Weight Loss & Diet Plans

Can You Be Fit and Fat?

Everyone Is Unique

If all this confuses you, you're not alone. New information about the relationship between diet, exercise, weight management, and overall health is continually emerging.

While the simple formula of "calories in minus calories out" is the foundation for weight management, people come in all shape and sizes. Everyone burns calories and exercises at different rates, which affects weight control. Add in genetics, and you can see how hard it is to come up with single, weight loss formula for everyone.

The thing to remember is that healthy eating and regular exercise are great for your health whether or not they lead to weight loss. And losing just a little weight can boost your health without necessarily moving your BMI into the "normal" range. Losing as little as 5%-10% of body weight is linked to improved cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels.

This is not a justification to promote excess weight, just a recognition that improving your habits -- especially eating more healthfully and getting regular exercise -- are more important than the numbers on the scale.