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Developing a Weight Loss Program
2004: Volume
1,
Number 2
Lauve Metcalfe,
MS, FAWHP
Lauve Metcalfe is
Director of Program Development and Community
Outreach for the University of Arizona’s Center
for Physical Activity and Nutrition.
Throughout the
last decade, obesity has risen to epidemic
levels in the U.S. Obesity reduces life
expectancy, leads to devastating and costly
health problems, and is associated with stigma
and discrimination. According to the National
Institutes of Health, more than 65 percent of
U.S. adults are considered overweight or obese.
Nearly 31 percent of adults—more than 61 million
people—meet the criteria for obesity. If the
current trend continues, the escalating rates of
obesity in the U.S. population will place an
ever growing economic burden on the nation’s
health, our healthcare system, and on small and
large employers.
A realistic solution to this growing health
problem will require more than simply asking
people to eat less and exercise more. Obesity is
a social, environmental, emotional, and physical
issue that requires a broadbased plan of attack
(multidisciplinary approach) to establish
lifestyles and workstyles that support healthier
behaviors, which will help reduce our nation’s
waistline.
The first step in creating a weight-loss
strategy is to identify available resources in
the community, national and local organizations,
and Web-based information sources. A
multidimensional model can be created to fit any
budget. The key is offering core components that
have been successful in weight-loss and
maintenance programs.
A core educational program emphasizing the
following four primary components is
recommended:
1. Increasing physical and lifestyle activity
2. Establishing healthful eating patterns
3. Creating positive social support systems
4. Understanding the mind/body connection
Physical and
Lifestyle Activity
Lifestyle activity focuses on multiple
possibilities available to increase energy
expenditure through simple lifestyle behavior
changes. Research shows we expend fewer calories
in physical activity than we did in the past
because of technologies that have made our lives
so comfortable. These include computer games,
elevators, remote controls, and drive-through
windows. Participants are encouraged to burn
approximately 1,500-2,000 calories per week
through an exercise routine.
Walking is the recommended activity, primarily
because nearly everyone can walk and it can be
done throughout the year. Pedometers can
be used to monitor daily steps with the goal of
working up to 10,000 steps per day.
Participants
should experiment with ways to increase
lifestyle activity, such as walking the dog,
taking the stairs, parking further away from the
destination, washing the car, moving furniture,
carrying groceries, and walking to a coworker’s
office instead of sending an e-mail.
Healthful Eating
This component emphasizes a non-dieting
approach to weight loss. The foundation of
this segment includes choosing appropriate
foods, drinking enough water, becoming an
educated consumer, limiting or cutting out junk
food, planning meals using a variety of foods,
developing dining-out strategies, and reducing
both fat calories and portion sizes.
Participants should be encouraged to eat 200-300
fewer calories per day than they have been
eating, emphasize fruits and vegetables, consume
less than 30 percent of calories from fat, and
minimize fast food, sugar, and salt in their
food plans.
Social Support
Social interaction helps develop positive
interpersonal relationships and skills for
dealing with psychological and emotional
barriers to weight loss. Support groups can be
organized to meet weekly for exercising, sharing
recipes, and reviewing daily challenges with the
program. There are also various online support
resources. Coaching and training skills should
be provided to maintain support and develop
active listening and group dynamic skills.
Support groups provide a safe environment for
participants to discuss their feelings including
their barriers to losing weight.
Mind-Body Connection
This program segment highlights the
interconnection of the mind and body, in
particular that thoughts can influence eating
behavior. Participants are also provided with
insights on food issues, body issues, eating
behavior, making appropriate food choices,
emotional issues about food and daily
challenges, and developing skills to live a
wellness lifestyle.
There are a
variety of social and cultural issues that
sabotage weight loss and maintenance. Five
potential barriers include:
1. Hesitation
to put self first (caregiver mentality).
Many women and men feel guilty about putting
their health priorities above their work,
family, and community commitments. Early in
weight loss programs, it’s key to encourage
participants to fuel up their own tanks first
and then take care of everyone and everything
else.
2. Unrealistic expectations. The quick
fix— taking the easy way—to weight management is
seductive. Advertisements give misleading
information and provide unrealistic outcomes
creating nationwide confusion about the
difference between a good and bad carbohydrates,
good and bad cholesterol, and good and bad fats.
Participants should be educated that healthy
weight loss constitutes one to two pounds per
week.
3. Unreasonable social norms. Our social
perception of an ideal body type is extremely
unrealistic, especially for girls and women in
today’s culture. Body image pressures that keep
men and women from liking or accepting their
bodies include demands for being youthful, thin,
fit, and sexy. A healthy weight program
emphasizes beauty in all body types and supports
each individual to reach the best fitness level
they can.
4. Family dynamics. Experiences and
skills acquired in youth have a great influence
on adult lifestyle habits and behavior.
Identifying a person’s family-accepted norms
about food, physical activity, and emotional
nurturing patterns can provide valuable insight
into reinforcing positive behavior and altering
negative adult habits.
5. Lack of skill development. Many adults
do not have the knowledge or skills they need to
modify their eating and physical activity
habits. Seeking a professional for education,
guidance, and coaching while learning new
behavior skills is essential. There are many
community health professionals available to
help, including exercise trainers, registered
dietitians, physicians, health counselors, and
chefs and local restaurants catering to
wellness.
These providers
can share a wealth of information about
preparing healthful foods, establishing new
eating behaviors, creating a physical activity
plan, finding the time to exercise, and
developing the skills to maintain emotional
balance. These skills are essential for ongoing
success. Women and men of all ages need
encouragement, education, and mentoring to
develop the necessary skills and behaviors to
tackle this growing obesity epidemic. Providing
opportunities for weight loss at home and at the
worksite leads to a healthier community. |
