Finding a Diet Plan That Works for You

A new website offers help in finding the right diet plan for a healthier you.

(PRWEB) February 23, 2005 -- There are many reasons for people to be following a diet. Perhaps it is a special, doctor-advised regimen meant to control or prevent certain illnesses such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Maybe a diet is required due to particular food allergies like a gluten-free diet or for people who are lactose intolerant. The option of a diet such as vegetarian or macrobiotic might simply be a personal lifestyle choice. However, most people who are dieting are doing so because they are overweight.

For access to an easy-to-use, reliable and current directory of diet resources, diet articles and dietary options please visit http://www.dietdoor.com

According to the National Institutes of Health, in 1999, almost 108 million adults in the United States were overweight or obese. Being obese or overweight substantially increases the risk of morbidity from hypertension; type 2 diabetes; coronary heart disease; stroke; gallbladder disease; osteoarthritis; sleep apnea; and breast, prostate and colon cancers.

There are lots or reasons to lose weight. To be healthier. To feel better. To look better. To have more energy. No matter what the reason, successful weight loss and healthy weight management depend on sensible goals and expectations. In fact, losing even five to 10 percent of your present weight is the kind of goal that can help improve your health.

What you weigh is the result of several factors: how much and what kind of food you eat; whether your lifestyle includes regular physical activity; whether you use food to respond to stress or loneliness; your psychological and genetic make-up; your age and health status.

Successful weight loss and weight management programs should address all of these factors. That's the reason to ignore products or plans that promise quick and easy, permanent results without permanent changes in your lifestyle. When it comes to evaluating claims for weight loss products, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends a healthy portion of skepticism. Before you spend money on programs or products that promise fast and easy results, weigh the claims carefully. They probably will not work, and the use of some products may not be safe.

Doctors, dieticians, and other health experts agree that the best way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories and increase physical activity so you burn more energy. A reasonable goal is to lose about a pound a week. For most people that means cutting about 500 calories a day and exercising regularly.

If you are looking for a sensible diet plan that will help you lose weight safely, a program to help maintain your current weight, dietary guidelines to help with chronic illnesses, or are simply curious about the hundreds of fad diets currently being discussed, please visit http://www.dietdoor.com

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