Weight Loss Strategies Not Hitting Home With Americans
Oct. 12, 1999 (Atlanta) -- More than two-thirds of American adults are trying to lose weight or maintain their current weight, but their strategy for weight control is probably ineffective, according to a study published in the Oct. 13 issue of the The Journal of the American Medical Association.
The study found that few Americans were combining recommended caloric reduction with a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity per week to lose weight. Instead, researchers found that most people concentrated on reducing the amount of fat in their diets, which is a common misconception of proper dieting.
"We know that a diet strict on calories leads to weight loss. Reducing fat is healthy, but for weight loss, it doesn't matter if you eat chocolate chip cookies or steak all day, what's important is reducing the overall calories to what your body needs to produce energy," says Ronna Bakst, who is a clinical dietician at the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C. Bakst reviewed the study for WebMD.
The study's results were based on a telephone survey of 107,804 adults. Conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it shows that 64% of men and 78% of women were either trying to lose weight or to maintain their current weight through diet and exercise.
But the survey found that only about 20% of men and women were combining reduction of dietary calories and fat with moderate exercise. Researchers specifically found that fewer people were approaching weight control by combining just caloric reduction and exercise. Less than half of all men and women were exercising at recommended levels.
"The research didn't tell us whether people don't know about effective means or knew about them but were unable to reach the goals," the study's lead author, Mary K. Serdula, MD, MPH, tells WebMD. Serdula is an epidemiologist with the CDC's Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity.
Last June, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published the nation's first federal physician guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of overweight or obese populations. In addition to focusing on caloric reduction and exercise, the guidelines cover goals for weight loss that precede considerations for prescription drug use or surgery.
Weight Loss Strategies Not Hitting Home With Americans
The study found that few Americans were combining recommended caloric reduction with a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity per week to lose weight. Instead, researchers found that most people concentrated on reducing the amount of fat in their diets, which is a common misconception of proper dieting.
"We know that a diet strict on calories leads to weight loss. Reducing fat is healthy, but for weight loss, it doesn't matter if you eat chocolate chip cookies or steak all day, what's important is reducing the overall calories to what your body needs to produce energy," says Ronna Bakst, who is a clinical dietician at the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C. Bakst reviewed the study for WebMD.
The study's results were based on a telephone survey of 107,804 adults. Conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it shows that 64% of men and 78% of women were either trying to lose weight or to maintain their current weight through diet and exercise.
But the survey found that only about 20% of men and women were combining reduction of dietary calories and fat with moderate exercise. Researchers specifically found that fewer people were approaching weight control by combining just caloric reduction and exercise. Less than half of all men and women were exercising at recommended levels.
"The research didn't tell us whether people don't know about effective means or knew about them but were unable to reach the goals," the study's lead author, Mary K. Serdula, MD, MPH, tells WebMD. Serdula is an epidemiologist with the CDC's Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity.
Last June, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published the nation's first federal physician guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of overweight or obese populations. In addition to focusing on caloric reduction and exercise, the guidelines cover goals for weight loss that precede considerations for prescription drug use or surgery.