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Weight management involves all the steps a person takes to maintain a healthy weight. Each individual has an optimal weight that falls into a statistical range that is likely to promote good health. People who fall outside this range are at increased risk for disease and other ailments.

A person’s weight depends on several factors. These include how much food a person eats and the type of food consumed, and whether or not they engage in regular physical activity. A person’s age, gender, behaviors and health status influence weight. Genetic factors also play a large role, helping to determine a person’s height, size and shape of body frame. Finally, the rate at which a person’s body burns calories (metabolic rate) and a person’s overall body composition (e.g., how much muscle they have in relation to body fat) plays a significant role in managing an individual’s overall weight.

Diet and exercise are the chief controllable factors that influence a person’s weight. Many Americans eat too much. The result is often overweight or obesity. According to the Institutes of Medicine (IOM), overweight is defined as an excess of body weight, which can include bone, muscle or fat. Obesity, on the other hand, is defined as an excess of body fat. Obesity is also associated with high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. An estimated 65 percent of adults in the United States are either overweight or obese, according to data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The problem of an overweight population is not unique to the United States. For example, experts in the United Kingdom recently warned that the growing epidemic of obesity there threatens to eventually bankrupt the public health system.

Overweight and obesity are known risk factors for the following:

• Type 2 diabetes
  
  
• Heart disease
  
  
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
  
  
• Gallbladder disease, gallstones
  
  
• Osteoarthritis (joint disorder due to the degeneration of the cartilage and bone)
  
  
• Sleep apnea and other breathing problems
  
  
• Several types of cancer
  
  
• Gout (joint disease caused by high levels of uric acid in the blood)

Extra weight places strain on the entire body, including the muscles, joints, lungs, heart and other organs. This causes organs and joints to work harder throughout the day. Excess weight also hinders physical activity, leading to increasing inactivity that causes muscle loss and additional weight gain.

Excess weight gain also can take an emotional toll on people and may contribute to a negative body image, poor self-esteem or social isolation.

Some people in America also are underweight, although this condition is much less common than overweight and obesity. In some cases underweight is the result of an eating disorder, and the person will require medical attention and treatment. In other cases, factors can conspire to suppress a person’s appetite. These include illness, pain, fatigue, depression, stress, medication or disease.

There are many benefits to achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight. Losing even a small amount of excess weight may improve many of the physical problems and health risks associated with overweight and obesity. For example, an obese person who loses just 5 percent to 15 percent of body weight can lower their blood pressure, total blood cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels. Weight loss can also improve blood sugar control and contribute to a positive body image and improved self-esteem.

Healthy living and healthy eating are lifelong choices. They should not be thought of as a series of temporary fixes or short-term goals discarded after the initial weight is lost. When trying to lose weight, it is important to design a long-term eating and living plan that will help maintain a healthy lifestyle. Throughout this process, small changes can help build upon these goals.

Generally, experts recommend a diet that is lower in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol to manage weight. However, some fat is important to good health, so people are encouraged to consume moderate levels of unsaturated fats. A healthy diet should also be rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, low-fat dairy products and other healthy foods.