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| Weight Loss |
Weight loss, in the context of medicine or
health or physical fitness,
is a reduction of the total body weight, due
to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or
adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely
bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective tissue.
Weight loss may refer
to the loss of total body mass in an effort to improve fitness, health, and/or
appearance.
Therapeutic weight
loss, in individuals who are overweight, can decrease the likelihood of
developing diseases such as
diabetes Overweight and
obese individuals face a greater risk of
health conditions such as type 2 diabetes,
heart disease, high blood pressure,
stroke, osteoarthritis
and certain types of
cancer. For healthy weight loss, a physician should be consulted to
develop a weight loss plan that is tailored to the individual.
Weight loss occurs
when an individual is in a state of negative energy balance. When the human body
is spending more
energy in
work and
heat than it is gaining from food or
other nutritional supplements, it will catabolise stored reserves of fat or
muscle.
Although weight loss
may involve loss of fat, muscle or fluid, weight loss for the purposes of
maintaining health should aim to lose fat while conserving muscle and fluid.
It is not uncommon
for people who are already at a medically healthy weight to intentionally lose
weight. In some cases it is with the goal of improving athletic performance or
to meet weight classifications in a sport. In other cases, the goal is to attain
a more attractively shaped body. Being
underweight is associated with health
risks. Health problems can include fighting off infection, osteoporosis,
decreased muscle strength, trouble regulating body temperature and even
increased risk of death.
Physical Activity
Dieting
Therapeutic weight loss techniques
The least intrusive weight loss methods, and those most often recommended by physicians, are adjustments to eating patterns and increased physical exercise. Usually, health professionals will recommend that their overweight patients combine a reduction of the caloriccontent of the diet with an increase in physical activity.
Other methods of losing weight include use of drugs and supplements that decrease appetite, block fat absorption, or reduce stomach volume. Surgery is another method. Bariatric surgery artificially reduces the size of the stomach, limiting the intake of food energy. Some of these treatments may have serious side-effects.
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