Introduction
This publication is part of the Healthy Eating & Physical Activity Across Your Lifespan Series from the Weight-control Information Network (WIN). The series offers health tips for readers at various life stages, including adulthood, pregnancy, parenthood, and later life. The entire series is also available in Spanish.
How can I use this publication?
This publication is one of many handy guides from WIN that can help you and your family. This publication gives you tips on how to eat better and be more active.
Eating healthy foods and doing physical activity on a regular basis may help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. They may also help prevent some health problems.
Start taking steps now to move more and eat betterāfor yourself and your family!
Healthy Weight
More than two-thirds of American adults are considered overweight or obese. Excess weight may lead to heart disease and diabetes. Creating and following plans for healthy eating and physical activity may help you improve your health.
What is a healthy weight?
Body mass index (BMI) is one way to tell whether you are at a healthy weight, overweight, or obese. It measures your weight in relation to your height.
A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is in the healthy range. A person with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and someone with a BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese.
Go to the tip sheet to find a BMI table you can use to find your BMI score. You may also check the Additional Links section section for a link to an online tool for measuring BMI.
Another way to find out if you are at risk for health problems caused by overweight and obesity is to measure your waist. If you are a woman and your waist is more than 35 inches, or if you are a man and your waist is more than 40 inches, your risk of disease may be higher.
What are the health risks of being overweight or obese?
Extra weight may increase your risk for
type 2 diabetes
heart disease and stroke
high blood cholesterol
high blood pressure
kidney disease
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (a fat buildup in the livers of people who drink little or no alcohol)
problems with pregnancy (see box)
certain cancers
Health Risks Of Being Overweight Or Obese During Pregnancy
Extra weight can cause these health problems with pregnancy:
gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during pregnancy)
high blood pressure
increased risk for cesarean section (C-section)
Talk to your health care provider if you have concerns. You may also want to see the WIN brochure Fit for Two: Tips for Pregnancy.
Why do people become overweight?
Over time, if you eat and drink more calories than your body uses or "burns off," your body may store the extra energy, leading to weight gain. Many factors may play a part in weight gain.
The World around You
Communities, homes, and workplaces can all affect people's health decisions. Foods high in fat, added sugar, and calories are easy to find. They also often cost less than healthier choices like fruits and vegetables. Also, many people lack access to safe places where they can be physically active. On top of that, many tools and devices, like remote controls and drive-in banks, make it easy to be inactive.
Families
Overweight and obesity tend to run in families. Research shows that genes can play a role in obesity. Families also share eating habits that can affect how, when, and what we eat.
Medicine
Some medicines, such as steroids (drugs used to reduce swelling) and some drugs for depression and other psychiatric disorders, may lead to weight gain. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist about the side effects of any medicines you are taking.
Emotions
Many people eat when they are bored, sad, angry, or stressed, even when they are not hungry.
Although you may not be able to control all the factors that lead to overweight, making small changes to your eating and physical activity habits may improve your health.
Healthy Eating
Paying attention to what, when, how often, and how much you eat can be the first step to helping you eat better.
What kinds of foods should I eat?
Every 5 years the Government releases dietary guidelines that recommend what kinds of food to eat and to limit so you can have a healthy eating plan.
Eat more of these nutrient-rich foods
Nutrientsālike vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiberānourish our bodies by giving them what they need to be healthy. The guidelines advise adults to eat the following foods because they are rich in nutrients:
fruits and vegetables
whole grains, like oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, and brown rice
seafood, lean meats, poultry, and eggs
fat-free or low-fat milk and cheese, or substitutes (like soy or rice milk) that are high in vitamin D and calcium
beans, nuts, and seeds
Eat less of these foods
Some foods have many calories but few of the vitamins, minerals, or fiber your body needs. Added sugars, solid fats, and refined grains pack a lot of calories into food but do not add nutrients. The Government's dietary guidelines recommend that you limit foods such as these:
sugar-sweetened drinks and desserts
foods with butter, shortening, or other fats that are solid at room temperature
white bread, rice, and pasta that are made from refined grains
Easy Snack Ideas
low-fat or fat-free yogurt
fresh, canned, or dried fruit
sliced vegetables or baby carrots
Quick Breakfast Ideas
oatmeal with low-fat or fat-free milk or a soy-based drink, topped with walnuts and fresh or dried fruit
a slice of whole-wheat toast with a thin piece of low-fat cheese
fruit smoothie made with frozen fruit and low-fat yogurt
high-fiber, low-sugar cereal with a soy-based beverage or fat-free milk
How can I follow a healthy eating plan?
These tips may help you stay on track with your plan to eat better:
Have low-fat, low-sugar snacks on hand. Whether you are at home, at work, or on the go, healthy snacks may help to combat hunger and prevent overeating.
Select a mix of colorful vegetables each day. Choose dark leafy greens, such as spinach, kale, collards, and mustard greens, and reds and oranges such as carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, and tomatoes.
Eat breakfast every day. People who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the day.
Choose whole grains more often. Try whole-grain breads and pastas, oatmeal, brown rice, or bulgur.
Choose fresh fruit more often than fruit juice. Fruit juice has little or no fiber, the calories may be high, and many juices have added sugar.
Use fats and oils sparingly. Olive, canola, and peanut oils; avocados; nuts and seeds; olives; and fish provide heart-healthy fat as well as vitamins and minerals.
Limit foods and beverages that are high in sugar.
How much should I eat?
How much you should eat depends on your genes, sex, age, and how active you are. In general, men need more calories than women do, and younger adults need more calories than adults in midlife and older. At all ages, adults who are more physically active need to eat more calories than those who are less active.
What if I need to lose weight?
What defines a healthy weight varies from person to person. Ask your health care provider about what a healthy weight is for you.
If you are overweight or are experiencing health problems linked to overweight or obesity, ask your health care provider if a modest weight loss would be helpful. A weight loss of 5 to 7 percent of your body weight over 6 months or longer has been shown to improve health.
Use a food diary to track what you eat
To keep a food diary, write down all the food you eat in a day. Also write down the time you eat and your feelings at the time. Writing down your feelings may help you identify your eating triggers. For example, you may notice that you sometimes overeat when you are in a big group, simply because everyone around you is eating. The next time you are eating with a big group, be mindful of that trigger and try to limit how much you eat.
Ideas To Support Your Weight-Loss Efforts
Eating
Keep a food diary. To get started, see the sample food diary.
Make a shopping list and stick to it. Don't shop when you're hungry.
Don't keep many foods high in fat or sugar in your home.
Dish up smaller servings. At restaurants, eat only half your meal and take the rest home.
Eat at the table. Turn off the TV so you don't overeat.
Behavior
Be realistic about weight-loss goals. Aim for a slow, modest weight loss.
Seek support from family and friends.
Expect setbacks and forgive yourself if you regain a few pounds.
Add moderately intense or vigorous physical activity to your weight-loss plan. This kind of activity increases your heart rate and makes you break a sweat. Examples are brisk walking, swimming, and dancing.
