Weight Loss And Gout

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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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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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.

Y! Health Weight Loss News

• China's economic development sees surge in lifestyle diseases (AFP)
  AFP - He Yifan has stayed at a weight loss clinic for more than two months to shed his kilos, one of millions of people in China whose richer lives have led to unwelcome side effects such as obesity.
• Money May Lure People to Lose Weight (HealthDay)
  HealthDay - TUESDAY, Dec. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Putting money in people's pockets can help persuade them to shed fat, suggest American researchers who created two incentive-based approaches for losing weight.
• Weight loss easier when you get paid for it (Reuters)
  Reuters - Losing weight is easier when there is money on the line, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
• Health Tip: Eating a Healthy Vegetarian Diet (HealthDay)
  HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- A vegetarian diet doesn't have to lack nutrients or variety. There are plenty of delicious and nutritious meat substitutes to include in a vegetarian diet.
• Mediterranean Diet Enriched With Nuts Cuts Heart Risks (HealthDay)
  HealthDay - MONDAY, Dec. 8 (HealthDay News) -- In older adults at risk for heart disease, a Mediterranean diet plus daily servings of mixed nuts may help manage metabolic syndrome, according to a Spanish study.
• Scientists find nutty risk reducer: Eat more nuts (AP)
  AP - Here's a health tip in a nutshell: Eating a handful of nuts a day for a year — along with a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish — may help undo a collection of risk factors for heart disease.
• Nuts boost health benefit of Mediterranean diet (Reuters)
  Reuters - Adding nuts to a traditional Mediterranean diet rich in fruit and vegetables appears to provide extra health benefits, Spanish researchers said on Monday.
• High carb diet useful for muscle disorder (Reuters)
  Reuters - A diet high in carbohydrate instead of protein improves the ability of people with McArdle disease to exercise, results of a small study indicate.
• Health Highlights: Nov. 30, 2008 (HealthDay)
  HealthDay - Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:
• Health Highlights: Nov. 29, 2008 (HealthDay)
  HealthDay - Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

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