R 181330Z JAN 01 ZYW
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//M&RA//
TO MARADMIN
BT
UNCLAS
MARADMIN 037/01
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASH DC/M&RA/MRS//
SUBJ/JANUARY 2001 HEALTH PROMOTION MESSAGE//
POC/CATHERINE FICADENTI/NAF/MR/MRS/TEL:(703)784-9542/TEL:DSN 278-9542
/TEL:FAX (703)784-9542//
RMKS/1. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NATIONAL HEALTH INFORMATION CENTER
CALENDAR, THE HQMC MONTHLY HEALTH PROMOTION MESSAGE THEME FOR
JANUARY 2001 HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS "HEALTHY WEIGHT CONTROL FOR THE
MILLENIUM." WITH THE NEW YEAR UPON US AND AS NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS
ARE CITED FOR "GETTING BACK INTO SHAPE", BEFORE YOU SET YOUR CAP ON
FOLLOWING YET ANOTHER WEIGHT LOSS REGIME, CONSIDER THAT 90 PERCENT
OF DIETERS WHO LOSE WEIGHT REGAIN ALL OR PART OF IT WITHIN FIVE
YEARS. OBVIOUSLY, "DIETING" IS NOT THE ANSWER TO SLIMMING DOWN
PERMANENTLY. FIFTY FIVE PERCENT OF AMERICANS ARE OVERWEIGHT OR
OBESE TODAY COMPARED WITH THIRTY THREE PERCENT IN THE 1980'S.
AMERICANS' EXPANDING GIRTH IS NOT ONLY A COSMETIC CONCERN -- IT'S A
MAJOR HEALTH PROBLEM. OBESE PEOPLE ARE AT HIGHER RISK FOR HEART
DISEASE, DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HIGH CHOLESTEROL, AND
CERTAIN TYPES OF CANCER.
2. IN THEIR ONGOING BATTLE OF THE BULGE, AMERICANS ARE ON A
CONSTANT SEARCH FOR "MAGIC BULLETS" TO SHED EXCESS WEIGHT. BUT FAD
REGIMENS, LIKE THE CABBAGE SOUP DIET, THE NOTHING-BUT-GRAPEFRUIT
DIET, OR THE ABUNDANCE OF HIGH PROTEIN DIETS DON'T WORK BECAUSE THEY
ARE TEMPORARY MEASURES THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE AND UNHEALTHY TO
MAINTAIN. SURE, ANY DROP IN THE NUMBER OF CALORIES YOU EAT WILL
RESULT IN WEIGHT LOSS. BUT AS SOON AS YOU GO BACK TO YOUR NORMAL
EATING HABITS, THE POUNDS WILL CREEP -- OR LEAP -- BACK ON. THE
TRUTH IS THAT PERMANENT WEIGHT LOSS AND LONG TERM WEIGHT CONTROL
TAKES TIME AND REQUIRES A CHANGE IN EATING AND EXERCISE HABITS.
3. THE TERM "DIET" HAS COME TO MEAN REDUCING THE NUMBER OF DAILY
CALORIES BY CHOOSING FROM A SPECIAL OR LIMITED SELECTION OF FOOD AND
DRINK. THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF THE WORD, HOWEVER, REFERS TO WHATEVER
A PERSON USUALLY CONSUMES. IN OTHER WORDS, YOUR DAILY FARE IS YOUR
DIET. KEYS FOR HEALTHY WEIGHT CONTROL:
* WATCH YOUR CALORIC INTAKE. CALORIES ARE THE ENERGY NECESSARY
FOR LIFE, AND THE BODY BURNS A GREAT DEAL OF THEM JUST TO MAINTAIN
ITS NORMAL FUNCTIONS. CALORICALLY SPEAKING, NOT ALL FOODS ARE
CREATED EQUAL. ONE GRAM OF FAT CONTAINS 9 CALORIES, WHILE ONE GRAM
OF PROTEIN OR CARBOHYDRATE HAS ABOUT 4 CALORIES. THAT'S WHY FATTY
FOODS MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO GAIN WEIGHT. ANOTHER REASON IS
THAT FAT IS READY TO BE IMMEDIATELY STORED AS FAT BY YOUR BODY,
WHILE CARBOHYDRATES HAVE TO BE CONVERTED INTO FAT. YOU MAY HAVE ALSO
HEARD THE TERM "EMPTY CALORIES." THIS REFERS TO FOODS, SUCH AS
ALCOHOL AND SUGAR THAT PROVIDE CALORIES WITH LITTLE NUTRITIONAL
VALUE. EMPTY CALORIES ARE BEST KEPT TO A MINIMUM SINCE THEY PROVIDE
FEW OR NO VITAMINS, MINERALS, OR PROTEINS, BUT DO INCREASE YOUR
CALORIC INTAKE.
