If not dieting, how to lose weight? Tips and tricks for a better global and cardiovascular health

Abstract

Weight loss is a popular topic and may be of serious concern for many patients. Even with the abundant literature on obesity and cardiometabolic risk, it is always challenging to demystify and reinforce the determinants of safe approaches to lose weight. Measures of central obesity are essential to characterize the patient’s adiposity distribution and should be part of the routine medical examination. Beyond this, screening for fasting lipids and glucose are important for the assessment of the cardiometabolic risk which may lead to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Differences in adiposity as well as in weight loss exist between sexes and should be taken into consideration. Rather than avoiding some food or following certain type of diet, any planned weight loss interventions should promote lifestyle and environmental modifications with healthy eating and appropriate physical activity. With clear objectives, this appears to be the best way in order to achieve weight loss goals permanently.

Keywords :

• Weight loss
• cardiovascular health
• lifestyle
• diet

Acknowledgments

Jacinthe Leclerc is recipient of a studentship from the Fonds d’enseignement et de recherche – Laval University, Faculty of Pharmacy. Nadine Bonneville is recipient of a studentship from the Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Santé (FRQS). Audrey Auclair is recipient of a studentship from the Canadian Institute of Health Research. Marjorie Bastien is recipient of a studentship from the Société Québécoise d’Hypertension Artérielle. Marie-Eve Leblanc is supported by a grant from the Fondation de la Recherche en Sciences Infirmières du Québec and the Ministère de l’Éducation, des Loisirs et du Sports (MELS).

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.