What is obesity and overweight?

Obesity means having an unhealthy amount of body fat. This puts your health in danger. Obesity can lead to other health problems, such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.

When you take in more calories than you burn off, you gain weight. How you eat, how active you are, and other things affect how your body uses calories and whether you gain weight.

To know if your weight is in the obesity range, your doctor looks at your body mass index (BMI) and waist size.

BMI is a number that is calculated from your weight and your height. To figure out your BMI for yourself, you can use an online tool, such as http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm on the National Institutes of Health website.

If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obesity range. Keep in mind that BMI and waist size are only guides. They are not tools to determine your ideal body weight.

The best way to lose weight is to eat less and move more. Little steps mean a lot. Losing just 10% of your body weight can make a difference in your health.

Some people take medicines or have surgery to help them lose weight. Your doctor may also suggest counseling. If you use food to cope with depression, loneliness, anxiety, or boredom, you can learn new skills to deal with those feelings.

You'll have the most success if you make a long-term plan with your doctor. Your first goal will likely be to improve your health, not to reach an ideal weight.

Be ready. Choose to start during a time when there are few events like holidays, social events, and high-stress periods. These events might trigger slip-ups.

Decide on your first few steps. Most people have more success when they make small changes, one step at a time. For example, you might switch a daily candy bar to a piece of fruit, walk 10 minutes more, or add more vegetables to a meal.

Line up your support people. Make sure you're not going to be alone as you make this change. Connect with people who understand how important it is to you. Ask family members and friends for help in keeping with your plan. And think about who could make it harder for you, and how to handle them.

Try tracking. People who keep track of what they eat, feel, and do are better at losing weight. Try writing down things like:

• What and how much you eat.
• How you feel before and after each meal.
• Details about each meal (like eating out or at home, eating alone, or with friends or family).
• What you do to be active.

Look and plan. As you track, look for patterns that you may want to change. Take note of:

• When you eat and whether you skip meals.
• How often you eat out.
• How many fruits and vegetables you eat.
• When you eat beyond feeling full.
• When and why you eat for reasons other than being hungry.

When you stray from your plan, don't get upset. Figure out what made you slip up and how you can fix it.