* INCREASE YOUR METABOLISM. METABOLISM IS THE METHOD BY WHICH
YOUR BODY PROCESSES FOOD INTO ENERGY AND THEN USES THAT ENERGY. IF
YOU IMAGINE THAT FOOD IS LIKE WOOD AND YOUR METABOLISM IS LIKE FIRE,
THEN CALORIES ARE THE HEAT THAT BURNING THE WOOD PRODUCES. THE
NUMBER OF CALORIES YOUR BODY NEEDS TO MAINTAIN ITS BASIC FUNCTIONS
IS KNOWN AS YOUR BASAL METABOLIC RATE (BMR). MODERATELY FIT AND
ACTIVE PEOPLE REQUIRE 30-50 PERCENT CALORIES ABOVE THEIR BMR TO
MAINTAIN THEIR CURRENT WEIGHT. THOSE WHO ARE VERY FIT AND EXERCISE
FREQUENTLY MIGHT BURN AS MUCH AS 100-200 PERCENT MORE THAN THEIR
BMR, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE TO EAT ABOUT TWO TO FOUR TIMES AS MUCH AS
THE AVERAGE PERSON JUST TO MAINTAIN THEIR WEIGHT.
* EXERCISE REGULARLY. EXERCISE IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL FOR
WEIGHT CONTROL. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF EXERCISE: AEROBIC AND
ANAEROBIC. BOTH PLAY IMPORTANT ROLES IN SHEDDING POUNDS AND
MAINTAINING A DESIRED WEIGHT. AEROBIC EXERCISE -- SUSTAINED,
RHYTHMIC MOVEMENT FOR AT LEAST 20 MINUTES -- IMPROVES THE ABILITY OF
YOUR HEART, LUNGS AND BLOOD VESSELS TO USE OXYGEN. AEROBIC EXERCISE
SPURS YOUR BODY TO BURN FAT EFFICIENTLY FOR ENERGY. THAT IS BECAUSE
OXYGEN IS AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT IN METABOLISM. ANAEROBIC
EXERCISES, SUCH AS WEIGHT LIFTING, SIT-UPS AND PUSH-UPS, IMPROVE
MUSCULAR STRENGTH. STRONGER MUSCLES WILL HELP YOU KEEP GOING LONGER
DURING YOUR AEROBIC ACTIVITIES, LOWER YOUR CHANCES OF INJURY, AND
HELP SUPPORT YOUR SKELETAL STRUCTURE. BEST OF ALL, MUSCLE TISSUE
NEEDS MORE CALORIES TO MAINTAIN ITSELF, SO THE MORE MUSCLE YOU HAVE
THE HIGHER YOUR BMR WILL BE.
* LOOSE WEIGHT IF YOU'RE OVERWEIGHT. IF YOU WANT TO LOSE
WEIGHT, YOU'LL HAVE TO TAKE IN FEWER CALORIES THAN YOU USE UP. YOU
CAN DO THIS EITHER BY CUTTING YOUR DIETARY INTAKE OR BY INCREASING
YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL. A COMBINATION OF BOTH, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON
INCREASING YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL, IS THE BEST CHOICE. WHEN CUTTING
DOWN ON CALORIES, AIM FOR THE AMOUNT NEEDED DAILY TO MAINTAIN YOUR
GOAL WEIGHT, NOT YOUR CURRENT. EXERCISING AND EATING SUFFICIENT
CALORIES WILL KEEP YOUR BODY BURNING FAT INSTEAD OF MUSCLE. FINALLY,
DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF SETTING REALISTIC GOALS.
RESEARCHERS HAVE FOUND THAT THE BODY WANTS TO MAINTAIN ITS WEIGHT;
SO DRASTIC DROPS MAKE IT HARDER TO KEEP THE POUNDS OFF. TRY LOSING
ABOUT 10 PERCENT OF YOUR BODY WEIGHT AND KEEPING IT OFF FOR A YEAR.
THEN LOSE ANOTHER 10 PERCENT, AND SO ON UNTIL YOU REACH YOUR IDEAL
WEIGHT. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS DEFINITELY DO NOT FIT INTO THE QUICK
FIX CATEGORY. BUT THINK OF HOW GREAT IT WILL BE TO PUT AN END TO THE
DEPRIVATION AND STARVATION THAT FAD DIETS REQUIRE AND HOW HEALTHY
AND SELF-CONFIDENT YOU WILL FEEL AS THE POUNDS SLOWLY -- BUT SURELY
-- MELT AWAY.
4. MCCS SEMPER FIT FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES ARE YOUR SOURCE FOR
HEALTH PROMOTION AND EDUCATION. AT THE FITNESS CENTERS, YOU WILL
FIND CERTIFIED FITNESS PROFESSIONALS THAT CAN CONDUCT A FITNESS
ASSESSMENT AND DESIGN AN INDIVIDUALIZED PROGRAM TO MEET YOUR
SPECIFIC FITNESS/WEIGHT CONTROL NEEDS.//
BT