Daily HealthBeat Tip

Successful losers

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Eat less, exercise more, and watch the extra weight melt away. Nothing to it, right?

Well, we all know better. Sometimes, the weight does fall. Too often, it sticks around – or even increases.

So what can we do to give ourselves the best chance of making a weight-loss attempt succeed? Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at survey data on losers and non-losers. Their findings are in the International Journal of Behavior, Nutrition and Physical Activity.

The CDC’s Judy Kruger says exercise was a hallmark of a successful loser:

"Those successful at maintaining weight loss were more likely to exercise 30 minutes a day and to add physical activity to their daily life than those not successful at weight loss." (11 seconds)

Checking weight regularly and watching what you eat – including fat and calories – helped, too.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: October 10, 2006

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