Over half of people in Britain are overweight or obese, and about 1 in 4 adults is obese. Being very overweight (obese) increases the risk of developing diseases such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and some cancers. Ideally it is better to avoid becoming overweight by eating sensibly and exercising regularly and maintaining this throughout life. But problems with weight gain are common so here is some information to help you lose weight sensibly and healthily.
Your body weight is determined by the amount of energy obtained from your food compared to the amount of energy that your body is using. The surplus energy you take in from food and drink is mostly stored as fat. To lose weight, the energy you take in from food must be less than the energy you use, in other words eat less and exercise more.
There are no ‘wonder’ diets or foods which can cause weight loss. Neither can ‘wonder’ diets cause weight loss from a particular part of your body. Weight loss occurs in the areas where fat has been stored - usually on the hips and thighs in women, and around the stomach in men. Being fat around the waist (‘apple-shaped’) may be more harmful to health than having fat on the hips and thighs (‘pear-shaped’).
To see if you have a healthy weight you can use a measurement called your Body Mass Index, or BMI. This is calculated as follows:
Your weight in kilograms (kg) divided by your height in metres (m) squared
So for example, I’m 1.80m tall and weigh 74kg so I have a BMI of 22.8 (The calculation is: 74 divided by 1.8, and then the answer divided by 1.8 again).
A BMI between 18.5 and 25 is defined as healthy.
A BMI of over 25 is defined as overweight.
A BMI of over 30 is defined as obese.
A BMI of over 25 is defined as overweight.
A BMI of over 30 is defined as obese.
Sensible weight loss
You should try to lose weight gradually, about 1-2 lbs (approximately 0.5-1.0 kg) a week. This way, the weight is more likely to stay off. This rate of weight loss is based on using up 600 calories per day more than you take in. The amount of weight you lose will depend on how much weight you need to lose, how active you are and whether you are male or female.
There are some cultural pressures for people to be inappropriately slim, such as fashion and extreme interest in celebrities. Many people try to lose weight even though they may be within the normal weight range for their height or only slightly plump (which is not a risk to health). Unnecessary dieting is not advised as frequent dieting and over concern about body weight takes the enjoyment out of eating and may encourage eating disorders or an unhealthy obsession with food. Some specific diets and ‘yo-yo’ dieting and becoming underweight can all be damaging to your health. Pregnant women and children should seek medical advice before considering losing weight.
Health benefits of losing weight
Studies have shown that, when overweight, losing (and keeping off) 5-10% of your body weight can significantly reduce your risk of: heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. For example, it can:
- Lower high blood pressure
- Improve control of blood sugar levels in people with diabetes
- Reduce the risk of angina (heart condition causing chest pain)
- Improve blood cholesterol levels
- Ease lower back and joint pain
What's more, a sensible approach to weight loss means that you are more likely to keep your excess weight off for good. It is important that you maintain the healthy lifestyle changes you make. Eating a healthy balanced diet and keeping physically active will remain important even after you have reached your desired weight.
Top tips
- Decrease the amount of foods you are eating that are high in fat. Fat is the most concentrated source of energy in our diets, (9 calories per gram) and so reducing the amount you eat will reduce your energy intake. To do this, you could try cutting out fried foods and reducing the amount of cakes, biscuits and desserts you eat (but you don’t need to cut them out completely).
- You should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables (at least 5 A DAY).
- Boil, steam, grill, poach or microwave food rather than frying or roasting.
- Choose lean cuts of meat and trim off any fat. You can also opt for ‘reduced-fat’ versions of yogurt.
- Switch to a reduced fat milk (skimmed, semi-skimmed or 1% milk) if you’ve not already done so.
- Read the nutrition information on food labels as this will help you choose foods which are lower in fat and calories.
- Base your meals on starchy foods, such as bread, rice and pasta, especially those which are high in dietary fibre, such as wholemeal bread which can help you to feel fuller (and therefore less likely to snack!). But be careful not to add fat to these foods, for example creamy sauces to pasta or butter/fat spreads to vegetables or potatoes. Restrict the amount of high energy snacks you eat such as chocolate, cakes and crisps but you don’t need to ban them completely. Banning them completely might make your diet difficult to maintain and you will be more likely to fail.
- Don’t skip meals as this will make you feel tired, over-hungry and could give you headaches. People who have more chaotic eating habits often end up eating more overall throughout the day.
- Moderate the amount of alcohol you consume. Alcohol contains calories too – these count towards your total energy intake each day. You are also more likely to over-consume on foods when you have been drinking alcohol.
- Physical activity is just as important as a healthy balanced diet when considering weight loss. You need to increase your energy output as well as decreasing your energy input.
Physical activity
Moderate intensity physical activity causes you to get warmer and breathe harder and your heart to beat faster (but you should still be able to carry on a conversation). Brisk walking and cycling are both examples of moderate intensity exercise.
Physical activity increases the amount of energy you are using, it increases your muscles (lean tissue mass), it helps to maintain your metabolic rate and maintain weight loss. Physical activity also reduces the risk of weight loss reaching a plateau level, which is often seen when people are trying to lose weight.
If you are overweight or obese, achieving a healthy weight is likely to require a greater amount of activity than the 150 minutes per week recommended above (together with dietary changes to reduce calorie intake). If you are overweight or obese, you should first aim to gradually build up to 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week. This will provide substantial health benefits even in the absence of an initial reduction in weight.
Here are some tips to increase your level physical activity:
- Find a type of physical activity you enjoy, this can be anything from walking the dog, dancing, gardening, going to the gym or playing a team sport. The more you enjoy it, the more you are likely to do.
- Enjoy physical activity with a friend and use each other for motivation.
- Try to make physical activity part of your daily routine, such as walking to work and taking the stairs instead of the lift.
- Don’t set yourself unrealistic targets; not everyone will be able to run a marathon!
Here is a guide to how much energy you can use by being physically active:
Each person will use a slightly different amount of energy for each activity, depending on their body size, age and fitness levels. These figures are for an average person weighing 60kg, and doing the activity for 30 minutes.
Last reviewed 21/12/2012. Next review due by 21/12/2015.
Physical activity | Calories used in 30 minutes |
Ironing | 69 |
Cleaning and dusting | 75 |
Walking | 99 |
Vacuum cleaning | 105 |
Golf | 129 |
Tennis (doubles) | 150 |
Brisk walking | 150 |
Mowing the lawn (using a power-mower) | 165 |
Cycling | 180 |
Aerobics | 195 |
Swimming (slow crawl) | 195 |
Tennis (singles) | 240 |
Running (10 minutes/mile) | 300 |
Running (8.5 minutes/mile) | 345 |
Running (7.5 minutes/mile) | 405 |
