health

Preventing obesity must always be the goal because mostobese people find it difficult to maintain any weight lossthey have managed to achieve. All health professionals must be aware of the dangers of obesity and encourage children, young as well as older adults, from gaining too much weight. A small gain each year over a long period produces an obese individual for whom treatment is difficult. Public health policies should consider creation of public places to encourage physical activity and fitness, education about the benefits of losing weight or not gaining it through healthy eating and physical activity, and changes in food composition (alternatives to high-fat, high-energy-dense foods).
The present obesity epidemic has resulted from lifestyle changes, and so it is appropriate to promote lifestyle changes, not only as the first line therapy for most overweight and obese individuals, but also in the prevention of overweight and obesity. Lifestyle modification would involve changes in the amount of time watching television and using computers, use of bicycle paths, dietary changes, and educational activities of patients and public, parents and children. All the specific therapies discussed above, including pharmacotherapy, should be part of a package that involves lifestyle modification.