Upcoming weight management article series

Kris<swartze6@msu.edu> Swartzendruber , Michigan State University Extension -

Weight management is a challenge for many and being overweight can cause many health problems. These three articles will explore weight loss and how working towards a healthy weight can lead to better quality of life.

As a Michigan State University Extension educator, one of the most challenging health issues my participants deal with is weight management – specifically, the negative health effects related to being overweight. Being overweight can cause many health issues including high blood sugar, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. It also affects the way a person looks, feels and moves. 

There are many reasons to work towards maintaining a healthy weight. According to Living A Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions, being at a healthy weight can help us:

  • Prevent or hold off health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
  • Be more active and sleep better
  • Be able to do the things we want and need to do

So where does a person start? My next three news articles will explore the following aspects associated with weight loss:

Part 1: What is my healthy weight? Believe it or not, there is no such thing as a “perfect” weight. This article will look at how a person’s age, activity level, health, body mass index and family history of weight-related health problems all play into figuring out what their healthy weight range is and deciding how much weight they need to lose.

Part 2: Making the decision to lose weight. Losing weight is a very personal decision. Ultimately, it’s up to the person involved to change their eating habits and lifestyle in order to reach their goal of losing weight, not their friends and family. This article will provide tools to help a person get started. 

Part 3: Losing weight and keeping it off. Losing weight doesn’t have to be complicated. For most people, making small changes and losing weight slowly over time will help them successfully reach their goal of losing weight and give them a better chance of maintaining their weight. This article will provide information on how counting calories, exercising and keeping a lifestyle diary can help with the journey towards weight loss.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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