Weight Control

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Summary

Keeping a healthy weight is crucial. If you are underweight, overweight, or obese, you may have a higher risk of certain health problems.

About two thirds of adults in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Achieving a healthy weight can help you control your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. It might also help you prevent weight-related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and some cancers.

Eating too much or not being physically active enough will make you overweight. To maintain your weight, the calories you eat must equal the energy you burn. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat. A weight-control strategy might include

Choosing low-fat, low-calorie foods
Eating smaller portions
Drinking water instead of sugary drinks
Being physically active

Eating extra calories within a well-balanced diet can help to add weight.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

Basics of Weight Control (Department of Veterans Affairs) - PDF
Better Health and You: Tips for Adults (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
Choosing a Safe and Successful Weight-Loss Program (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Healthy Weight -- It's Not a Diet, It's a Lifestyle (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Latest News

To Keep Teens Slim, Focus on Health Not Weight (08/22/2016, HealthDay)
Half of U.S. Women Weigh Too Much Before Getting Pregnant (08/05/2016, HealthDay)
Order Lunch Early, Lose Weight Later? (08/01/2016, HealthDay)
More News on Weight Control

Diagnosis and Tests

Assessing Your Weight and Health Risk (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Treatments and Therapies

Bitter Orange (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss (National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements) - PDF
Ephedra (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Holistic Weight-Loss Strategies (American Psychological Association)
Hoodia (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Over-the-Counter Weight-Loss Pills: Do They Work? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Time to Talk: 7 Things to Know about Complementary Health Practices for Weight Loss (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

Living With

Eat More, Weigh Less? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Energy Density and Weight Loss: Feel Full on Fewer Calories (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Enjoy Your Food, but Eat Less: 10 Tips to Enjoying Your Meal (Department of Agriculture) - PDF Also in Spanish
Just Enough for You: About Food Portions (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
MedlinePlus: Nutrition (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Nutrition: Keeping a Food Diary (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Snacks: How They Fit into Your Weight-Loss Plan (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Therapy and Weight Management (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Weight Loss: Ready to Change Your Habits? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Weight-Loss and Nutrition Myths (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
Weight-Loss: Gain Control of Emotional Eating (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Related Issues

Beware of Products Promising Miracle Weight Loss (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
Dieting and Gallstones (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Selecting a Weight-Loss Program (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Stop the Cravings! (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
Top Ten Excuses Used to Overindulge -- and How to Take a Bite Out of Them (American Heart Association)

Specifics

Changing Your Habits: Steps to Better Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - PDF
Getting Past a Weight-Loss Plateau (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Guide to Behavior Change (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Guide to Physical Activity (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Handling Weight Plateaus (Department of Veterans Affairs) - PDF
Minding Your Metabolism: Can You Avoid Middle-Age Spread? (National Institutes of Health)
Prescription Weight-Loss Drugs: Can They Help You? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Proven Weight Loss Methods (Hormone Health Network) - PDF
Underweight? Add Pounds Healthfully (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Weight Loss: Choosing a Diet That's Right for You (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Health Check Tools

Body Weight Planner (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Calculate Your Body Mass Index (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
Calorie Counter (American Cancer Society)
Make Your Calories Count (Food and Drug Administration)
Portion Distortion! Do You Know How Food Portions Have Changed in 20 Years? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
SuperTracker: My Foods. My Fitness. My Health. (Department of Agriculture)

Statistics and Research

FastStats: Obesity and Overweight (National Center for Health Statistics)
Percentage of Adults with a Healthy Weight (Department of Health and Human Services)
Weight Loss and Complementary Health Practices: What the Science Says (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Body Mass Index (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Body Weight Maintenance (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Diet, Reducing (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Weight Loss (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Weight Reduction Programs (National Institutes of Health)

Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Definitions of Health Terms: Nutrition (National Library of Medicine)
Glossary of Terms Related to Healthy Eating, Obesity, Physical Activity, and Weight Control (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Metabolism and Weight Loss: How You Burn Calories (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Find an Expert

Find a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Weight-Control Information Network (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Children

Is Dieting OK for Kids? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Keeping Portions Under Control (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

5 Ways to Reach (and Maintain!) a Healthy Weight (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Emotional Eating (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
How Can I Lose Weight Safely? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Should I Gain Weight? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Take Charge of Your Health: A Guide for Teenagers (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

Men

Getting on Track: Physical Activity and Healthy Eating for Men (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Women

Fit and Fabulous As You Mature (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Menopause Weight Gain: Stop the Middle Age Spread (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)

Seniors

Maintaining a Healthy Weight (National Institute on Aging) - PDF Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

10 ways to cut 500 calories a day Also in Spanish
14 ways to burn more calories every day Also in Spanish
Body mass index Also in Spanish
Calorie count - Alcoholic beverages Also in Spanish
Calorie count - Fast food Also in Spanish
Calorie count - sodas and energy drinks Also in Spanish
Can you boost your metabolism? Also in Spanish
Diet myths and facts Also in Spanish
Diet-boosting Foods Also in Spanish
Diet-busting foods Also in Spanish
Losing weight after pregnancy Also in Spanish
Managing your weight with healthy eating Also in Spanish
Portion size Also in Spanish
Rapid weight loss Also in Spanish
Snacks for adults Also in Spanish
Weight loss and alcohol Also in Spanish
Weight-loss medications Also in Spanish