All too often, obesity prompts a strenuous diet in the hopes of
reaching the "ideal body weight."  Some amount of weight loss may be
accomplished, but the lost weight usually quickly returns. More than
95% of the people who lose weight regain the weight within five years.
It is clear that a more effective, long-lasting treatment for obesity
must be found, lest obesity lead to oblivion.

We need to learn more about the causes of obesity, and then we need to
change the ways we treat it. When obesity is accepted as a chronic
disease, it will be treated like other chronic diseases such as
diabetes and high blood pressure. The treatment of obesity cannot be a
short-term "fix," but has to be an ongoing life-long process.
Instead of staring nearsightedly at the goal of attaining an "ideal
weight," obesity treatment must acknowledge that even modest weight
loss can be beneficial. For example, a modest weight loss of 5 to 10%
of the initial weight, and long-term maintenance of that weight loss
can bring significant health gains, including:

Lowered blood pressure
Reduced blood levels of cholesterol
Reduced risk of type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes. In the Nurses Health
Study,
women who lost 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of
weight reduced their risk of diabetes by 50% or more.
Decreased chance of stroke Decreased complications of heart disease
Decreased overall mortality

It is not necessary to achieve an "ideal weight" to derive health
benefits from obesity treatment. Instead, the goal of treatment should
be to reach and hold to a "healthier weight." The emphasis of
treatment should be to commit to the process of life-long healthy
living including eating more wisely and increasing physical activity.

I have a blog that has more information on this topic. If you would
like to check it out, I'd highly recommend it. http://weightmanagementreview.blogspot.com/

In sum, the goal in dealing with obesity is to achieve and maintain a
"healthier weight."