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QUESTION: I know I need to
lose weight, but how do I figure out how much I should lose?
ANSWER: There
is no hard and fast answer to how much a person should weigh in
order to be healthy. But, women need to be concerned about
weight because it can and does affect overall health. Obesity,
or being overweight, can result in premature death and can
contribute to many problems, such as heart disease, high blood
pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, breathing
problems, arthritis, and problems with pregnancy, labor and
delivery.1
The first, and best, thing to
do is to talk with your health care provider about your weight.
Together, you can talk about what a healthy weight is for you,
based on your height, build (bone size, amount of muscle) and
age.
QUESTION: If I quit
smoking, will I gain weight?
ANSWER: Not
everyone gains weight when they quit smoking. Most people who do
gain weight gain about 5 to10 pounds when they stop smoking. You
are more likely to gain weight if you have smoked for 10 to 20
years or smoked one or more packs of cigarettes a day. It helps
to remember that you can lose this weight with healthy eating
and exercise. Although the health effects of smoking are far
worse than being a few pounds overweight, you can have the best
of both worlds and be smoke free and thin. If you smoke, talk
with your health care provider about quitting. If you are
planning on quitting smoking and you need to lose weight, than
be on a weight loss program at the same time. Stay thin and be
healthy!
QUESTION: I
know a healthy diet means I should control my fat intake, but
I'm confused by all the different kinds of fats in foods! How do
I know which ones are ok and which ones to avoid?
ANSWER: There
are different kinds of fats in our foods. Some can hurt our
health, while others aren't so bad — some are even good for you!
Here's what you need to know:1
Monounsaturated fats (canola,
olive and peanut oils, and avocados) and polyunsaturated fats
(safflower, sesame, sunflower seeds, and many other nuts and
seeds) don't raise your LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels but can
raise your HDL ("good") cholesterol levels. To keep healthy, it
is best to choose foods with these fats.
Saturated fat, trans fatty
acids, and dietary cholesterol raise your LDL ("bad") blood
cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart disease. Saturated
fat is found mostly in food from animals, like beef, veal, lamb,
pork, lard, poultry fat, butter, cream, whole milk dairy
products, cheeses, and from some plants, such as tropical oils.
Tropical oils include coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils that
are found in commercial cakes, cookies, and salty snack foods.
Unlike other plant oils, these oils have a lot of saturated
fatty acids. Some processed foods (such as frozen dinners and
canned foods) can be quite high in saturated fat — it's best to
check package labels before purchasing these types of foods.
Trans fatty acids (TFAs) are
formed during the process of making cooking oils, margarine, and
shortening and are in commercially fried foods, baked goods,
cookies, and crackers. Some are naturally found in small amounts
in some animal products, such as beef, pork, lamb, and the
butterfat in butter and milk. In studies, TFAs tend to raise our
total blood cholesterol. TFAs also tend to raise LDL ("bad")
cholesterol and lower HDL ("good") cholesterol. One study found
that the four main sources of trans fatty acids in women's diets
come from margarine, meat (beef, pork, or lamb), cookies, and
white bread. At this time, TFAs are not listed on nutrition
labels, but that will soon change. Although it might take a
couple of years to begin seeing it, the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) is now asking food manufacturers to begin
labeling TFA content. And some food manufacturers are announcing
they are taking TFAs out of their food.
QUESTION: I'm
confused by all of the labels I see on foods, like "fat free"
and "low calorie." What do these terms mean?
ANSWER:
Terms like these are on many food packages. Here are some
definitions based on one serving of a food. If you eat more than
one serving, you will go over these levels of calories, fat,
cholesterol, and sodium.1
- Calorie-free: fewer than 5
calories
- Low calorie: 40 calories or
fewer
- Reduced calorie: at least
25% fewer calories than the regular food item has
- Fat free: less than ˝ gram
of fat
- Low fat: 3 grams of fat or
fewer
- Reduced fat: at least 25%
less fat than the regular food item has
- Cholesterol free: fewer than
2 milligrams cholesterol and no more than 2 grams of
saturated fat
- Low cholesterol: 20
milligrams or fewer cholesterol and 2 grams or less
saturated fat
- Sodium free: fewer than 5
milligrams sodium
- Very low sodium: fewer than
35 milligrams sodium
- Low sodium: fewer than 140
milligrams sodium High fiber: 5 grams or more fiber
QUESTION: What are the
facts about weight loss?
