ANNOUNCER: Only with lifestyle changes can most people keep off, long term, the weight they lost through dieting. Experts say the key is a four-part strategy.
SAMUEL KLEIN, MD: There are data to suggest there are certain cardinal features that are associated with people losing weight and keeping their weight off long term. And those features include: self-monitoring, where you check your body weight on a regular basis; eating a low-fat diet; participating in serious physical activity of an hour to an hour and a half a day, and eating breakfast every day.
ANNOUNCER: Doctors also say decisive motivation usually plays a key role.
SAMUEL KLEIN, MD: And finally, those people who have also been associated with significant long-term weight management success are those that had some triggering factor that caused them to go on a weight loss diet. So something happened in their lives that made the desire to lose weight really click or stick out or become important. Those are people that had long-term success.
ANNOUNCER: Most people can lose weight. What's difficult is keeping the pounds off. But doctors say making the necessary lifestyle changes to maintain a proper weight is one of the most important things people can do for their long-term health.
