'Those desiring to lose weight should perform hard work before food. They should take their meals after exertion and while still panting from fatigue ... They should, moreover, eat only once a day and take no baths and sleep on a hard bed and walk naked as long as possible.'
Theories on the weight-loss benefits of walking around naked and not bathing have not been proven, but Hippocrates' other dietary advice isn't completely off the wall and shows that even 2,400 years ago, the relationship between food intake and energy expenditure was recognized.
Today 'obesity' is becoming universally recognized as a disease in its own right. Obese and overweight are terms that are often used interchangeably, but let's clarify the difference between them:
¨ Overweight refers to an excess of body weight and includes all tissues, such as fat, bone and muscle, but not just excess body fat.
¨ Obese means that someone is carrying an excessively high proportion of body fat that could compromise their health.
If you are an athlete or body-builder, you may weigh more than the desirable weight range for your height, but this is normal because muscle weighs more than fat. Equally, you may be a relatively sedentary person who weighs in at the correct weight for your height, but who still carries too high a proportion of body fat. In this case, a good exercise programme is vital.
For those of you who feel that you are more 'lard' than 'hard', and don't like what you are seeing on the scales, a better way of calculating just how overweight you are is by working out your Body Mass Index (BMI).
You can tell if you have surplus body fat simply by seeing if you can pinch more than 2.5cm (1 in) on your hips, tummy, underarms and back.
Alternatively, get your doctor or gym instructor to check out your BMI using callipers, or buy a set yourself from your local pharmacy. If you have more than 25 per cent body fat, then the chances are that you are carrying too much weight, or at the very least need to change your diet and participate in exercise that will burn fat and build muscle.
Successful weight loss and healthy weight management depend on sensible goals and expectations - losing just 5-10 per cent of your weight is the kind of goal that can help improve your health.
You may be wondering how you have got this far without hearing about calories. But you don't need to become obsessed with the calorific value of everything you put in your mouth. Instead, it is much better to check food labels to see if the food contains unnecessary additives, sugar, hydrogenated fats and salt - and, of course, how high the carbohydrate content is.