Health Tips | Aug 11
-Excess weight is a very personal and public health issue. Next to whether you smoke or not, your weight is the #1 most important measure of your current and future health. Keeping that number in the healthy range is the single most important lifestyle choice you can make for your long-term health.
As a nation we currently spend more than $90 Billion a year on medical care for obesity and its complications. Obesity is directly linked with a variety of diseases such as: elevated blood lipids(cholesterol), heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
What is a healthy weight? A number called the body mass index (BMI) has been used to determine “healthy weight ranges”. Weighing too little is just as unhealthy as weighing too much. Also waist circumference (measured around the belly-button) > 35 inches in women and >40 inches in men is also a predictor of disease.
There is widespread agreement and countless studies that show a BMI of >25 increases your risk of dying early, mainly from heart disease and cancer (the #1 & 2 causes of death in the US).
Weight ——————–BMI
UNDERWEIGH: <18.5
NORMAL: 18.5-24.9
OVERWEIGHT: 25-30
OBESITY: 30 & >
(Athletic individuals may have elevated BMI’s due to increased muscle mass and should be assessed for % body fat with skinfold assessments!)
So if BMI is one of the most important fundamental factors to influencing your health:
1. First calculate your BMI using an online calculator or visit: www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/ad
2.If your BMI# is >25 (which increases your risk of dying early) we will continue our discussion over the next few months about: Nutrition-(Healthy Food Choices that promote weight loss and encourage muscle development) and Exercise: at home, at the gym, and referrals to local personal trainers who can jump-start your path to better health!
References: Center for Disease Control (CDC/online)
Eat, Drink and Be Healthy by Walter Willett, M.D.