Being overweight

Being Overweight

Weight is a difficult issue which affects people in different ways. While some people are happy with their weight, many more are not.

If you do struggle with your weight, it might be for any number of reasons - increased stress levels, difficulty controlling the amount or type of foods you eat, trouble keeping up with an exercise programme, not knowing where to start, or fear of failure after previous diets have not worked.
The risks

All these things can be difficult to overcome, however, it is important that you're aware of the health risks linked to carrying extra weight:
It increases your risk of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.

If you carry extra weight around your middle, you are at particular risk of developing coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
It can cause a whole host of other problems including sleeping difficulties and back pain, mobility and joint problems.
The good news

Losing even small amounts of weight can benefit your health. We recommend a slow and steady approach to weight loss. Losing one to two pounds (between half a kilo and one kilo) a week is the safest and most effective way to keep the pounds off for good.
When you're ready to take the plunge, our So you want to lose weight...for good booklet can help you take a good look at the way you eat and exercise and plan a route to your ideal weight. It helps you to work out your own calorie-controlled eating plan and include the right balance of all the food groups to help you meet your weight loss goal.

Tips for maintaining a healthy weight

Our approach to getting and staying healthy is simple, but effective:

Keep to a regular meal pattern.

Make sure your portion sizes aren’t too big.

Reduce your calorie (energy) intake by cutting down on food and drink that's
high in fat and / or sugar.

Include plenty of fruit and vegetables which are low in calories and full of goodness.

Follow a healthy balanced diet.

Be physically active so that you burn up calories right from the start.

http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/prevention/your-weight/being-overweight.aspx