ABSTRACT
Throughout the developed world people are getting more overweight every year. In the US from 1984 to 1994, the proportion of people classified as obese increased from 12 to 20 per cent of men and from 16 to 25 per cent of women (Flegal et al., 1998). This was mainly due to lack of exercise and over-eating. Studies suggest that nearly 15-20 per cent of middle-aged Europeans are obese (Bjorntorp, 1997). Being overweight can have a cascade of negative
health consequences. Links have been demonstrated between obesity and chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, hypertension and diabetes (Tuck et al., 1981). Every year in the UK more than 260,000 people die of cardiovascular disease (diseases of the heart and blood vessels) and over 130,000 die of cancer. It has been estimated that as many 1 in 3
women and 1 in 5 men in the UK are actively trying to lose weight at any given time. In response to this trend the number of fad diets is on the increase. The UK slimming industry is now worth more than a billion pounds a year, driven by the hopes of many to find ways of losing weight. The problem is that although people who take part in
and complete a weight-loss or dieting programme typically lose about 10 per cent of their weight, most of them put the lost weight back on again. Weight loss will be the main goal of many of
your clients if you work in a mainstream health club or gym. This chapter provides advice that you can give regarding simple, scientifically validated techniques for safe and long-lasting weight loss. There will be no mention of fad diets, only a common-sense approach to eating and exercise.
