You don't have to be overweight or have attempted to lose weight to know that anyone trying to maintain a healthy weight needs to eat healthy foods and get a fair amount of exercise.
Unfortunately these two things are much easier said than done as they are related to behaviors that are not always to commit to.
According to the United States Preventive Services Task Force, though, behavioral change is precisely what overweight and obese adults with additional cardiovascular risk need in order to decrease that risk. So they recommend behavior counseling to help promote healthy lifestyles, which can include eating a healthy diet and increasing regular physical activity.
In a review of 74 past trials regarding overweight patients and weight loss, researchers found evidence that intensive interventions seemed to result in the most positive changes. These changes could be marked by weight loss, lower lipid levels, lower blood pressure, and lower glucose levels.
Researchers with the Kaiser Permanente Research Affiliates Evidence-Based Practice Center compiled the data. Associate director Jennifer Lin, MD, MCR said 'the review solidifies our understanding of good behavioral counseling research over decades. It shows us that intensive behavioral counseling focusing on dietary healthy eating and regular exercise especially in persons who have cardiovascular risk factors, can in the long term translate into real health benefits.'
Indeed the study indicated that overweight patients who undergo intensive, personalize behavioral counseling in order to improve their health did, in fact, achieve desirable results. 18 of the 74 reviewed trials followed changes in diet only. 10 followed changes in activity only. The remaining 49 trials were a combination lifestyle which tracked changes to both diet and physical activity. Additionally, only 2 of the studies qualified as low intensity. 48 of the studies qualified as medium intensity; 37 qualified as high intensity studies.
