Does your weight loss attitude need adjustment?

At any given time, tens of millions of people are on some sort of a diet. Weight loss programs and products are relentlessly advertised on every virtual and physical corner. And yet more people are overweight than ever before. Depending on the source, anywhere between 55 and 65 percent of Americans are overweight and up to a third are obese. The numbers are lower in most other countries but the trends are the same.

Is there something wrong with the way we go about weight loss? Oftentimes, there is. We tend to base our weight loss goals and actions on wishful thinking not science. We don't choose methods that are scientifically proven to work effectively but rather those that promise quick and effortless results without side effects.

A pill or therapy yielding a sure-fire, quick, easy and safe weight loss may someday be invented. But that day is not today, and probably not tomorrow. Until then, you need a comprehensive lifestyle adjustment based on science and common sense. Doing nothing while waiting for a scientific miracle may jeopardize your present and future health. Impulsively trying out quick fixes is likely to result in eventual weight gain rather than weight loss.

Hence, before embarking on a weight loss program, you should first check if you have the right attitude for long-term success. This includes the following basic understanding:

• You can have a variety of personal reasons to want to lose weight: upcoming beach vacation, class reunion, dating success and so forth. You should leverage whatever motivation you have. However, reasons like these tend to motivate short-term weight loss solutions, such as crash diets. To achieve health benefits of weigh control, both your weight loss and your motivation has to be sustainable over the long haul. Hence, the best motivation to lose excess weight is the desire to preserve and/or improve you health. Remember that excess weight increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and others. There is also evidence that reducing consumption of calories may extend life.
• Long-term success requires developing permanent life-long habits and routines conducive to weight loss and maintenance.
• There is no magic pill and it is unlikely to emerge any time soon. Weigh loss medications and/or supplements may occasionally be helpful but cannot replace nutritional and lifestyle measures.
• Bariatric surgery (a.k.a. weight reduction surgery) is not a viable option unless you are severely obese. Don't think of it as a backup plan.