Health Center - Obesity
About one-third of American women 20 years of age and older are considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity is caused by multiple factors, both environmental and inherited. Learn more about this complex disorder, including risk factors and key strategies for weight loss.
Obesity Guide
Nutritional Counseling and You
For Lenore Katz, weight loss was something that only worked for other people. "I had tried every single diet," she says. "As a person who was a compulsive emotional eater, I lost weight but I always gained it back."
At 272 pounds, she was taking blood pressure medicine and a diuretic when her physician told her she might need cholesterol-lowering drugs as well. Ms. Katz decided to consult a nutritionist to get help with her weight and health. "I was very motivated," the New York woman says.
With that professional guidance, Ms. Katz began a plan to control portion size, change some of her food selections, and cut fats and salt. She and nutritionist Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, talked about her eating habits and beliefs. Ms. Katz also increased her physical activity.
