Maintaining a Healthy Weight
There
is strong pressure in our society to be model-thin, and the pursuit of this
goal is taking its toll on both the emotional and physical well-being of many
people. Billions of dollars each year
are spent on weight loss programs, but weight still remains a problem for many
people. In fact, between 95% and 98% of
dieters quickly regain any weight they have lost, sometimes with a few extra
pounds! To make matters worse, the
dieter is blamed for failing to lose the weight rather than the diet itself
being flawed.
Once it was thought that only being overweight was a risk to our health. Now we know that being underweight is also unhealthy. Even more significant is the growing evidence that diet after diet, or a cycle of gaining and losing weight repeatedly is in itself a health risk.
The
fourth guideline of Canada's Guidelines
for Healthy Eating states:
·
Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight by enjoying
regular physical activity and healthy eating
The healthy weights concept was developed out of concern for the way Canadians were dealing with body weight issues. We should shift our focus away from dieting and the so-called "ideal" weight and towards healthy eating, becoming more active, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.