Softly, Softly, Catch a Monkey.

Obesity can be defined very simply as excess body fat.

Notably "fat" not "weight" ... and this is really where the waters start to get muddy. Everyone is obsessed with weight loss, probably for one simple reason. Weight loss is simple to measure and the feedback is immediate. Fat loss, on the other hand, is a little harder to quantify. Immediate gratification versus a little bit of effort.

Determining the true extent of the real problem is worth it though ... because obese individuals risk a myriad of health problems including:

- hypertension (high blood pressure)
- dyslipidemia (abnormal blood fats, cholesterol)
- type 2 diabetes ("adult onset" diabetes)
- coronary heart disease
- stroke
- gallbladder disease
- osteoarthritis
- sleep apnea (sleep disturbance)
- respiratory problems
- some cancers (colon, breast, endometrial)

And the list goes on ... glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, increased visceral fat tissue, hormonal imbalances, deep-vein thrombosis, kidney disease, psychological distress and more.

The solution appears simple. Consume less calories and expend more calories (aerobic exercise and resistance training), creating a caloric deficit. And do this without "unreasonable" calorie restriction. Softly, softly, catch a monkey. Incremental tweaking, if you will.

However, for the changes in this strategy to be sustainable you must enjoy both your eating plan and your exercise regime ... and be committed to a lifestyle change that is lifelong!

Not quite so easy!

If in doubt, please re-read the list above. Seems like a no-brainer to me.