The will to lose: encouraging Veterans to start their healthy weight journey
By Cody Miller, Public Affairs Specialist
Charleston, S.C. – Managing one’s health is a full time commitment and for any Veteran beginning a weight-management journey. The dietitians at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System have some advice, informative research, and recommended programs for any Veteran seeking to better themselves.
With the new year, VA’s National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention has released its monthly healthy living schedule. January is “Striving for a Healthy Weight”. Veterans can start this goal by making good choices in the food they eat and what exercises they accomplish throughout the day. Programs like VA MOVE! are tools every qualifying Veteran can use to reach this goal as well.
The MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans can help them adopt a healthy lifestyle, meet health goals, and manage weight. According to the MOVE! website, Veterans of a higher weight can improve their health by reducing 5-10% of their body weight. Keeping a weight that is healthy can help Veterans feel good and have energy to take on the day. The MOVE! program advises Veterans on their food intake and physical activity to get positive results.
“Focusing on properly fueling the body rather than restricting the body can help Veterans shift from a “dieting” mindset,” said Carrie Gentry, a Ralph H. Johnson VA dietitian. “Emphasizing a consistent eating pattern, balanced meals, portion awareness, and foods that support energy helps reframe nutrition as a long-term lifestyle. This approach builds confidence, supports weight management, and promotes lasting health without the cycle of starting and stopping diets.”
What Veteran’s eat is just one aspect of solving their potential weight issues, being physically active is also important. According to the National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention website, being physically active can improve health substantially with any amount of physical activity being better than none. A single bout of activity provides immediate health benefits such as lowering anxiety and blood pressure and improving quality of sleep. Longterm physical activity can lower the risk of depression, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, and eight types of cancer. It may also reduce the risk of weight gain, dementia, and falls, improve bone health, endurance and help with feeling more energetic.
Veterans suffering from weight issues are not alone. Maintaining good weight standards is a common problem in the U.S., with 40% of Americans being obese. This problem is even greater for Veterans who maintain a 78% rate of obesity according to the VA Office of Research and Development. Obesity is a complex health issue to address. It results from a combination of causes and contributing factors, including individual factors such as behavior and genetics. Behaviors can include dietary patterns, physical activity or inactivity, medication use, and exposures to various environmental factors.
Additional contributing factors in American society include the food and physical activity environment, education and skills, and food marketing and promotion. The encouragement to over consume food can be a strong temptation from these marketing and promotional campaigns.
“To avoid impulse purchases and to help stay on track with weight goals, try planning out a week’s worth of healthy meals and snacks ahead of time,” said Gabrielle Grzona, Ralph H. Johnson VA HCS dietician. “Check your pantry and build your weekly grocery list based on the meals and snacks you plan to have that week. Only write down the items you need and use your list to stay on track. Try to avoid grocery shopping when feeling hungry, stressed, or emotional because this may increase the likelihood of impulse buys.”
The VA continues to research why Veterans are more prone to weight issues and has made major strides in research. This includes in 2013 finding that Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans with PTSD and depression are at particular risk for obesity and not being able to lose weight, relative to all those who served in the two countries between 2001 and 2010. Maintaining good eating habits and activity continues to be the best way to stay healthy.
With research results like this, it drives home that losing and maintaining weight can be just as much of a mental challenge as a physical one.
“The biggest issue I see Veterans suffer from as a result of eating unhealthy foods and not maintaining a healthy weight is a decreased ability to enjoy everyday activities,” Elizabeth Reilly, a Ralph H. Johnson VA HCS dietitian. “For example, not being able to comfortably go on a walk at lunch with co-workers, not being able to run around with their grandchildren, and limited self-confidence. While I also see chronic health diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure; the ability to participate and enjoy in certain activities is most often the most celebrated improvements.”
If you are a Veteran wanting to start your healthy weight journey, you can be part of the 700,000 Veterans that have improved their lives by looking into these resources below:
MOVE! Weight Management Program:
National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention: