Overweight, Obesity, and Weight Loss

FAQ > Obesity and Weight Loss

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• How many women in the United States are overweight or obese?
• How do I know if I’m overweight or obese?
• What causes someone to become overweight or obese?
• What are the health effects of being overweight or obese?
• What is the best way for me to lose weight?
• How can I make healthier food choices?
• How can physical activity help?
• What medicines are approved for long-term treatment of obesity?
• What surgical options are used to treat obesity?
• Is liposuction a treatment for obesity?
• I’m concerned about my children’s eating and physical activity levels. How can I help improve their habits?
• For More Information

See also . . .

• Heart Healthy Eating

How many women in the United States are overweight or obese?

Over 60 percent of U.S. adult women are overweight, according to 2007 estimates from the National Center for Health Statistics of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Just over one-third of overweight adult women are obese.

How do I know if I’m overweight or obese?

Find out your body mass index (BMI). BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. People with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight. People with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese.

What causes someone to become overweight or obese?

You can become overweight or obese when you eat more calories (KAL-oh-rees) than you use. A calorie is a unit of energy in the food you eat. Your body needs this energy to function and to be active. But if you take in more energy than your body uses, you will gain weight.

Many factors can play a role in becoming overweight or obese. These factors include:

• behaviors, such as eating too many calories or not getting enough physical activity
• environment and culture
• genes

Overweight and obesity problems keep getting worse in the United States. Some cultural reasons for this include:

• bigger portion sizes
• little time to exercise or cook healthy meals
• using cars to get places instead of walking

What are the health effects of being overweight or obese?

Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of:

• heart disease
• stroke
• type 2 diabetes
• high blood pressure
• breathing problems
• arthritis
• gallbladder disease
• some kinds of cancer

But excess body weight isn't the only health risk. The places where you store your body fat also affect your health. Women with a "pear" shape tend to store fat in their hips and buttocks. Women with an "apple" shape store fat around their waists. If your waist is more than 35 inches, you may have a higher risk of weight-related health problems.

What is the best way for me to lose weight?

The best way to lose weight is to use more calories than you take in. You can do this by following a healthy eating plan and being more active. Before you start a weight-loss program, talk to your doctor.

Safe weight-loss programs that work well:

• set a goal of slow and steady weight loss—1 to 2 pounds per week
• offer low-calorie eating plans with a wide range of healthy foods
• encourage you to be more physically active
• teach you about healthy eating and physical activity
• adapt to your likes and dislikes and cultural background
• help you keep weight off after you lose it

How can I make healthier food choices?

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) offer tips for healthy eating in Dietary Guidelines for All Americans.

• Focus on fruits. Eat a variety of fruits—fresh, frozen, canned, or dried—rather than fruit juice for most of your fruit choices. For a 2,000-calorie diet, you will need 2 cups of fruit each day. An example of 2 cups is 1 small banana, 1 large orange, and 1/4 cup of dried apricots or peaches.

• Vary your veggies. Eat more:
  • dark green veggies, such as broccoli, kale, and other dark leafy greens
  • orange veggies, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and winter squash
  • beans and peas, such as pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, garbanzo beans, split peas, and lentils
• Get your calcium-rich foods. Each day, drink 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk. Or, you can get an equivalent amount of low-fat yogurt and/or low-fat cheese each day. 1.5 ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk. If you don't or can't consume milk, choose lactose-free milk products and/or calcium-fortified foods and drinks.

• Make half your grains whole. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta each day. One ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta. Look to see that grains such as wheat, rice, oats, or corn are referred to as "whole" in the list of ingredients.

• Go lean with protein. Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil it, or grill it. Vary your protein choices with more fish, beans, peas, nuts, and seeds.

• Limit saturated fats. Get less than 10 percent of your calories from saturated fatty acids. Most fats should come from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts, and vegetable oils. When choosing and preparing meat, poultry, dry beans, and milk or milk products, make choices that are lean, low-fat, or fat-free.

• Limit salt. Get less than 2,300 mg of sodium (about 1 teaspoon of salt) each day.

How can physical activity help?

An active lifestyle helps all women. You don't have to be as fit as an athlete to benefit from physical activity. In fact, 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days of the week can greatly improve your health. Moderate activities include:

• walking
• biking at a leisure pace
• working in your yard
• playing with your children

Doing more vigorous activities or being active for a longer time can improve your health even more. Vigorous activities include:

• jogging or running
• biking fast or uphill
• swimming laps
• skiing or skating

To prevent weight gain, aim for 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity on most days and make sure you don't take in too many calories. You don't have to be active for 60 minutes at a time. You can be active for shorter periods during the day. Before you engage in vigorous activity, talk with your doctor if you:

• are age 50 or older
• have any ongoing health problems
• are at risk for health problems

Your regular activities should include:

• moderate or vigorous activity 
• stretching to make you more flexible
• resistance exercises to make you stronger

Being more active lowers your risk of getting:

• heart disease
• stroke
• high blood pressure
• colon cancer
• diabetes

Being active also:

• lowers your high blood pressure
• helps keep your bones, muscles, and joints healthy
• reduces anxiety and depression and improves your mood
• helps you handle stress
• helps control your weight
• protects against falling and bone fractures in older adults
• may help protect against breast cancer
• helps control joint swelling and pain from arthritis
• gives you more energy
• helps you sleep better

What drugs are approved for long-term treatment of obesity?

The Food and Drug Administration has approved two medicines for long-term treatment of obesity:

• Sibutramine (si-BYOO-tra-meen) suppresses your appetite.
• Orlistat (OR-li-stat) keeps your body from absorbing fat from the food you eat.

