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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
- Basics of Weight Control (Department of Veterans Affairs) - PDF
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Choosing a Safe and Successful Weight-Loss Program
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Health Tips for Adults
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Also in Spanish
- Healthy Weight (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Latest News
- Weight Loss May Ease Psoriasis Symptoms, Study Finds (01/05/2017, HealthDay)
- Plant-Based Diets Score Big for Healthy Weight Loss (01/04/2017, HealthDay)
- Staying Trim, Strong May Cut Risk of Urinary Incontinence (12/30/2016, HealthDay)
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Keep Active this Holiday Season: Take a Walk in the Mall! (12/21/2016, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- More News on Weight Control
Diagnosis and Tests
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Assessing Your Weight and Health Risk (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Treatments and Therapies
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Bitter Orange (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
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Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss (National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements)
- PDF
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Ephedra (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
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Hoodia (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
- Over-the-Counter Weight-Loss Pills: Do They Work? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Time to Talk: 7 Things to Know about Complementary Health Practices for Weight Loss (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
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Weight Loss and Complementary Health Practices: What the Science Says (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Living With
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Daily Food and Activity Diary (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Eat More, Weigh Less? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Enjoy Your Food, but Eat Less: 10 Tips to Enjoying Your Meal (Department of Agriculture) - PDF Also in Spanish
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Just Enough for You: About Food Portions (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Also in Spanish
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Nutrition: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
- Snacks: How They Fit into Your Weight-Loss Plan (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Therapy and Weight Management (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Weight Loss: Ready to Change Your Habits? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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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)
- What It Takes to Lose Weight (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Beware of Products Promising Miracle Weight Loss (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
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Changing Your Habits: Steps to Better Health (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- PDF
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Diets: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine)
- Getting Past a Weight-Loss Plateau (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Guide to Behavior Change (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
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Guide to Physical Activity (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Metabolism and Weight Loss: How You Burn Calories (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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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
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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)
- Underweight? Add Pounds Healthfully (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Health Check Tools
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Body Weight Planner (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Calculate Your Body Mass Index (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Also in Spanish
- Calorie Counter (American Cancer Society)
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Interactive Menu Planner (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Make Your Calories Count (Food and Drug Administration)
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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)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Body Mass Index (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Weight Loss (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Weight Reduction Programs (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Reference Desk
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Definitions of Health Terms: Nutrition (National Library of Medicine)
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Glossary of Terms Related to Healthy Eating, Obesity, Physical Activity, and Weight Control (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Find an Expert
- Find a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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Weight-Control Information Network (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Children
- 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 (For Teens) (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
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Take Charge of Your Health: A Guide for Teenagers (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Also in Spanish
Men
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Keeping Active and Healthy Eating for Men (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Women
- Menopause Weight Gain: Stop the Middle Age Spread (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Stay Fit as You Mature (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Seniors
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Maintaining a Healthy Weight (National Institute on Aging)
- PDF
Also in Spanish
Patient Handouts
- 14 ways to burn more calories every day (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Body mass index (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Can you boost your metabolism? (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Diet for rapid weight loss (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Losing weight after pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Managing your weight with healthy eating (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Portion size (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Snacks for adults (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Weight loss and alcohol (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Weight-loss medications (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
