Does It Matter If You Are Overweight?
By Kim Beardsmore
Everywhere we look in the western world we are inundated with pictures,
images, icons and inferences of the 'perfect' female shape! The truth is
that many of these images are altered or enhanced in some way and do not
depict the typical female form. The pressure to lose weight is immense when
we are bombarded every day with media selling products based on slimness,
sex appeal and fashion. The constant message is that slimness will make you
desireable.
With the current demographic trends in western countries, and faced with
a sea of high fat, high sugar combined with physical inactivity; it is time
to pay attention to our weight but not for any reasons of desirability. The
most important reason for wanting to be a healthy body weight is for health
rather than for how your body looks.
Overweight and obesity are major public health problems in western
countries. Since the 1980s both adult men and women have become heavier,
with obesity rates more than doubling in the last 20 years! Children are
also becoming heavier. There is a growing concern that we are inadvertently
training our overweight children to become obese adults. It has been said,
we are digging our graves with out teeth! So just why should we be concerned
with achieving a healthy body weight?
Overweight linked with diabetes.
In January 2003, the Journal of the American Medical Association featured
two studies that highlighted the topic of obesity and its impact on health.
The first study focused on the relationship between obesity and diabetes, as
well as the growing concern of diabetes in the U.S. between the years 2000
and 2001. The numbers don't look good, with an alarming 5.6% increase of
obesity in both men and women-from all ethnic groups, age ranges and
educational levels. The occurrence of diabetes also increased-up 8.2% from
2000.
Overweight linked with premature death.
The second study found that obesity appears to markedly lessen life
expectancy, especially among young adults. The researchers compared
Body-Mass Index (BMI) to longevity and found a correlation between premature
death and higher BMIs. For example, a 20-year-old white male, 5'10" weighing
288 pounds with a BMI of greater than 40 was estimated to lose 13 years of
his life as a result of obesity. Findings were similar for women with higher
BMIs, who were estimated to lose an average of eight years. While these
studies reference extreme levels of obesity, there are still millions of
overweight people in developed countries with a life expectancy rate that is
three to five years less than their healthy-weight counterparts.
Overweight linked with heart disease.
Overweight people tend to have higher blood pressure and higher blood
cholesterol, which are major risk factors for heart attack and other blood
vessel disease. Being overweight can contribute to problems in the joints,
and is also associated with other serious diseases such as diabetes.
How you tell if you are overweight
As we are all different shapes and sizes, there is not one recommended
weight for your height. Instead there is a range of weights that are healthy
for your height. One way to check your weight is to calculate your Body Mass
Index or BMI.
Your BMI is a ratio or comparison of your height and weight expressed in
a number. To find out your BMI you need to divide your weight (measured in
kg) by your height (measured in m) squared. If you do not know your
measurements in the metric system you can find any number of BMI calculators
online that will do the conversion for you into empirical measures. One such
calculator is at the website listed below.
The accepted definitions of weight categories by BMI are:
Underweight - BMI less than 18.5
Healthy weight - BMI between 18.5 and 24.9
Overweight - BMI equal to or greater than 25 and up to 29.9
Obese - BMI equal to or greater than 30
These BMI values only apply to adults aged 18 years and over and are
based on studies of Caucasian populations. Therefore, they are not
applicable to children and adolescents and they may not be appropriate for
people of other cultural backgrounds.
Another way to check your weight is to measure your waist circumference,
using a tape measure. This gives you an idea of whether you have a lot of
fat stored around your middle. Waist circumferences associated with
increased health risk are:
For men - Waist circumference greater than 94cm
For women - Waist circumference greater than 80cm
Being a healthy weight can help:
- improve blood cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood glucose
levels
- reduce your risk of other health related problems
- improve self confidence and self esteem
- make it easier to be physically active.
If you are obese or overweight…try not to gain additional weight. This
will help you in years to come as people tend to increase weight with age.
Better still look after your body and follow a healthy lifestyle
incorporating a nutritious, delicious, health enhancing weight loss program.
Just by losing 10 pounds you can significantly improve your overall health.
(c) Copyright Kim Beardsmore
About The Author
Kim is successful a weight loss coach who will cut through the diet-hype,
reach your goal weight and never 'diet' again. No public 'weigh-ins',
meetings that cost you money or fads...simply results you'll love. You can
receive a free, no obligation consultation today.
http://tinyurl.com/5c9cw.
Are you interested in a fantastic home business? Visit:
http://tinyurl.com/62wo6.
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