THE WEIGHT-LOSS PUZZLE

Maybe your latest BLOOD WORK wasn't great, or your WAISTBAND fits more snugly than you'd like. Here's what experts want you to know about setting REASONABLE GOALS for keeping EXCESS POUNDS from adding up.

- ARRICCA ELIN SANSONE

SLOW, SUBTLE WEIGHT GAIN IS COMMON AS WE AGE, influenced by a number of factors including genetics, poor sleep, stress, and the loss of muscle mass that typically occurs with every decade. "Most of us do tend to gain weight as we get older," says Lawrence Cheskin, M.D., professor and chair of the department of nutrition and food studies at George Mason University and coauthor of Weight Loss for Life: The Proven Plan for Success. "But forget about how much you weighed years ago. The question is, what's a reasonable weight for you now?" In fact, weight doesn't tell the whole story of your health. There's also the percentage of fat, bone, and muscle in your body. "What's important is to maintain muscle and bone mass," says Nikhil Dhurandhar, Ph.D., past president of the Obesity Society and chairman of the department of nutritional sciences and Helen Devitt Jones Endowed Professor at Texas Tech University. And, he adds, if you need to shed pounds for your health, focus on fat loss, not weight loss.

Where excess fatty tissue is distributed also matters, says Dr. Cheskin. Fat around your middle is riskier: Visceral fat, which surrounds organs such as the kidneys and the spleen, produces chemicals that damage blood vessels, influence blood sugar levels, and increase the risk of conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. If you store fat around your belly, it's particularly important to maintain a healthy weight.

SETTING THE RIGHT HEALTH GOALS

Healthy bodies come in different sizes, so you and your doc should discuss your objectives. "If you're dealing with rising blood sugar or blood pressure, these things are fixable," says Dr. Cheskin. For instance, you don't have to fit into the pants you wore before you had kids, but you can discuss what amount of weight loss would help you achieve your goal of lowering your blood pressure.