Overweight And Obesity

What are overweight and obesity

Overweight refers to an excess of body weight compared to set standards. The excess weight may come from muscle, bone, fat, and/or body water.

Obesity refers specifically to having an abnormally high proportion of body fat. A person can be overweight without being obese, as in the example of a bodybuilder or other athlete who has a lot of muscle. However, many people who are overweight are also obese.


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Benefits of Losing Weight

There is a strong relationship between your personal sense of involvement and investment in weight loss and the potential for succeeding on any weight loss plan. One way to increase your sense of investment in this issue is to learn how losing will reduce your risk of having some health problems that we all would like to avoid.

How are overweight and obesity measured - What is BMI ?

A number of methods are used to determine if someone is overweight or obese. Some are based on the relationship between height and weight; others are based on measurements of body fat. The most commonly used method today is body mass index (BMI).

BMI can be used to screen for both overweight and obesity in adults. It is the measurement of choice for many obesity researchers and other health professionals, as well as the definition used in most published information on overweight and obesity. BMI is a calculation based on height and weight, and it is not gender-specific. BMI does not directly measure percent of body fat, but it is a more accurate indicator of overweight and obesity than relying on weight alone.

BMI is found by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by height in meters squared. The mathematical formula is:
weight (kg) / height squared (m²).

To determine BMI using pounds and inches, multiply your weight in pounds by 704.5,* then divide the result by your height in inches, and divide that result by your height in inches a second time. (Or you can use the BMI calculator at http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/av.htm)

* The multiplier 704.5 is used by the National Institutes of Health. Other organizations may use a slightly different multiplier; for example, the American Dietetic Association suggests multiplying by 700. The variation in outcome (a few tenths) is insignificant.

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Reduce Health Risks by Losing Weight - Heart Disease and Stroke

Prevent the Killers--Heart Disease and Stroke
Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability for both men and women in the United States.

Overweight people are more likely to have:
• High Blood Pressure. This is a major risk factor for both heart disease and stroke.
• Very high blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats). These can also lead to heart disease and are linked to being overweight.
• Angina. Being overweight can also contribute to this problem that involves chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart.
• Sudden death from heart disease or stroke without any signs or symptoms.

Reducing your weight by 5-10 percent can decrease your chance of developing heart disease or having a stroke. You can improve your heart function, blood pressure and your levels of blood cholesterol and triglycerides.

How can I lose weight?

A matter of energy balance
Being overweight comes down to a seemingly simple relationship between your intake of food and physical activity.

Excess fat is stored when people take in more energy (food) than they are using up (by walking, doing exercise, cleaning, running etc.) We live in a society where calorie-dense, convenience foods are available at relatively low prices, and where people do very little physical activity. For example we drive to work, take the lift rather than walk up the stairs, spend hours on the internet or watching television.

In general, most women will lose weight if they eat or drink between 1,200 and1,500 calories per day, and most men will lose weight if they eat or drink between 1,500 and 1,800 calories per day.


Click here to read more advice on healthy eating - "Eat, Drink And Be Healthy" by Walter C. Willett, M.D.

Eat, Drink And Be Healthy - Exercise

The following are some of the steps, from the nutrition and weight-management book "Eat, Drink And Be Healthy" by Walter C. Willett, M.D., (Click Here)
Chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, can help you maintain a healthy BMI or lower one that's high.

Get Active
If you are active now, congratulations. You can reap even greater benefits by increasing the frequency and intensity of your activity. If you aren't active, getting started can help reduce your weight and, therefore, improve your health. Here's what Dr. Willett recommends.

Walk
A walk might not seem like "exercise" to people who sweat at the gym, but research has shown considerable health benefits from walking. For women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study — one of the largest and longest health studies ever — those who walked briskly about three hours a week were 35 percent less likely to have had a heart attack over an eight-year period than the women who only walked occasionally.

Make your day more active
You've heard these suggestions before, but they're worth repeating. Use stairs instead of elevators, park a distance away from your destination and walk, get off the bus or train a few stops early and walk the rest of the way, rake and shovel manually instead of using power equipment to blow leaves and snow away.

Make exercise enjoyable
Obviously, the more fun you have participating in an activity, the greater the chance that you'll do it often and stick with it longer. If you hate the thought of being indoors and running on a treadmill, don't set that as your goal. If you love swimming, join a pool. Like tennis? Sign up with a partner. (Having someone to keep you on track always helps.)

Exercise 30 minutes each day
This is the tough one for many people. Scheduling time for exercise is often the first item to drop off the "to do" list. Try to think of daily exercise as an investment, just as valuable to your future as your IRA — you're banking good health now for use later in life. Here's some good news: The 30 minutes doesn't have to be consecutive. If your schedule doesn't allow one uninterrupted 30-minute block of time, get your daily fill of exercise in two 15-minute blocks.

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