The main treatment for
obesity consists of
dieting and
physical exercise. Diet programs may produce
weight loss over the short term, but maintaining this weight loss is frequently difficult and often requires making exercise and a lower calorie diet a permanent part of an individual's lifestyle. Success rates of long-term weight loss maintenance with lifestyle changes are low, ranging from 2 to 20%. Dietary and lifestyle changes are effective in limiting excessive weight gain in
pregnancy and improve outcomes for both the mother and the child.