Life Science log

(Ivanhoe Newswire) - Only about one in every six Americans who have ever been overweight or obese loses weight and maintains that loss, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.Two-thirds of the United States adult population is overweight, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of at least 25, or obese, a BMI of at least 30. Obesity rates, which doubled between 1980 and 2004, increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. The recommendation is often to lose at least 5 to 10 percent of initial body weight with these conditions."It is important for health professionals to understand the true prevalence of long-term weight loss, as it may help to change the underlying beliefs and influence clinical practice," Jennifer Kraschnewski, M.D., was quoted as saying. "Studies have shown that physicians may not believe offering weight loss advice and counseling is a worthwhile activity in clinical practice. An awareness of our findings may encourage health professionals to pursue

"It is important for health professionals to understand the true prevalence of long-term weight loss, as it may help to change the underlying beliefs and influence clinical practice," said Jennifer Kraschnewski, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of medicine and public health sciences.
"Identifying a significant percentage of the population that is succeeding in some weight loss may be an important target population for weight maintenance programs," Kraschnewski said.