It is clear that excess weight poses a danger to our health, having been associated with numerous health problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, gall bladder disease, respiratory conditions and certain types of cancer. Excess weight is especially dangerous for children.

While the number of overweight people has definitely increased, there are also many people who are driven to lose weight based on artificial standards of beauty fostered by the media, fashion and peer pressure.

So the first thing is to determine if you need to lose weight due to physical reasons or artificial standards. The second step is to determine the cause of excess weight gain. Weight gain can be due to poor diet, lack of exercise, food allergies, chemical toxicity, insulin imbalance, impaired thermogenesis (the mechanism by which fat is burned to produce heat), excess dieting, a sluggish metabolism or psychological factors.

An inefficient thyroid gland can be the cause of a sluggish metabolism. And while it is possible that laboratory tests will not indicate the existence of hypothyroidism, other tests such as basal body temperature, and symptoms such as chronic constipation, fatigue, and a tendency to gain weight may point to subclinical hypothyroidism.

The type of foods a person eats can also influence metabolism. Carbohydrates are most effective in raising the metabolic rate. Fats can also raise the metabolic rate, however they contain more calories per gramme than carbohydrates and are therefore much less effective. Fats have a negative net effect because, while they may increase the metabolic rate somewhat, they do not increase it enough to offset the additional calories.

Many cases of obesity are due to an imbalance of the hormone insulin.

Insulin allows the body to utilise glucose (sugar) and carbohydrates. Factors such as genetics, food allergies, eating habits, and stress may interfere with glucose and carbohydrate utilisation, resulting in a condition known as glucose intolerance. Excessive sugar consumption (refined carbohydrates) may also contribute to glucose intolerance and obesity.

The more refined carbohydrates a person eats the hungrier he or she may become.

Dieting can also cause weight gain. Yes, that's right, food restriction for the purpose of weight loss should be avoided. Whenever the body is deprived of food, whether from dieting or famine, it insures survival by decreasing the metabolic rate in order to compensate for fewer calories. Our metabolism can not tell the difference between self-imposed starvation and life-threatening famine.

Weight problems are also caused by psychological factors. While many people eat "comfort foods'' under stress, problems can emerge when unhappiness leads to chronic overeating. According to Ronna Kabatznick, Ph.D., author of The Zen of Eating, the key to healthy eating is learning how to change our state of mind.

"It's the ultimate responsibility,'' says Kabatznick. "It's much easier to go on the conveyor-belt diet mentality, your half grapefruit, your cottage cheese. But this is asking your heart and soul to jump into it.'' It's not just about weight -- most of us could benefit from examining our attitudes towards health and nutrition, she says. Achieving better health should be the primary goal and losing weight the secondary. Better health means more energy, increased flexibility, stronger muscles, and greater happiness. Are we eating to live or living to eat? There's more than one way to lose weight Many other health problems besides weight gain are caused by our diets. We consume so many artificially processed and sweet foods we do not even appreciate the taste of simple whole foods. Whatever you do in weight loss make it fun and rewarding! Eating well is not depriving or boring. Quite the contrary, we should enjoy our food. Never eat when you are upset, and if you generally eat well but want a piece of your mother's chocolate cake, have a piece and enjoy it! Here are some tips on weight management.

Never skip meals. You only get too hungry and overeat later. In general, eat a healthy portion of breakfast and lunch. Stick with smaller dinners.

Replace refined carbohydrates such as white breads and pastas, cakes and cookies, with complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, lentils, whole grain bread and pastas. Substitute calories from these groups for fat calories.

Cut out all sugar and sugar substitutes such as aspartame, saccharin and sucralose. Aspartame has the longest list of complaints the US Food and Drug Administration has ever received, including headaches, insomnia, depression and even seizures. Many doctors now warn pregnant women to avoid any products containing it. The American Cancer Society has found that people who regularly use artificial sweeteners tend to gain, not lose, weight. These substances seem to increase the appetite and slow down the digestive process. Instead, use brown rice or barley malt syrup or stevia.

Stevia is a rainforest herb used in South American medicine that is 10 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar, depending on the form used. Use one drop of extract or a sprinkle of powder to sweeten food or drink without affecting blood-sugar metabolism. The US Food and Drug Administration permits the use of stevia only as a supplement, not as a sweetener, perhaps because of the possible adverse affect on the sugar substitute market.

Instead of diet soda or sugary juices, drink herbal teas mixed with unsweetened fruit juices. Lemon water makes a refreshing thirst quencher and also aids in weight loss.

Adopt a more active lifestyle. Frequently practice whatever form of exercise you enjoy most. Be it swimming, walking, running, yoga, Tai Chi or working out at the gym. This will help you to maintain a good body weight and feel great! Cut out alcohol and cigarettes. Even beer and wine add calories and inhibit the burning of fat from fat deposits. Cigarettes, which are used by many people to manage their weight, also appear to steer extra fat to the abdomen.

Eliminate dairy. Food allergies can cause weight problems. The majority of adults around the world are lactose intolerant. After infancy or early childhood, most people stop producing lactase, since they no longer need their mother's lactose-rich milk. Substitute with rice, almond or soy milk. The calcium most people get from dairy is readily available in other common foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, beans, almonds, seafood, oats, brewers yeast, fortified orange juices and soy milk. Calcium supplements are another option.

These nutritional supplements can also help: Psyllium Husks - 1 tbsp half an hour before meals with a large glass of water.

Drink it quickly.

Chromium Picolinate - 200-600 mcg daily. Reduces sugar cravings by stabilising the metabolism of simple sugars.

Kelp - 600-1500 mg daily. Contains balanced minerals and iodine. Can help to correct a sluggish thyroid.

Lecithin - 1200 mg, 3 times daily, before meals. A fat emulsifier.

L-Carnitine. This amino acid has the ability to break up fat deposits and aid in weight loss.

Cardamom, Cayenne, Ginger and Green Tea are thermogenic herbs that improve digestion and aid in the metabolism of fat.

Camilla MacPherson is co-owner of Nature's Chi alternative health store.

HEALTH HTH