Healthy Weight
Understanding
the Energy Equation
Whether you want to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, it's
important to understand the connection between the calories your body
takes in (through the foods you eat and the beverages you drink) and the
calories your body uses (through normal body functions, daily
activities, and physical activity).
Want to find out if you are at a healthy weight? Use our
Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator.
Getting
the Most Nutrition out of Your Calories
There is a right number of calories for you to eat each day. This number
depends on your age, activity level, and whether you are trying to gain,
maintain, or lose weight. You could use up the entire amount on a few
high-calorie foods, but chances are, you won’t get the full range of
vitamins and nutrients your body needs to be healthy.
Choose the most nutritionally rich foods you can from each food group each
day – those packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and other nutrients, but
lower in calories. Pick foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and
fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products more often.
For more information about food choices and appropriate calories, visit the
Dietary Guidelines for
Americans 2005 and MyPyramid.gov.
Finding Your Balance between Food and Physical Activity
Becoming a healthier you isn't just about eating healthy – it's also
about physical activity. Regular physical activity is important for your
overall health and fitness. It also helps you control body weight by
increasing the calories you expend each day.
- Be physically active, at a moderate intensity for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
- Increasing the intensity or the amount of time that you are physically active can have even greater health benefits and may be needed to control body weight. About 60 minutes a day may be needed to prevent weight gain.
- Children and teenagers should be physically active 60 minutes every day, or most every day.
Whether you want to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, it's important to understand the connection between the calories your body takes in (through the foods you eat and the beverages you drink) and the calories your body uses (through normal body functions, daily activities, and physical activity).
Calorie balance is like a scale. To remain in balance and maintain your body weight, the calories consumed (from foods) must be balanced by the calories used (in normal body functions, daily activities, and physical activity). Be sure to visit our Physical Activity for Everyone section for ideas.
For more information about calories expended in common physical activities see Table 4. Calories/Hour Expended in Common Physical Activities from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005.
Some of this information was adapted from the following source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. 6th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, January 2005. and Finding Your Way to a Healthier You: Based on Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Related Resources
Dietary Guidelines
for Americans 2005
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published jointly by the Department of
Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA),
provides advice about how good dietary habits for people aged 2 years and
older can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases.
Also available, a brochure for consumers:
Finding Your Way to a Healthier You: Based on the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans
(PDF-255K)
Eat More, Weigh Less?
Have you tried to lose weight by cutting down the amount of food you
eat? Do you end up feeling hungry and not satisfied? You can cut calories
without eating less nutritious food. The key is to eat foods that will fill
you up without eating a large amount of calories.
How to Avoid Portion Size Pitfalls to Help Manage Your Weight
Research shows that people unintentionally consume more calories when faced
with larger portions. This can mean significant excess calorie intake,
especially when eating high-calorie foods. Here are some tips to help you
avoid some common portion-size pitfalls.
How to Use Fruits and Vegetables to Help Manage
your Weight
Learn about fruits and vegetables and their role in your weight management
plan. Tips to cut calories by substituting fruits and vegetables are
included with meal-by-meal examples. You will also find snack ideas that are
100 calories or less. With these helpful tips, you will soon be on your way
to adding more fruits and vegetables into your healthy eating plan.
MyPyramid.gov
The new USDA food pyramid replaces "one size fits all" with a customizable
eating plan. Explore the new pyramid to learn about the food groups and to
find additional healthy eating tips.
Overweight and Obesity
During the past 20 years, obesity among adults has risen significantly in
the United States. The latest data from the National Center for Health
Statistics show that 30 percent of U.S. adults 20 years of age and
older—over 60 million people—are obese. This increase is not limited to
adults. The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than
tripled since 1980.
Rethink Your Drink
One way to decrease calorie intake is by decreasing the consumption of
sugar-sweetened beverages. This research brief explores the relationship
between drinking sugar-sweetened beverages and weight management, and
provides suggestion to support the availability and selection of
non-caloric beverage alternatives.
We Can! A Parent Handbook
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
We Can! stands for Ways to Enhance Children's Activity
& Nutrition. We Can! is a national education program designed for
parents and caregivers to help children 8-13 years old stay at a healthy
weight. Learn practical tips to help your family find the right balance of
eating well and being physically active to maintain a healthy weight.
Weight-control Information
Network
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK),
Weight-control Information Network (WIN)
General information, publications, and other resources on weight control,
obesity, physical activity, and related nutritional issues for the general
public, health professionals, the media, and Congress.
For additional resources, see the
Obesity and Overweight Resources.
Please note: Some of these publications are available for download only as *.pdf files. These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be viewed. Please review the information on downloading and using Acrobat Reader software.
* Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found at these links.
Page last updated: May 7, 2008
Content Source: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
