Another important step in maintaining vibrant and robust health is keeping your weight within the normal range. The Surgeon General's "call to action" issued on December 2001 states, "health problems resulting from being overweight and obese could reverse many of the healthy gains achieved in the U.S." listed below are some alarming statistics associated with being overweight and obese.

1) An estimated 60 to 65 percent of U.S. adults are overweight.

2) 13 to 15 percent of U.S. children are overweight.

3) Obesity among adults has doubled in recent times.

4) approximately 300,000 U.S. deaths a year are associated with obesity and overweight.

The average human body has 30 to 40 billion fat cells. Most of the extra calories derived from food that we don't need for immediate energy is stored as fat. Overweight refers to an excess of body weight in relation to height that includes all tissues, fat, bone and muscles. Being overweight does not necessarily mean increased fat. Individuals that are overweight could also be that way because of increased lean muscle eg athletes. Obesity refers specifically to an excess of body fat. It is possible to be overweight without being obese.

Body fat can be determined using BMI(Body Mass Index) - a measure of the relationship of weight to height. To determine your body mass index multiply your weight in pounds by 703, then divide the result by your height in inches, and divide that result by your height in inches a second time. See weight loss tips for more info.

A BMI of 24 or under is considered desirable, individuals with a BMI >=30 are considered obese and individuals with a BMI 25-29.9 are considered overweight.

Being obese not only makes an individual feel unattractive but puts them at extra risk for a host of ailments. As fat accumulates, it crowds the space occupied by the internal organs and this may lead to problems. Being even moderately overweight or obese will put undue stress on the back, the knees and internal organs. This may eventually exacerbate many physical problems and compromise health. Obesity increases the body's resistance to insulin giving rise to diabetes and susceptibility to infection, heart problems, high blood pressure, kidney disease and many other ailments. Recent studies put the facts in the starkest terms: the more obese you are, the sicker you may become.

Today's sedentary lifestyle coupled with an ever increasing consumption of nutritionally depleted foods laden with saturated fat and sugar has created an epidemic concern over weight and obesity, giving unsightly bulges that threaten both zippers and health.

Commonly seen, there are two shapes of obese people.

A) Pear shape, where mostly women are the victims (lower body fat).

1) Lack of knowledge - regarding good fat and bad fat. Instead of eating the right type of fats that support our health, most of us are eating the wrong type of fats which increase fat tissue in our body making us overweight or obese. It is the wrong fat and high calories that make us obese or overweight.

2) Overeating - due to stress, anxiety or boredom.

3) High intake of calories - from fried foods and sugar products.

4) Sedentary life - no exercise.

5) Crash diets - almost always are self-defeating, any swift and severe reduction in calories causes extreme slowdown in the body's metabolism. When metabolism slows down so does calorie burning, crash diets are just a Band-Aid solution.

6) Glandular malfunctions - underactive thyroid and adrenal glands.

7) Food allergies - incompatible foods disrupt metabolism and can initiate thyroid damage and cause water retention making you obese or overweight.

8) Junk food - almost all supermarkets carry these products.

9) Stress - under stress weight gain may increase because of release of cortisol. Cortisol imbalances can stimulate fat deposits in various parts of the body, resulting in weight gain.

In spite of all these factors, reducing weight and maintaining it, is not impossible. "Where there's a will there's a way".

The key word in the above quotation is will, YOU have to be the one in charge of your weight. YOU have to be in control and YOU have to be determined. If you are truly determined than you've won half the battle, there are no shortcuts.

Losing weight sensibly and safely requires a multifaceted approach that includes weight loss goals, lifestyle changes, exercise and good supplements. Traditionally there are three basic approaches to selecting supplements and herbs for weight management:

1) Diuretic herbs - these may help eliminate excess water from the body.

2) Lipotropic supplements - these may help manage cholesterol and fat.

3) Natural appetite suppressants - these may help reduce hunger cravings. 

Along with supplements and herbs, lifestyle changes and exercise are just as important to reduce increased weight and maintain ideal weight.

To lose weight, fewer calories should be consumed. Calories, the measure of the energy in your food, is the currency of weight control. In general, the calories that you consume are either burned or used to create body fat.

What should I eat? Reduce all starchy food, fried foods and sugary foods. Healthy diet is healthy weight, ban saturated fats and Trans fats(hydrogenated oils). Those who eat saturated fats weigh the most. Use good fats like olive oil or flaxseed oil fight fat with fat. Drink plenty of water: 7 to 8 glasses of water a day will keep you in good shape. Rather than drinking regular tea try Green Tea - Besides it's antioxidant properties, it helps with weight loss by boosting metabolism.

These four words sums up the most effective strategy. Exercise will help raise the body's metabolism.

Daily meditation will help alleviate stress and as a result reduce the overeating tendency associated with stress in some individuals. Interestingly, individuals that are fat due to stress which is due to the production of cortisol and who go to bed by 10 PM at which time cortisol levels fall may notice some weight reduction. While there are no magic pills, there are however, good effective supplements and herbs that help to reduce increased weight and help maintain ideal body weight.

1) Guggul

2) BladderWrack

3) Fennel

4) Fenugreek

5) Garcinia Cambogia

6) Flaxseed

Supplements And Weight Loss

1) DHEA

2) L-Carnitine

3) Choline & Inositol

4 )Chromium Picolinate

5) Lecithin

6) Pyruvate 

Specialty product

CLA

Only dedicated commitment will achieve results, there isn't a magic cure, although it may seem difficult at first, once you have established a routine and stick to it, it becomes second nature.

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