If only it was as easy to banish hunger by rubbing the belly as it is to masturbate.

Diogenes the Cynic

Learn obesity

Obesity is defined as having an abnormal increase of body fat which is also called adipose tissue mass. An obese person is 20 percent or more above desirable weight. In the last decade obesity has been on the rise in both women and men.

Research points to differences in appetite control and energy expenditure. It is important for obese people not to hold themselves responsible for their condition.

Many people are tempted by ads that use celebrities to tout liquid fasting diets for weight loss. Ads claim quick and easy weight loss with use of such products. Very obese patients may be referred to these types of diets. Their diets are carefully supervised by their healthcare provider.

Proper use of these diets requires close monitoring and follow-up. To promote lasting weight loss, lifestyle changes must be made by the dieter while on the fast.

During the holidays or when celebrating, many of us have overeaten. But some people have problems controlling their appetite and end up eating non-stop until eating is interrupted.

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that is estimated to be present in up to 5 percent of teenage and young adult women. It is characterized by binge eating followed by purging and other behaviors such as vomiting. Laxatives, diet pills, water pills, exercise or fasting may also be used.

Binge eating is like bulimia, but does not include purging behaviors. A diagnosis of binge-eating disorder is made when a person binges an average of two days per week over a six month period.

The following guidelines have been developed that may help control binge eating: - Eat only at established meal times. - Avoid keeping foods around that may trigger bingeing. - Avoid fad or very restrictive diets. - Keep a food diary and log to assess what prompted the binge.

Binge eating can be difficult to control because many people turn to food as a way of dealing with their feelings. Keeping a food diary can be beneficial in identifying specifically what feelings are likely to trigger binge eating as well as what types of foods are consumed during a binge. Strategies can then be employed to reduce the urge to binge when the impulse strikes.

Overweight or overfat?

Many people are motivated to diet by wanting to be thin and attractive like the models we see everywhere - on TV and in magazines. What is far more important is that a leaner body reduces the risk for certain diseases.

Knowing your body composition can help you design a fitness program to build more fat-burning muscle. Resolving to change your body composition and not simply to lose weight, can improve your overall health.

Height and weight tables are generally used to determine how person's weight compares to a standard. However, weight in these tables is an overall measure of all components of the body. Individuals may differ in muscle, frame size and percentage of body fat. The waist to hip ratio of body composition assessment provides information on where the majority of body fat is located.

Appetite suppressant medicine

Appetite suppressant medications help weight loss by diminishing appetite or increasing the feeling of being full. These medications diminish appetite by rising serotonin or catecholamine two brain chemicals that affect appetite. Appetite suppressant medications are used with a course of behavioral treatment and dietary counseling, designed to help you make long-term changes in your diet and physical activity.

The most recent drug in the fight against obesity is Xenical. A new class of non-systemic anti-obesity drug called lipase inhibitors which act in the gastrointestinal tract to prevent the absorption of fat by about 30 percent. Drugs in this class do not achieve their effect through brain chemistry or central nervous system stimulation. In other words, Xenical is not an appetite suppressant or metabolic inducer.

Maximum weight loss usually occurs within six months of starting medication treatment. Weight tends to level off or increase during the remainder of treatment. Studies suggest that if a patient does not lose at least four pounds over four weeks on a particular medication, then that medication is unlikely to help the patient achieve significant weight loss.

Most studies of appetite suppressant medications show that a patient's weight tends to level off after four to six months while still on medication treatment. While some patients and physicians may be concerned that this shows tolerance to the medications, the leveling off may mean that the medication has reached its limit of effectiveness. Based on the currently available studies, it is not clear if weight gain with continuing treatment is due to drug tolerance.

Appetite suppressant medications are not "magic bullets", or a one- shot fix. They cannot take the place of improving one's diet and becoming more physically active. The major role of medications appears to be to help a person stay on a diet and exercise plan to keep off the weight they lose.

Terms interpreting

FDA

• Food and Drug Administration: A government agency that oversees public safety in relation to drugs and medical devices. The FDA gives approval to pharmaceutical companies for commercial marketing of their products.

Fat blocker

• Drugs that block the absorption of fat or calories, and lose substantial weight.

Overweight

• Weighing more than is normal, necessary, or allowed, especially having more body weight than is considered normal or healthy for one's age or build.

Appetite

• An instinctive physical desire, especially one for food or drink. Decreased desire to eat is termed anorexia, while polyphagia (or "hyperphagia") is increased eating. Disregulation of appetite contributes to anorexia nervosa and cachexia, or oppositely, overeating.

Diabetes

• Any of several metabolic disorders marked by excessive discharge of urine and persistent thirst, especially one of the two types of diabetes mellitus.

Diet

• A regulated selection of foods, as for medical reasons or cosmetic weight loss.


• A solutions designed to reduce or suppress the appetite.

Fat

• Any of various soft, solid, or semisolid organic compounds constituting the esters of glycerol and fatty acids and their associated organic groups.

Obesity

• The condition of being obese; increased body weight caused by excessive accumulation of fat.

Stress

• A state of extreme difficulty, pressure, or strain.


• A physical and psychological response that results from being exposed to a demand or pressure.

Suppress

• To curtail or prohibit the activities of.


• To inhibit the expression of (an impulse, for example).


• To bring to an end forcibly as if by imposing a heavy weight.

Your health in your hand. Your choice - follow advice or no.