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Hi, I'm Brenda Thompson, registered dietitian. In this segment I'm going to talk about why
it is important to be at a healthy weight, and at what rate you should lose weight. According
to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, a third of the US population is obese. That
is over 72 million people. Obesity is a concern due to the increased chances of developing
secondary, lifelong health complications, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression,
high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and some cancers. Maintaining a healthy weight decreases
the risk of developing these complications. There are billions of dollars in healthcare
costs spent each year due to obesity and overweight compilations. Losing weight at a healthy rate
of one to two pounds a week on the average should always, absolutely always be the goal
when losing weight to be healthy and to keep the weight off. People who lose more than
two pounds a week on the average are likely to be losing water and muscle. And like I
said, it's two pounds on the average, so if you change your diet and exercise regimen
and begin to lose weight, the first week you may lose five pounds and then the second week
you may not lose any, and the week after that you may lose one. So that would be two pounds
on the average a week.