USC Health Now

When it comes to weight loss, over half of all Americans are in need of some major results. Our expert talks about why fad diets are out and comprehensive lifestyle changes are in for long-term weight loss and improved health.

by Katie Neith

A 2006 study by the Pew Research Center found that nearly 40 percent of Americans identified themselves as overweight. But according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), at least 65 percent of Americans are considered overweight or clinically obese.

Furthermore, the NCHS reports that the number of obese Americans (31 percent) has doubled in the last 25 years.

“Obesity has become a national health crisis and global epidemic. Research is consistently linking obesity with co-morbid chronic conditions and diseases,” says Katie Salles-Jordan, OTD, OTR/L, director of the Lifestyle Redesign® Weight Loss Program at the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice (www.usc.edu/otfp).

In fact, recent studies have demonstrated that obesity is linked with increased risk of acute and chronic diseases, including type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, joint problems and reduced generalized health ratings, among others.

“Obesity has been called the ‘last acceptable form of prejudice,’ resulting in reduced employment opportunities, decreased access to healthcare services and restricted social participation,” adds Jordan, who is also an instructor of clinical occupational therapy in Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, a division of the USC School of Dentistry.

Such negative consequences can have a devastating impact on individuals throughout their lives, limiting their opportunities to participate in social situations and reducing their quality of life.

However, there is hope for those striving to lose weight and gain their health. Jordan notes that numerous studies have found weight loss of as little as 5-10 percent of initial body weight can result in significant improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as other improved health outcomes.

But, she warns, while long-term, balanced weight loss has been shown to improve health conditions, short-term loss and rebounding with increased weight gain, inappropriate dieting methods or extreme weight loss may have damaging effects.

“Americans of all ages struggling with weight management need to implement successful approaches to sustainable changes in lifestyle that influence weight and produce improvements in overall health,” Jordan says.

She suggests a comprehensive approach, facilitated by occupational therapists who are specially trained healthcare professionals, to create lifestyle changes and ensure commitment.

“Through the Lifestyle Redesign Program,” Jordan says, “we address the concerns of overweight and obesity through a client-centered approach to lifestyle changes with activities that promote health.”

Structured programs focusing not just on diet and exercise, but on lifestyle change, Jordan notes, not only facilitate weight loss, but also enable clients to make changes in multiple areas of life thus improving health outcomes and maintaining long-term wellness.

“Each week we focus on a different area of weight management such as creating an active lifestyle, managing stress or making time and space for healthy eating,” Jordan says. “We strategize with our clients on how to achieve their weekly and long term goals set in the program.”

To find an occupational therapy practitioner near you, speak to your healthcare provider, or visit the consumer link of the American Occupational Therapy Association Web site at www.aota.org.

Occupational therapy programs incorporate the client’s personal preferences, circumstances and needs into a customized healthy-living regimen that takes into account any pre-existing medical conditions. These structured programs provide an alternative that contrasts with the shortcomings of time-limited visits to spas and health centers, the feelings of deprivation associated with dieting and resistance to engaging in physical activity. The effectiveness of occupational therapy programs relies on participation in a variety of health-promoting elements beyond diet and exercise.

Through education, strategies and intervention planning, occupational therapy practitioners can help their clients build habits that help them to maintain changes that influence their weight and enhance their everyday lives.

Jordan points to small changes in daily habits and routines that can significantly affect health and well-being and may also help combat weight gain. Here are some tips to incorporate into a healthy weight loss plan:

• Eat snacks to fight stress cravings – especially in the afternoon.
• Take brief breaks throughout the day for stretching, resting your eyes and taking a few deep breaths.
• Move more – any walking, standing or even fidgeting count as calories burned
• Find healthy pleasures to substitute for caloric rewards.
• Focus your social time on those people who want encourage a healthier you.
• Recognize that there will be set-backs, so take your time and recognize small daily victories.