Weight Loss
Definition
To successfully lose weight, you must carry out a plan to balance your caloric intake with exercise. Ideally, dieting should be done by eating a nutritionally balanced, low-calorie diet and increasing physical activity.
Related topics:
Alternative Names
Weight loss - intentional; Dieting - fad diets; Fad dietsInformation
Although there are many programs advertised to help you lose weight, the only proven long-term and safe method is to burn more calories than you consume.
This is achieved either by reducing the caloric intake (eat less food or healthier food) or by increasing the energy expenditure (exercise more). Often, behavior modification techniques like eating smaller portions are used to help control eating habits. Once the weight is lost, these habits can be modified slightly for weight maintenance.
If you have unintentional weight loss, it can be a symptom of various medical or psychiatric disorders, or it can be due to increasing your exercise or decreasing your food intake.