Most medical weight-loss programs first try to help you make the long-term behavioral changes necessary to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. This includes exercising regularly and eating healthy food. If you still remain seriously overweight, you and your doctor might discuss these options.
We've all heard warnings, yet many of us keep gaining weight. More than half of American adults are overweight or obese, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
obesity increases the risk for illness from 30 serious medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease and several types of cancer.
Body mass index is one important way to gauge how healthy your weight is. Another method is to look at where your fat collects. Women are more likely to have excess fat on their hips and rear, giving them a "pear" shape, says the Weight-control Information Network. Extra fat on men usually settles around the waist, producing an "apple" shape. The apple shape is more closely linked to heart disease.