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Weight Control: Eating Right and Keeping Fit Keeping a healthy weight is good for your physical and mental well-being. Good eating habits and moderate exercise are crucial to keeping a healthy weight and a fit body. Factors That Affect Weight Every function of the body — from building cells to moving muscles — needs energy. Energy is measured in calories. Calories also measure how much fuel is in a certain food. The body uses only as much of its daily intake of food as it needs for energy. The energy that remains is stored as fat in the body. Fat normally makes up about 22 percent to 28 percent of a woman's body weight. An average woman needs about 2,000 calories a day. Women who eat more than that and do not burn the extra calories in exercise are likely to gain weight. A number of other factors affect weight gain: Age It is normal for women to gain a little weight as they grow older, especially after menopause. Pregnancy A woman might not lose all of the weight she gained during pregnancy. Metabolism Some women may have a hard time losing weight because of their metabolism — how their bodies use the energy found in foods they eat. Growth People gain extra weight when their fat cells grow larger. In most people, this happens with growth spurts. Genes Genes may affect a person's weight directly or in-directly. What Is a Healthy Weight? To stay healthy, you should keep your weight at the level that is best for your height. Health Hazards of Being Overweight Many health concerns relate to being obese or overweight. High cholesterol levels Diabetes Cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure Gallbladder disease Certain types of cancer, such as cancer of the endometrium, breast, colon and gallbladder Sleep apnea Musculoskeletal disease (damage to joints) Infertility Weight Control The best way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight is to balance the number of calories you eat and drink with the number you burn. Nutrition A healthy diet should be the first step to weight loss. It is important to get the nutrients your body needs to grow, replace worn-out tissue, and provide energy. It is important to balance food and physical activity: getting more physical activity lets you eat more without gaining weight. Exercise To be healthy, it is important to stay active. Regular exercise promotes health, mental well-being and a healthy weight. Medication For some people, it may be hard to maintain weight only through diet and exercise. It is possible that medication will help with weight loss. It will be used in addition to diet and lifestyle changes. These medications should be used only under a doctor's care. Surgery If all other options fail, a special type of surgery, bariatric surgery, may be an option for people who are very obese. Finally . . . The key to weight control is a blend of good eating habits and regular exercise. Eat foods that are rich in nutrients, but low in calories. Choose exercise that you like, and vary it to get an overall workout. Talk to your doctor. This excerpt from ACOG's Patient Education Pamphlet is provided for your information. It is not medical advice and should not be relied upon as a substitute for visiting your doctor. If you need medical care, have any questions, or wish to receive the full text of this Patient Education Pamphlet, please contact your obstetrician-gynecologist. To ensure the information is current and accurate, ACOG titles are reviewed every 18 months. Copyright © October 2006 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists