Overweight, Obesity, and Weight Loss : Frequently Asked questions #2

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Q: How can physical activity help?
A: The new 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans state that an active lifestyle can lower your risk of early death from a variety of causes. There is strong evidence that regular physical activity can also lower your risk of:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Unhealthy cholesterol levels
• Type 2 diabetes
• Metabolic syndrome
• Colon cancer
• Breast cancer
• Falls
• Depression

Regular activity can help prevent unhealthy weight gain and also help with weight loss, when combined with lower calorie intake. If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can lower your risk for many diseases. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, breathing problems, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, sleep apnea (breathing problems while sleeping), and some cancers.

Regular physical activity can also improve your cardiorespiratory (heart, lungs, and blood vessels) and muscular fitness. For older adults, activity can improve mental function.

Physical activity may also help:

• Improve functional health for older adults
• Reduce waistline size
• Lower risk of hip fracture
• Lower risk of lung cancer
• Lower risk of endometrial cancer
• Maintain weight after weight loss
• Increase bone density
• Improve sleep quality

Health benefits are gained by doing the following each week:

• 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity
or
• 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity
or
• A combination of moderate and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity
and
• Muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days

This physical activity should be in addi-tion to your routine activities of daily living, such as cleaning or spending a few minutes walking from the parking lot to your office.

If you want to lose a substantial (more than 5 percent of body weight) amount of weight, you need a high amount of physical activity unless you also lower calorie intake. This is also the case if you are trying to keep the weight off. Many people need to do more than 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to meet weight-control goals.

Moderate Activity
During moderate-intensity activities you should notice an increase in your heart rate, but you should still be able to talk comfortably. An example of a moderate-intensity activity is walk-ing on a level surface at a brisk pace (about 3 to 4 miles per hour). Other examples include ballroom dancing, lei-surely bicycling, moderate housework, and waiting tables.

Vigorous Activity
If your heart rate increases a lot and you are breathing so hard that it is dif-ficult to carry on a conversation, you are probably doing vigorous-intensity activity. Examples of vigorous-intensity activities include jogging, bicycling fast or uphill, singles tennis, and pushing a hand mower.

Q: What drugs are approved for long-term treatment of obesity?
A: 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.