many who are trying to lose weight. After all, healthy eating often requires a good deal of cooking, something that many people shy away from due to stress and time. When fast food is so readily available as it is here in the United States, it’s easier to turn away from healthy eating in favor of a more convenient option. And many people simply don’t really know all of the foods that they should be eating for weight loss and weight loss maintenance in the first place, making it difficult to get started.
If you are looking to begin a pattern of healthy eating, consulting with a professional nutritionist can certainly help. A nutritionist can help you to understand nutrition, and can formulate a personalized weight loss plan with healthy eating as the key factor for weight loss. Such weight loss programs don’t focus so much on dieting as they do on living a healthy lifestyle (including healthy eating), which is, of course, far more sustainable in the long term than a temporary diet that focuses on restriction and deprivation instead of healthy eating.
Of course, healthy eating is only one important component to weight loss and weight loss maintenance. Exercise and workouts must also be a part of living a healthy life, and many people who are looking to lose weight will choose to join a gym where they can get the motivation that they are in need of on a consistent basis. In fact, a personal trainer or personal health coach can help just about anyone to set up a workout calendar. A personal trainer can also help to teach a person how to work out in a way that is safe but also effective, as skill set that a surprisingly high number of people simply don’t have.
Losing weight can be difficult, it’s true, but it is entirely possible for just about anyone. And the effects of losing weight are immense, with a lowered risk of heart disease correlated with a loss of just five percent of your body weight, making losing weight more than worth it in the end.
