What's the Best Diet for Obese or Overweight Americans?
What Is Obesity, and Why Does it Matter?
Americans are getting fatter. Obesity rates have doubled since the 1970s, and more than 2/3rds of all Americans are overweight (Stacy). But what is obesity? Obesity doesn’t mean “fat”, nor is it synonymous with carrying more weight around than one should. The Centers for Disease Control classifies a person as overweight if his or her body mass index is between 25 and 29.9 and as obese if his or her body mass index is 30 or above.
To make it a little easier to understand, this would mean that a 5'9" American would be considered overweight if he weighed between 169-202 lbs, and would be considered obese if he weighed more than 202 lbs. Finding the best diet for obese Americans has become a national priority, because obesity drastically increases the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and stroke. (Curious about your BMI? Use this BMI calculator from the CDC). Here is what the obese (or merely overweight) need to know about diet plans.
There Is No One Best Diet For Obese Americans
A quick google search on the phrase “best diets” reveals that there are a myriad of approaches to weight loss available to the average American customer. This is partly due to the fact that Americans are willing to spend money on slimming down, but it is also partly due to a dawning realization that no two people lose weight exactly the same way.
Consider the National Weight Control Registry, a 17-year-old database created by Brown University Medical School that gathers data from Americans who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year. Some participants used group-based programs, some used go-it-alone programs, some used fad diets, and some used no recognized diet “program” at all. Dr. James Hill, PhD and Director of Colorado University’s Center for Human Nutrition, says that the one thing the Registry taught him is “there are a lot of ways to lose weight.” The key, says Dr Hill, is each individual finding a healthy, sustainable method he or she can stick to long-term. (Stacy).
How to Choose a Diet Program: Prepared Food Plans
Choosing the best diet for obese people requires that those who will be following those programs know what they want, can live with, and how much money they are willing to spend. There are basically two types of weight loss programs available: prepared food plans and tracking-based plans. JennyCraig and Nutri-System are prepared food plans. New users order specially-prepared meals through the these programs (either online, via phone, or in a retail location), meals are delivered to the door, and users simply eat what they are given. Though these programs do eventually teach users how to make their own healthy meals, beginners don’t have to spend any time agonizing over what to eat. For those who have the money to spend on specialty foods, are used to relying on TV dinners or fast food, who don’t cook often, and/or who don’t have the time or inclination to write down every bite of food, these might be good choices.
How to Choose a Diet Program: Tracking-Based Plans
Prepared-Food plans are great for those who don’t mind eating out of a box and don’t want to be bothered with figuring out what to eat. However, they may not be the best diets for obese or overweight people who relish their time in the kitchen, don’t want to give up favorite foods, like feeling in control of their own efforts, or who simply don’t have the money to invest in prepared foods. For them, there are tracking-based plans. These allow users to eat what they want, as long as they keep track of calories (or some representation thereof) and stay within a certain range. Weight Watchers is a tracking-based plan which teaches users to count “points” instead of calories (which most find easier than straight calorie-counting). However, for those who don’t like the group-based approach of Weight Watchers, or who can’t afford the $40-a-month membership, there’s SparkPeople, a free, entirely online diet program. SparkPeople relies on straight calorie counting, but offers an online database of millions of foods, as well as online calculators, to spare users from spending all day hunched over a calculator.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Defining Overweight and Obesity”. 2009. Web. 28 March 2010. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/
National Weight Control Registry. “Research Findings”. 2010. Brown Medical School. Web. 28 March 2010. https://www.nwcr.ws/Research/default.htm
Stacy, Michelle. “The New Way to Lose Weight”. Readers Digest. January 2005: n pag. Web. 28 March, 2010. https://www.rd.com/living-healthy/the-new-way-to-lose-weight/article14701-2.html
