Mahaska Health Partnership Celebrates Healthy Weight Week
Mahaska Health Partnership
MAHASKA COUNTY – Many people’s New Year’s resolution have something to do with losing weight or getting in shape. Mahaska Health Partnership reminds that healthy bodies start with lifestyle habits and choices beyond fad diets and weight loss gimmicks.
January 20 through 26 is Healthy Weight Week where the public is encouraged to focus on making healthy choices that are right for them and their body type, not based on convenience, weight loss trends or cultural demands.
“We live in a culture that is obsessed with weight and dieting,” said MHP Family Nurse Practitioner Chris Beaird. “What people should be focused on is reaching a healthy weight, not being thin.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), fad diets and pills that promise fast results limit your nutritional intake; which can be unhealthy and prove to be hard to maintain over a long period of time.
“The key to maintaining a healthy weight is to make long term lifestyle changes that include healthy eating, regular exercise and balancing calorie intake with calorie usage,” explained Beaird. “Short term dietary changes can be dangerous to your health and well-being.”
If you aren’t satisfied with your weight and want to make a change for the better, consider meeting with your healthcare provider or a dietitian to discuss your options and make a plan for your health. Remember, healthy lifestyle changes help you sustain a healthy weight for the long term. Short term diets and fads rarely produce your desired results and can result in dangerous eating disorders.
“Celebrate Healthy Weight Week by making a promise to yourself that you will make healthy choices that are realistic for your body type in 2013,” said Beaird. “Learn to recognize when dieting trends are too good to be true and instead implement healthy eating and exercise into your routine.”
Mahaska Health Partnership, located in Oskaloosa, is a non-profit health system accredited by the Joint Commission. It is guided by its mission to provide exceptional customer service and health improvement, linking the science of medicine with the humanity of compassionate care. For more information about how Mahaska Health Partnership is making healthcare personal, call 641-672-3240 or visit www.mahaskahealth.org.
