Weight management involves various methods of keeping your body weight at a healthy level. Proper nutrition and exercise are important aspects of weight management for everyone, while medication or surgery may be required for some people. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent disease and may improve the symptoms and outcomes of existing disease.

Why is weight management important?

Maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent many diseases. For some diseases, the link between a healthy weight and disease prevention is well established. For several others, there is evidence suggesting that carrying extra weight may be a risk factor in their development.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, about 66 percent of adults (age 20 years and over) are overweight or obese, while around 20 percent of children and adolescents are overweight. This means more than 130 million Americans are affected, roughly 65 million women and 70 million men. The total cost of overweight and obesity to the country is far in excess of billion every year.