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Choosing a weight-loss program may
be a difficult task. You may not know what to look
for in a weight-loss program or what questions to
ask. This fact sheet can help you talk to your
health care professional about weight loss and get
the best information before choosing a program.
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Talk
With Your Health Care Professional
If your health care
provider tells you that you should lose weight and
you want to find a weight-loss program to help you,
look for one that is based on regular physical
activity and an eating plan that is balanced,
healthy, and easy to follow.
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You may want to talk with your doctor or other
health care professional about controlling your
weight before you decide on a weight-loss program.
Even if you feel uncomfortable talking about your
weight with your doctor, remember that he or she is
there to help you improve your health. Here are
some tips:
- Tell your provider that you would like to
talk about your weight. Share your concerns about
any medical conditions you have or medicines you
are taking.
- Write down your questions in advance.
- Bring pen and paper to take notes.
- Bring a friend or family member along for
support if this will make you feel more
comfortable.
- Make sure you understand what your health
care provider is saying. Ask questions if there
is something you do not understand.
- Ask for other sources of information like
brochures or websites.
- If you want more support, ask for a referral
to a registered dietitian, a support group, or a
commercial weight-loss program.
- Call your provider after your visit if you
have more questions or need help.
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| Ask Questions |
Find out as much as you can about your health needs
before joining a weight-loss program. Here are some
questions you might want to ask your health care
provider:
About Your Weight
- Do I need to lose weight? Or should I just
avoid gaining more?
- Is my weight affecting my health?
- Could my excess weight be caused by a medical
condition such as hypothyroidism or by a medicine
I am taking? (Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid
gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone, a
condition that can slow your metabolism—how
your body creates and uses energy.)
About Weight Loss
- What should my weight-loss goal be?
- How will losing weight help me?
About Nutrition and Physical Activity
- How should I change my eating habits?
- What kinds of physical activity can I
do?
- How much physical activity do I need?
About Treatment
- Should I take weight-loss medicine?
- What about weight-loss surgery?
- Could a weight-loss program help me?
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| A
Responsible and Safe Weight-loss
Program |
If your health care provider tells you that you
should lose weight and you want to find a
weight-loss program to help you, look for one that
is based on regular physical activity and an eating
plan that is balanced, healthy, and easy to follow.
Weight-loss programs should encourage healthy
behaviors that help you lose weight and that you
can stick with every day. Safe and effective
weight-loss programs should include:
- Healthy eating plans that reduce calories but
do not forbid specific foods or food groups.
- Tips to increase moderate-intensity physical
activity.
- Tips on healthy behavior changes that also
keep your cultural needs in mind.
- Slow and steady weight loss. Depending on
your starting weight, experts recommend losing
weight at a rate of 1/2 to 2 lbs per week. Weight
loss may be faster at the start of a
program.
- Medical care if you are planning to lose
weight by following a special formula diet, such
as a very low-calorie diet.
- A plan to keep the weight off after you have
lost it.
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| Get Familiar With the
Program |
Gather as much information as you can before
deciding to join a program. Professionals working
for weight-loss programs should be able to answer
the questions listed below.
What does the weight-loss program
consist of?
- Does the program offer one-on-one counseling
or group classes?
- Do you have to follow a specific meal plan or
keep food records?
- Do you have to purchase special food, drugs,
or supplements?
- Does the program help you be more physically
active, follow a specific physical activity plan,
or provide exercise instruction?
- Does the program teach you to make positive
and healthy behavior changes?
- Is the program sensitive to your lifestyle
and cultural needs?
What are the staff
qualifications?
- Who supervises the program?
- What type of weight management training,
experience, education, and certifications do the
staff have?
Does the product or program carry any
risks?
- Could the program hurt you?
- Could the recommended drugs or supplements
harm your health?
- Do participants talk with a doctor?
- Does a doctor run the program?
- Will the program’s doctors work with
your personal doctor if you have a medical
condition such as high blood presure or are
taking prescribed drugs?
How much does the program
cost?
- What is the total cost of the program?
- Are there other costs, such as weekly
attendance fees, food and supplement purchases,
etc.?
- Are there fees for a follow-up program after
you lose weight?
- Are there other fees for medical tests?
What results do participants typically
have?
- How much weight does an average participant
lose and how long does he or she keep the weight
off?
- Does the program offer publications or
materials that describe what results participants
typically have?
If you are interested in finding a weight-loss
program near you, ask your health care provider for
a referral or contact your local hospital.
For additional, general information,
contact:
Weight-control Information Network (WIN)
1 WIN Way
Bethesda, MD 20892-3665
Phone: (202) 828-1025
Toll-free number: 1-877-946-4627
FAX: (202) 828-1028
Email: WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov
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These publications from
WIN offer more information on weight-loss programs,
healthy eating, and physical
activity:
Active at Any
Size, a brochure from WIN to help very
large people become more physically active.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Publication No.
04-4352. Updated April 2004.
Better Health
and You: Tips for Adults, a brochure on
healthy eating, part of the series Healthy Eating
and Physical Activity Across Your Lifespan.
NIH Publication No. 04-4992. Updated June 2004.
Very Low-calorie
Diets, a fact sheet for health
professionals. NIH Publication No. 03-3894. January
2003.
Weight Loss for
Life, a brochure offering sensible
weight-control advice. NIH Publication No. 04-3700.
June 2004.
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| Additional Resources |
Federal Trade Commission
Consumer Response Center
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
Phone: (202) FTC-HELP (382-4357)
Toll-free number: 1-877-382-4357
Internet: www.ftc.gov/index.html
For the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
publication Weight Loss: Finding a
Weight Loss Program that Works for
You, go to www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/health/wgtloss.pdf.
For the FTC publication Weighing the
Evidence in Diet Ads, go to www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/health/evidence.htm.
International Food Information
Council Foundation
1100 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 430
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 296-6540
Internet: www.ific.org
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Weight-control Information Network
1 WIN WAY
Bethesda, MD 20892-3665
Phone: (202) 828-1025
Toll-free number: 1-877-946-4627
FAX: (202) 828-1028
Email: WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov
Internet: www.win.niddk.nih.gov
The Weight-control Information
Network (WIN) is a national information service of
the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive
and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), which is the Federal
Government’s lead agency responsible for
biomedical research on nutrition and obesity.
Authorized by Congress (Public Law 103-43), WIN
provides the general public, health professionals,
the media, and Congress with up-to-date,
science-based health information on weight control,
obesity, physical activity, and related nutritional
issues. Publications produced by WIN are reviewed
by both NIDDK scientists and outside experts. This
fact sheet was also reviewed by Susan Z. Yanovski,
M.D., Director, Obesity and Eating Disorders
Program and Co-Director, Office of Obesity
Research, NIDDK.
This publication is not copyrighted. WIN
encourages users of this fact sheet to duplicate
and distribute as many copies as desired.
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NIH Publication No. 03-3700
May 2003
Revised February 2006
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