StrokeSense : You Can Help Yourself

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Being overweight (20 percent over normal weight guidelines for your frame and height) can increase your risk for stroke, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other medical problems. Being obese (more than 30 percent above healthy body weight) can double your risk for stroke. For more information, visit the Web site of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders at http://www.niddk.nih.gov.

You Can Achieve a Healthy Weight

If you're overweight, work with your physician to develop a weight-reduction plan. Studies show that "diets" don't work; controlling what you eat is only part of the challenge. To take the weight off (and keep it off), you need to make permanent lifestyle changes.

By exercising daily and eating healthy, you can maintain long-term weight loss. The key to daily exercise for weight management is increasing the total time you spend being active during the day to at least 30 minutes every day.

Your attitude is the most important factor. To achieve long-term weight loss, you must be willing to make permanent behavioral changes.

Medical Nutrition Therapy

To help you develop a weight-reduction or weight-management plan, your physician may recommend that you consult with a registered dietician (RD). The RD can help you and your family understand why eating particular foods is crucial to good health and how you can follow a sensible diet and exercise regimen to achieve a healthy weight. The RD understands that these changes take time, so he or she may develop a gradual plan for changing how you eat.

The goals of medical nutrition therapy are:

• To help you separate food- and weight-related behaviors from psychological issues
• To develop an action plan for changing how you eat
• To create a lifelong sensible diet and exercise program for maintaining a healthy weight
• To help you use support and referral sources to stay on track
• To provide information on specific nutritional recommendations for such medical conditions as stroke, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

Getting the Support You Need

To keep your weight-management plan on track, support is crucial. Here's a list of support groups, Web sites, and other sources:

• Overeaters Anonymous, a national self-help group based on the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-Step Program, offers local support groups. For more information, visit http://www.overeatersanonymous.org.
• For healthy meal planning, menus, and other tips, visit the American Heart Association at http://www.americanheart.org.
• Inquire at your local hospital. Many offer weight-management support groups.

References

1. "Aim for a Healthy Weight," NHLBI, 2002.
2. "Outcomes Demonstrate MNT Cost-Effectiveness," American Dietetic Association, 2002.

Source of Material: RockHill Communications, 14 Rock Hill Road Bala, Cynwyd, PA 19004, (610) 667-2040,
Writer: Christine Norris
Editors: Erin Murphy, Andrea King, Joanne Poeggel, Ron Wozny
Clinical Reviewer: Patt Panzer, M.D.
Date Written: 4/30/01
Last Revised: 4/3/03