-- 'The Secret is Out: What Physicians Have Always Known About Weight Loss' Provides Guide on How to Overcome Societal and Emotional Challenges to Shed Pounds --
BALTIMORE, July 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Approximately 68 percent of all adults in the United States are overweight and 30.5 percent are obese, according to the American Obesity Association. These numbers continue to rise each year as men and women are constantly exposed to increasing portion sizes of foods high in sugar and fat, which are less expensive, more available and easier to prepare than healthier options.
In 2005, Americans spent more money on fast food than on college educations, new cars, or personal computers -- an estimated $134 billion total.(1) Although most Americans are educated about proper nutrition and are motivated to lose weight, today's fat-promoting society makes it difficult for many men and women to achieve successful weight loss.
With all of the buzz surrounding the obesity problem in America, a new book has just been released that provides a simple and clear guide on how to overcome the societal and emotional challenges of dieting to successfully lose weight. "The Secret is Out: Medifast, What Physicians Have Always Known About Weight Loss" (July 2006), by Lisa Davis, Ph.D., a clinician at the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center and researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Brad MacDonald, the CEO of Medifast, offers an effective and realistic approach to weight loss by addressing the internal, external, physical, and emotional components of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The book includes several weight loss plans that are tailored to meet individual health needs, including diabetes, coronary health, joint health and women's health. In addition, the book focuses on the importance of making a commitment to lose weight and setting realistic goals. Davis and MacDonald discuss the emotional challenges of dieting and provide a human approach to managing them, such as identifying cues that may sabotage dieting efforts, including stress, loneliness, and boredom, and then adopting behavioral changes to counter these triggers.
"In my work, I have come across countless fad diets and weight loss myths that do not help people lose weight and keep it off," commented Dr. Lisa Davis. "'The Secret is Out' breaks down many popular myths surrounding weight loss to explain why fat diets usually don't work and what will work to help people successfully lose weight." For example, the book examines the Atkins Diet and explains why high-fat, low-carbohydrate diets usually do not promote sustained weight loss and can be associated with certain health problems, including mineral deficiencies and risks related to increased cholesterol and fat-intake. It also discusses additional health risks associated with "yo-yo" dieting. "The Secret is Out" describes how people can escape from the clutches of an obesity-promoting environment by following the Medifast program, which reduces caloric intake and provides structure and better eating patterns in the context of a nutritionally enhanced, satisfying and filling diet.
For more than 25 years, physicians have recommended Medifast, a portion-controlled program that has been scientifically validated through clinical studies to achieve long-term weight loss results and improve health outcomes.
Numerous testimonials from real men and women who have achieved weight loss success from Medifast and an assortment of specific meal plans and recipes are also included in the book. "The Secret is Out: Medifast, What Physicians Have Always Known About Weight Loss" ($16.95) is available at http://www.medifastbook.com/.
About Medifast (http://www.medifastdiet.com/) Medifast (AMEX:MED) is the leading easy-to-use, clinically proven meal replacement weight loss program. Medifast has been recommended by 15,000 physicians and used by over one million customers. Its programs have been proven effective through studies by major university teaching hospitals. The company sells its products and programs direct to consumer via the web and national call centers as well as through its national network of physicians and clinics, and Take Shape for Life program. In 2005, the company reported more than $40 million in sales. The company was founded in 1980 and is located in Owings Mills, Maryland.
Reference (1) Schlosser E. (2001) Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All- American Meal. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. DATASOURCE: Medifast CONTACT: Erin Grecu of Warschawski for Medifast, Inc., +1-410-367-2700, ext. 19, Web site: http://www.medifastbook.com/ http://www.medifastdiet.com/
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