ANSWER: Being
obese can have serious health consequences. These include an
increased risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure,
diabetes, gallstones, and some forms of cancer. Losing weight
can help reduce these risks.5
QUESTION: Why should
older people be concerned about nutrition and their diet?
ANSWER: Nutrition remains important throughout life. Many chronic
diseases that develop late in life, such as osteoporosis, can be
influenced by earlier poor eating habits. Insufficient exercise
and calcium intake, especially during adolescence and early
adulthood, can significantly increase the risk of osteoporosis,
a disease that causes bones to become brittle and crack or
break.5
But good nutrition in the
later years still can help lessen the effects of diseases
prevalent among older Americans or improve the quality of life
in people who have such diseases. They include osteoporosis,
obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, certain cancers,
gastrointestinal problems, and chronic undernutrition.5
Studies show that a good diet
in later years helps both in reducing the risk of these diseases
and in managing the diseases' signs and symptoms. This
contributes to a higher quality of life, enabling older people
to maintain their independence by continuing to perform basic
daily activities, such as bathing, dressing and eating.5
Poor nutrition, on the other
hand, can prolong recovery from illnesses, increase the costs
and incidence of institutionalization, and lead to a poorer
quality of life.5
Sources:
1 - U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Office On Women's
Health
2 - Food and Nutrition Information Center, National Agricultural
Library/USDA
3 - NIDDK, National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney
Diseases
4 - Department of Health And Human Services, Health Information
for Teens
5 - U.S. Food And Drug Administration, Center For Food Safety
And Applied Nutrition
6 - U. S. Food and Drug Administration FDA/FTC/NAAG Brochure
1992, The Facts About Weight Loss Products and Programs,
Presented as a Public Service by... FTC, FDA, and National
Association of Attorneys General |
QUESTION: Why am I paying
$12.95 if the samples are advertised as being free?
ANSWER: Although the samples are free, the
shipping is not. For that reason, included in your free sample
pack is a certificate good for $12.95 off the cost of your first
full ShapeWorks®
program. That offsets the cost of the shipping.
QUESTION: What are high
protein/low carbohydrate diets? Are they a healthy way to lose
weight?
ANSWER: Most of a person's calories come from
protein foods, like meat, eggs, and cheese when on a
high-protein/low carbohydrate diet. This diet has fewer calories
that come from carbohydrate foods, like breads, pasta, potatoes,
fruits, and vegetables. Two problems with this type of diet are
it: 1) can lack key nutrients found only in carbohydrates that a
person needs to be healthy; 2) allows foods high in fat, which
can raise blood cholesterol levels, increasing a person's risk
for heart disease and some cancers.1
These diets have become
popular because people often lose weight quickly. But, most of
the weight a person looses is water weight and lean muscle mass,
not fat. Water is lost because the kidneys try to get rid of the
excess waste products of protein and fat (called ketones) that
the body makes. These diets are not a healthy way to lose
weight. They overwork your kidneys, can cause dehydration,
headaches, and bad breath. You can also feel nauseous, tired,
weak, and dizzy. Health problems, like kidney stones and gout (a
painful swelling of the joints) can develop as a result of these
diets. A reduced-calorie diet that has a good balance of
carbohydrates, proteins, and fats is the safest and best way to
lose weight. You will also be more likely to keep the weight off
over time.
QUESTION: Why should I
try to have a healthy diet?
ANSWER: Having a healthy diet is one of the most important things you
can do to help your overall health. Along with physical
activity, your diet is the key factor that affects your weight.