These medicines are for people who:

• have a BMI of 30 or higher
• have a BMI of 27 or higher and weight-related health problems or health risks

If you take these medicines, you will need to follow a healthy eating and physical activity plan at the same time.

Before taking these medicines, talk with your doctor about the benefits and the side effects.

• Sibutramine can raise your blood pressure and heart rate. You should not take this medicine if you have a history of high blood pressure, heart problems, or strokes. Other side effects include dry mouth, headache, constipation, anxiety, and trouble sleeping.

• Orlistat may cause diarrhea, cramping, gas, and leakage of oily stool. Eating a low-fat diet can help prevent these side effects. This medicine may also prevent your body from absorbing some vitamins. Talk with your doctor about whether you should take a vitamin supplement.

What surgical options are available to treat weight loss?

Weight loss surgeries—also called bariatric (bair-ee-AT-rik) surgeries—can help treat obesity. You should only consider surgical treatment for weight loss if you:

• have a BMI of 40 or higher
• have a BMI of 35 or higher and weight-related health problems
• have not had success with other weight-loss methods

Common types of weight loss surgeries are:

• Roux-en-Y (ROO-en-WEYE) gastric bypass. The surgeon uses surgical staples to create a small stomach pouch. This limits the amount of food you can eat. The pouch is attached to the middle part of the small intestine. Food bypasses the upper part of the small intestine and stomach, reducing the amount of calories and nutrients your body absorbs.

• Laparoscopic (LAP-uh-ruh-SKAWP-ik) gastric banding. A band is placed around the upper stomach to create a small pouch and narrow passage into the rest of the stomach. This limits the amount of food you can eat. The size of the band can be adjusted. A surgeon can remove the band if needed.

• Biliopancreatic (bil-ee-oh-pan-kree-at-ik) diversion (BPD) or BPD with duodenal (doo-AW-duh-nul) switch (BPD/DS). In BPD, a large part of the stomach is removed, leaving a small pouch. The pouch is connected to the last part of the small intestine, bypassing other parts of the small intestine. In BPD/DS, less of the stomach and small intestine are removed. This surgery reduces the amount of food you can eat and the amount of calories and nutrients your body absorbs from food. This surgery is used less often than other types of surgery because of the high risk of malnutrition.

If you are thinking about weight-loss surgery, talk with your doctor about changes you will need to make after the surgery. You will need to:

• follow your doctor's directions as you heal
• make lasting changes in the way you eat
• follow a healthy eating plan and be physically active
• take vitamins and minerals if needed

You should also talk to your doctor about risks and side effects of weight loss surgery. Side effects may include:

• infection
• leaking from staples
• hernia
• blood clots in the leg veins that travel to your lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• dumping syndrome, in which food moves from your stomach to your intestines too quickly
• not getting enough vitamins and minerals from food

Is liposuction a treatment for obesity?

Liposuction (LY-poh-suhk-shuhn) is not a treatment for obesity. In this procedure, a surgeon removes fat from under the skin. Liposuction can be used to reshape parts of your body. But this surgery does not promise lasting weight loss.

I'm concerned about my children's eating and physical activity levels. How can I help improve their habits?

The things children learn when they are young are hard to change as they get older. This is true for their eating and physical activity habits. Many children have a poor diet and are not very active. They may eat foods high in calories and fat and not eat enough fruits and vegetables. They also may watch TV, play video games, or use the computer instead of being active.

Kids who are overweight have a greater chance of becoming obese adults. Overweight children may develop weight-related health problems like high blood pressure and diabetes at a young age. You can find out if your child is overweight or obese by using the Body Mass Index for children and teens.

You can help your child build healthy eating and activity habits.

• Limit time spent watching TV, playing video games, and using the computer.
• Make sure your child is physically active for 1 hour each day.
• Find out about activity programs in your community.
• Ask your children what they like to do and what they’d like to try, like Little League Baseball or a swim team.
• Plan activities for the whole family – like hiking, walking, or playing ball.
• Help your children eat healthy foods.
• Have your children plan and cook healthy meals with you.
• Don’t do other things while you eat, like watch TV.
• Give your kids healthy snacks, like fruits, whole-grain crackers, and vegetables.
• Limit your trips to fast-food restaurants.
• Involve the whole family in healthy eating. Don’t single out your children by their weight.

We know children do what they see—not always what they are told. Set a good example for your children. Your kids will learn to eat right and be active by watching you. Setting a good example can mean a lifetime of good habits for you and your kids.

For more information

For more information on overweight, obesity and weight loss, please call womenshealth.gov at 1-800-994-9662 or contact the following organizations:

Steps to a HealthierUS, HHS
Phone number: (800) 336-4797
Internet address: http://www.healthierus.gov

Weight Control Information Network, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, HHS
Phone number: (877) 946-4627
Internet address: http://win.niddk.nih.gov

Food and Nutrition Information Center, USDA
Internet address: http://www.nutrition.gov

MyPyramid.gov, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Phone number: (888) 779-7264
Internet address: http://www.mypyramid.gov

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
Phone number: (202) 690-9000
Internet address: http://www.fitness.gov

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Information Center (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health, HHS
Phone number: (301) 592-8573
Internet address: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov

Food and Drug Administration (FDA), HHS
Phone number: (888) 463-6332 (consumer information)
Internet address: http://www.fda.gov

American Society of Bariatric Physicians
Phone number: 303.770.2526
Internet address: http://www.asbp.org/siterun_data/

International Food Information Council
Phone number: (202) 296-6540
Internet address: http://www.ific.org

All material contained in the FAQs is free of copyright restrictions, and may be copied, reproduced, or duplicated without permission of the Office on Women's Health in the Department of Health and Human Services; citation of the source is appreciated.

Content last updated February 1, 2005.