Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.
This week on Health Watch, we’re talking about how a registered dietitian may be able to help you. You’re not alone if you have trouble sticking to a diet for long enough to see real success. More than a third of American adults are trying to lose weight, but it’s a struggle for most of them.
Lona Sandon, a registered dietitian at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says the main cause of diet failure is trying to lose too much weight too fast. These “crash diets” usually require major changes in your eating habits, such as eliminating entire categories of foods, and they’re too difficult to stick with over the long term. As a result, many dieters get discouraged and give up. A steady loss of a pound a week from cutting calories and exercising is a more realistic goal that will lead to long-term success, and a registered dietitian can help you put together a sensible eating and exercise plan that’s tailored to your needs.
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April 2007
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