Having a healthy weight for your height is important. Being
overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, type 2
diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, breathing problems,
arthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea (breathing problems
while sleeping), osteoarthritis, and some cancers. You can find
out if you're overweight or obese by figuring out your body mass
index (BMI). Women with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered
overweight, whereas women with a BMI of 30 or more are
considered obese. All adults (aged 18 years or older) who have a
BMI of 25 or more are considered at risk for premature death and
disability from being overweight or obese.1 These health risks
increase as the BMI rises. Your health care provider can help
you figure out your body mass, or you can use our BMI calculator
above.
Having a healthy diet is
sometimes easier said than done. It is tempting to eat less
healthy foods because they might be easier to get or prepare, or
they satisfy a craving. Between family and work or school, you
are probably balancing a hundred things at once. Taking time to
buy the ingredients for and cooking a healthy meal sometimes
falls last on your list. But you should know that it isn't hard
to make simple changes to improve your diet. And you can make
sense of the mounds of nutrition information out there. A little
learning and planning can help you find a diet to fit your
lifestyle, and maybe you can have some fun in the process!
NOTE: Our
weight management program includes recommended food guidelines
that include a wide variety of foods and partners you with a
weight management coach to help you achieve your goals.
QUESTION: How can I help
my overweight child?
ANSWER: Ask your health care provider
for brochures, booklets, or other information about healthy
eating, physical activity, and weight control. He or she may be
able to refer you to other health care professionals who work
with overweight children, such as registered dietitians,
psychologists, and exercise physiologists. Here are a few tips
to help you get started helping your child:3
Be supportive.
- Encourage healthy eating
habits.
- Encourage daily physical
activity.
- Discourage inactive
pastimes.
- Be a positive role model.
Here are some healthy snack
foods for your child to try:
- Fresh fruit
- Fruit canned in juice or
light syrup
- Small amounts of dried
fruits such as raisins, apple rings, or apricots
- Fresh vegetables such as
baby carrots, cucumber, zucchini, or tomatoes
- Reduced fat cheese or a
small amount of peanut butter on whole-wheat crackers
- Low-fat yogurt with fruit
- Graham crackers, animal
crackers, or low-fat vanilla wafers
Special Note:
Foods that are small, round, sticky, or hard to chew, such as
raisins, whole grapes, hard vegetables, hard chunks of cheese,
nuts, seeds, and popcorn can cause choking in children under age
4. You can still prepare some of these foods for young children,
for example, by cutting grapes into small pieces and cooking and
cutting up vegetables. Always watch your toddler during meals
and snacks.
Also keep this in mind... Try
not to use food as a reward when encouraging kids to eat.
Promising dessert to a child for eating vegetables, for example,
sends the message that vegetables are less valuable than
dessert. Kids learn to dislike foods they think are less
valuable.
QUESTION: What are some
of the questionable weight loss products?
ANSWER:
Beware of the following products that are touted as weight-loss
wonders:5,6
Diet patches, which are worn
on the skin, have not been proven to be safe or effective. The
FDA has seized millions of these products from manufacturers and
promoters.5,6
"Fat blockers" purport to
physically absorb fat and mechanically interfere with the fat a
person eats.5,6
"Starch blockers" promise to
block or impede starch digestion. Not only is the claim
unproven, but users have complained of nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea, and stomach pains.5,6
"Magnet" diet pills allegedly
"flush fat out of the body." The FTC has brought legal action
against several marketers of these pills.5,6
Glucomannan is advertised as
the "Weight Loss Secret That's Been in the Orient for Over 500
Years." There is little evidence supporting this plant root's
effectiveness as a weight-loss product.5,6
Some bulk producers or
fillers, such as fiber-based products, may absorb liquid and
swell in the stomach, thereby reducing hunger. Some fillers,
such as guar gum, can even prove harmful, causing obstructions
in the intestines, stomach, or esophagus. The FDA has taken
legal action against several promoters containing guar gum.5,6
Spirulina, a species of
blue-green algae, has not been proven effective for losing
weight.5,6
If you're seeking help that is
safe and effective, you'll be relieved to note that our products
are not included anywhere in the above list. We also provide a
personal weight management coach to help you achieve your
personal weight goals.5,6 |
