Why weight management really matters
If you have an unhealthy weight, you may have more fatty tissue, which can make your cells more resistant to insulin – a risk factor for diabetes. And your diabetes risk is increased if you have too much abdominal fat.
Managing your weight also has other benefits like reducing your risk of death from heart disease and some forms of cancer.
Choose a safe and realistic weight management program
When it comes to achieving a healthy weight, remember that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Each person has their own unique situation and different goals that they’d like to meet.
Working with individuals in your health care team, such as your doctor and a registered dietician, will help you to achieve your goals both safely and effectively, while taking into account your personal needs and preferences.
Safe and realistic weight management plans will:
- incorporate exercise: Burning energy through exercise can help you achieve a healthy weight. Regular physical activity can also lower your risk of developing long-term medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. It’s recommended to do at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercises (e.g., running or swimming) each week, as well as doing resistance exercises (e.g., exercise bands, weights) 2 to 3 times per week.
- have you play an active role in defining your treatment plan: An effective weight management program will look different for you than for someone else. Since weight management programs need to be sustainable, it’s important to work with your health care team to develop a plan that is feasible over time for your lifestyle situation.
- help you to eat healthy: studies show that diets that only focus on reducing your caloric intake don’t lead to sustainable weight changes. An effective weight management program should help you to understand what healthy eating is, how to get a variety of healthy foods each day, and how to develop a healthy relationship with food and eating.
- get you motivated and build confidence: setbacks and challenges are a normal part of many weight management journeys. A healthy weight management program will help you to understand the setbacks that you run into, develop confidence to overcome them, and keep you motivated.
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