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Home » Exercise Programs » Lifestyle change: I know what to do, I just need to do itbut how? – Harvard Health (blog)

Home Harvard Health Blog Lifestyle change: I know what to do, I just need to do itbut how? - Harvard Health Blog Posted June 23, 2017, 6:30 am

I hear this nearly every day in my primary care clinic. Many of my patients are overweight or obese, which mirrors the national trend: two out of three adults in the US are overweight or obese. Many of these folks suffer from medical issues such as low back, hip, knee, and foot pain; asthma; obstructive sleep apnea; fatty liver; type 2 diabetes; high blood pressure; high cholesterol; or depression. We know that these conditions often improve with weight loss. So, I often recommend weight loss as a first step in treatment, and the usual approach is through lifestyle change.

Lifestyle change programs for weight loss have been extensively studied, and across the board, those that incorporate diet and exercise are very effective if people can stick to the program.

And that is exactly my patients lament. They know theyre suffering, they know that weight loss can help, and they know all about diet and exercise, but many have trouble sticking to the program. Why is this, and what can I do to help?

A recent study examined what things hinder or help people to stick to a lifestyle change program. The authors scoured the research literature for high-quality studies. Whats really important about the studies included is that they did not look at actual weight loss, only at lifestyle change success or failure.

While lifestyle changes including diet and exercise can work, many people struggle to stick to a program, and its not for lack of willpower. Many factors can get in the way, but with a little work you can figure out what those are. Your doctor can help you figure out ways to overcome the barriers to healthy living. Tell your doctor whats working or not working for you. Ask about resources, possibly including life coaches, therapists, and/or nutritionists, who can help you be successful with your lifestyle change program.

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Global, regional, and national prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adults during 19802013: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. The Lancet, August 2014.

Lifestyle interventions for weight loss in adults with severe obesity: a systematic review. Clinical Obesity, October 2016.

Management of obesity. The Lancet, February 2016.

Obesity as a Risk Factor for Low Back Pain: A Meta-Analysis. Clinical Spine Surgery, November 2016.

Is body mass index associated with patellofemoral pain and patellofemoral osteoarthritis? A systematic review and meta-regression and analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, May 2017.

Obesity and the role of bariatric surgery in the surgical management of osteoarthritis of the hip and knee: a review of the literature. Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, January 2017.

Foot pain severity is associated with the ratio of visceral to subcutaneous fat mass, fat-mass index and depression in women. Rheumatology International, May 2017.

Co-morbidities in severe asthma: Clinical impact and management. Respirology, March 2017.

Bariatric Surgery or Non-Surgical Weight Loss for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea? A Systematic Review and Comparison of Meta-analyses. Obesity Surgery, July 2015.

Effect of Weight Loss, Diet, Exercise, and Bariatric Surgery on Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Clinics in Liver Disease, May 2016.

Treatment of metabolic syndrome. Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy, March 2004.

Overweight and Obesity Associated with Higher Depression Prevalence in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, April 2017.

Determinants of adherence to lifestyle intervention in adults with obesity: a systematic review. Clinical Obesity, March 2017.

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Lifestyle change: I know what to do, I just need to do itbut how? - Harvard Health (blog)

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Home » Exercise Programs » Lifestyle change: I know what to do, I just need to do itbut how? – Harvard Health (blog)