Professional Documents
Culture Documents
INTRODUCTION............................................1
How can I use this booklet?.......................................1
HEALTHY WEIGHT.........................................2
What is a healthy weight?..........................................2
What are the health risks of being overweight
or obese?...................................................................3
Why do people become overweight?.......................4
RESOURCES................................................ 20
Additional Reading from the Weight-control
Information Network...............................................20
Additional Resources...............................................20
Practice staying
physically active
as a family.
Introduction | 1
HEALTHY WEIGHT
More than two-thirds of American adults are
considered overweight or obese. Excess weight
may lead to heart disease and diabetes. Creating
and following plans for healthy eating and physical
activity may help you improve your health.
Healthy Weight | 3
Why do people become overweight?
Over time, if you eat and drink more calories than
your body uses or “burns off,” your body may store
the extra energy, leading to weight gain. Many
factors may play a part in weight gain.
Check out
your local
farmers market
for deals on
fruits and
vegetables.
Families
Emotions
Healthy Weight | 5
HEALTHY EATING
Paying attention to what, when, how often, and
how much you eat can be the first step to helping
you eat better.
Eat more
nutrient-rich
foods like the
ones pictured
here.
Healthy Eating | 7
Eat breakfast every day. People who eat
breakfast are less likely to overeat later in the
day.
Choose whole grains more often. Try whole-
grain breads and pastas, oatmeal, brown rice,
or bulgur.
Choose fresh fruit more often than fruit juice.
Fruit juice has little or no fiber, the calories may
be high, and many juices have added sugar.
Use fats and oils sparingly. Olive, canola, and
peanut oils; avocados; nuts and seeds; olives;
and fish provide heart-healthy fat as well as
vitamins and minerals.
Limit foods and beverages that are high in sugar.
Healthy Eating | 9
IDEAS TO SUPPORT YOUR
WEIGHT-LOSS EFFORTS
EATING
BEHAVIOR
Healthy Eating | 11
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Aerobic Activity
Aim for at least Aerobic activity uses your large muscle groups
150 minutes of (chest, legs, and back) to increase your heart rate.
aerobic activity This activity may cause you to breathe harder. You
each week. should be able to speak several words in a row
while doing aerobic exercises, but you should not
be able to have a long chat.
Choose aerobic
activities that
are fun. People
are more likely
to be active if
they like what
they are doing.
Physical Activity | 13
Activity to Strengthen Muscles
Lift weights.
Use canned food or books as weights.
Do push-ups or pull-ups.
Work with resistance bands (large rubber bands).
Do heavy gardening (digging, lifting, carrying).
Strengthen
muscles by
doing heavy
gardening.
BENEFITS OF ACTIVITY TO
STRENGTHEN MUSCLES
Physical Activity | 15
How do I get started?
You don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from
regular physical activity. Even modest amounts of
physical activity can improve your health.
Start with
easier activities,
such as walking
at a gentle pace.
Physical Activity | 17
Try these activities to add more movement to your
daily life:
Try activities
such as raking
leaves to add
more movement
to your daily
life.
Surround
yourself with
people whose
company you
enjoy.
Additional Resources
2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
http://www.health.gov/paguidelines
MyPlate, USDA
http://www.choosemyplate.gov
Resources | 21
Why should I participate in clinical trials?
Clinical trials are research studies involving people. Clinical trials look
at safe and effective new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease.
Researchers also use clinical trials to look at other aspects of care,
such as improving the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses.
To learn more about clinical trials, why they matter, and how to
participate, visit the NIH Clinical Research Trials and You website at
http://www.nih.gov/health/clinicaltrials. For information about current
studies, visit http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov.