Adult Weight Management
Summary:
The health of our society depends on professionals having current, practical information on weight management, and the confidence to make effective recommendations and judgments. More than 365,000 Americans die of obesity-related diseases each year. It contributes to four of the leading causes of death in the U.S., including heart disease. The estimated total costs to society, including medical treatment, lost work days due to obesity-related illness, sales of diet products, foods and services, surpass $100 billion per year. All healthcare professionals have key roles to play in addressing the issues of weight management. While many of the basic principles of effective weight management have remained the same over the years, new information is revealed on an ongoing basis and healthcare professionals should understand and keep current with the best evidence-based treatment options for overweight and obesity.
Objectives:
- Explain how the prevalence of obesity has changed in the past 20 to 30 years
- List reasons why some Americans will never achieve and should not diet to achieve the “ideal” weight as defined by body mass index
- Define overweight and obesity using BMI
- List the health risks of obesity
- Explain the calorie balance/imbalance root cause of obesity and the many factors, including genetics, appetite and exercise/activity, that influence it
- Explain how essential exercise is to a healthy lifestyle/weight loss program
- Estimate a person’s calorie needs and discuss DRI recommended levels
- Determine the efficacy and nutritional soundness of popular weight-loss programs
- Outline the components of an effective, healthy lifestyle/weight-loss program
- Identify which clients are appropriate for medication or surgical weight-loss treatment, and discuss the current surgeries as well as their benefits and risks
