Friday, April 25, 2008

Good News for “Losers” in the Weight Loss Game

Making healthy food choices and lifestyle changes are beneficial to your health whether you lose weight or not!

According to a 2003 study done by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, simply attempting to lose weight can lengthen your life and help prevent disease. This study tracked 6,391 overweight or obese participants for 9 years. The study concluded that, "Attempted weight loss is associated with lower all-cause mortality, independent of weight change." (Edward W. Gregg, PhD, et. al.)

On the average, Americans are gaining 2 pounds each year - that’s 20 pounds of fat each decade! According to Dr. James Hill of the University of Colorado, long-term weight loss can be as basic as "cutting back on a cookie or taking three fewer bites of a fast-food hamburger" (USA TODAY, 2003). These two simple examples shave off 100 calories a day from your diet and can lead to a 10 pound weight loss in a year rather than the typical 2 pound gain.

I know what your thinking, “only ten-pounds in a year?” At first it may not sound like much, especially when the hot new “PDQ Diet” is promising ‘10 pounds in 10 days’ (I just made that up, please don’t Google it - as of this writing it does not exist!). But consider how long it took you to put the extra weight on - it takes months and years to gain weight, not days. Don’t lose sight of the point here, which is your health and your quality of life.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail." I think it is safe to say that everyone who has dieted has failed in one way or another. If you believe it is worth trying again, you win. Typically we define success as lost pounds when we get on the scale, but as we see here, this is not always the case. Making a commitment to a healthier lifestyle is a positive step on the road to improved health. Keep up the good work of making healthy food choices - someday your children and your grandchildren will be glad you did!

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