Currently, we have a major weight management challenge in America and throughout the world as overweight/obesity rates are skyrocketing. Roughly two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. This is an important health concern to address because of the many known risks of excess body fat including but not limited to:

• Impaired mental health (increased rates of depression and anxiety disorders)
• Negative cardiovascular affects (increased risk of all forms of heart disease)
• Impaired endocrine system (increased risk of diabetes)Reproductive system challenges (increased risk for females and males)
• Immune system impairment (increased risk of infections)
• Negative respiratory system affects (Increased risk of sleep apnea and asthma)
• Impaired digestive system (increased risk for digestive cancers and diseases)
• Increased risk for bone and joint challenges (increased risk for arthritis and joint issues)  

But there is good news!

We can improve and change our lifestyle and behaviors to reach and maintain a healthy weight. We need to understand that excess body weight is a risk, but we can make lifestyle changes to decrease our risk and improve and strengthen our health!

Behavior changes we can make include but are not limited to:

• Sleep Well (aim for 7-9 hours nightly)
• Move more (increase physical activity)
• Eat well (Consume more whole-food plant-based foods including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes-beans, peas, lentils)
• Pre-load with water (a few cups of water before each meal)
• Pre-load with low calorie foods (unprocessed vegetables and fruits)
• Eat slow (each meal should take roughly 15-20 minutes
• Fast after 7pm (avoid eating after dinner)
• Avoid oil, butter, margarine (avoid pure fat)
• Hydrate throughout the day (drink plenty of water)
• De-Flour your diet and limit processed foods (avoid these high calorie foods)
• Front-load your calories (Eat more earlier in the day and less later in the day)
• Time restrict your eating (eat within a 12-hour period daily)
• Weigh yourself frequently (once or twice daily – morning and evening)  

No matter where you are right now, you can improve your health by changing your lifestyle behaviors.