But it is never too late to alter the situation! All the evidence suggests that even slight decreases in weight can have a positive impact on health, and dramatically reduce the risk of disease and death. Tried and tested techniques for weight loss include diet and behavioural therapy, exercise, surgery and weight loss drugs.
A weight loss program should initially be a six-month program of exercise, diet therapy and behavioural therapy. Most people achieve satisfactory results from these techniques alone.
Diet therapy is simply about reducing calorie intake, maintaining an appropriate exercise regime and making the best use of energy. Obese people should discuss their diet therapy plan with their GP before beginning, as they may have health issues that need to be taken into account. The plan drawn up between the patient and doctor will usually involve some low impact (easily maintained) exercise, such as walking and swimming. Weight training and calisthenics are known to be ideal ways of reducing fatty tissue and speeding up the metabolism, and are often ideal for obese people who may struggle with cardiovascular exercise. Reducing a set number of calories from the diet is usually much more effective, and easier to maintain, than the traditional 'diet' and allows greater freedom of choice for the remainder of the calorie intake.
Behavioural therapy is the name given to the changes in behaviour which are required to maintain the weight loss program. These vary dramatically from person to person, but are those changes which are required to tackle the source of the problem – i.e. the initial cause of the overeating. For many, this includes social support, therapy, incentives and stimulus control techniques; but again, this can be discussed with a doctor and designed to suit the individual circumstances.
After six months of diet and behavioural therapy which have yielded inadequate results, weight loss drugs like phentermine may be prescribed. These drugs usually work in one of three ways: reducing the appetite, inhibiting the absorption of fat, regulating serotonin.
There are a variety of 'herbal' weight loss drugs available, but is should be noted that these drugs have not been approved by the FDA.