Healthy WEIGHT and Healthy BMI

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1 Healthy WEIGHT and Healthy BMI

2 Why Is a Healthy Weight Important? Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall health and can help you prevent and control many diseases and conditions. If you are overweight or obese, you are at higher risk of developing serious health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems, and certain cancers. That is why maintaining a healthy weight is so important: It helps you lower your risk for developing these problems, helps you feel good about yourself, and gives you more energy to enjoy life. What Is Overweight and Obesity? Overweight is having extra body weight from muscle, bone, fat, and/or water. Obesity is having a high amount of extra body fat. Body mass index (BMI) is a useful measure of overweight and obesity, but it also has its limitations. Energy Balance Energy balance is important for maintaining a healthy weight. The amount of energy or calories you get from food and drinks (energy IN) is balanced with the energy your body uses for things like breathing, digesting, and being physically active (energy OUT): - The same amount of energy IN and energy OUT over time = weight stays the same (energy balance) - More energy IN than OUT over time = weight gain - More energy OUT than IN over time = weight loss To maintain a healthy weight, your energy IN and OUT don t have to balance exactly every day. It s the balance over time that helps you maintain a healthy weight You can reach and maintain a healthy weight if you: - Follow a healthy diet, and if you are overweight or obese, reduce your daily intake by 500 calories for weight loss - Are physically active - Limit the time you spend being physically inactive TARGET WEIGHT If you've achieved your target weight, well done! But don't undo all the good work by reverting to old habits. The effects of quick-fix diets often don't last, as many people fall back into old eating and activity habits after the weight is lost. If you find your weight is going back up again, it's time to take action.

3 HOW TO KEEP WEIGHT OFF The key to reaching your ideal weight and keeping the weight off is to make long-term changes to your diet and lifestyle that you can stick to for life. The following tips are likely to help keep weight off: - Stick to lower-calorie eating a lower CARB,HEALTHY FAT, GOOD PROTEIN diet has been shown to help maintain weight loss Fat loss for most people. This could be because protein-rich meals make you feel fuller more quickly, making you less likely to snack between meals. - Plan ahead maintain your healthier eating habits regardless of changes in your routine, such as eating out, weekends or holidays. By planning ahead, you're less likely to slip up. - Eat breakfast research shows breakfast can help people control their weight: it can help you avoid getting too hungry and snacking later on. - Stay active build up your physical activity levels: if you've already been walking regularly, think about walking for longer, or start running. - Watch your weight weigh yourself regularly so you can keep a close eye on any changes to your weight. - Get support if you have talked to a health professional about your weight in the past, make sure you go back regularly to get support from them. - keep it interesting variety is the spice of life, so if you feel yourself slipping back into your old ways, mix things up a bit: buy a new healthy cookbook, sign up for a healthy cooking course, or try a new activity. - Set yourself goals these can help motivate you into keeping up your healthy diet and exercise regime. For example, is there a special occasion coming up that you want to feel your best for? WHAT SHOULD I EAT NOW? As a guide, the average man needs about 2,500 calories and the average woman needs 2,000 calories a day to maintain their weight. If you've been eating a lower-calorie diet and you've now reached a healthy weight, you may want to increase your calorie intake. But do it by small amounts to avoid putting on weight again, and remember to keep active. More weight to lose? "When we look at people who lose weight successfully, the lessons are clear," "A combination of diet changes and changes to their level of physical activity is the best method. The key is making small changes that you can keep for life, rather than drastic changes that you only stick to for a few weeks.

4 "You don't need to achieve a healthy weight overnight. Losing even a few kilos can make a huge difference to the health of someone who is overweight." BMI HOW TO MEASURE IT AND WHATS HEALTHY BMI is a measure that you can use to see if you are a healthy weight for your height. What is a healthy BMI? The picture above shows, an ideal BMI is in the range. If your BMI is 25 or more, you weigh more than is ideal for your height: is overweight is obese - 40 or more is very obese If your BMI is less than 18.5, you weigh less than is ideal for your height. These ranges are only for adults. BMI is interpreted differently for children. If you're concerned about your child's weight, seek advice from your GP.

5 Overweight BMI If your BMI is 25 or more, you should think about losing weight. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk of health problems, such as: - Heart disease - Stroke - Type 2 diabetes - Some types of cancer - High blood pressure (hypertension) - Kidney disease Healthcare professionals use the words obese and obesity as clinical terms to describe your increased risk of health problems. They do not use these terms to describe what you look like. Talk to your GP before starting a weight loss / exercise programme. If you intend to go on a low-fat or low-calorie diet to achieve gradual weight loss, you should seek advice from your GP beforehand. They can offer you help, support and advice before you start and during your diet. Underweight BMI If your BMI is less than 18.5, you may want to talk to your GP about gaining weight. Being underweight can also increase your risk of health problems, such as: - Brittle bones (osteoporosis) - Absent periods in women (amenorrhoea) - Iron deficiency anaemia Accuracy of BMI As well as measuring your BMI, healthcare professionals may take other factors into account when assessing if you're a healthy weight. Muscle is much denser than fat so very muscular people, such as heavyweight boxers, weight trainers and athletes, may be a healthy weight even though their BMI is classed as obese. Your ethnic group can also affect your risk of some health conditions. For example, adults of Asian origin may have a higher risk of health problems at BMI levels below 25.

6 Waist to Hip Ratio Your waist to hip ratio estimates the fat distribution in your body. Regardless of your height and build, a relative excess of fat around your waist appears to increase your risk of developing one or more chronic diseases or conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. One way doctors recommend assessing your weight-related risk is by measuring your waist circumference in relation to your hip circumference. Instructions - Measure the circumference of your waist and hips in centimetres. Your waist circumference is measured at the narrowest point between your ribs and hips after exhaling. - Your hip circumference is measured at the point where the buttocks are most extended when viewed from the side. Insert this measurement in the box on the right. Waist and hip measurements and this advice is appropriate for adults only and recommended ratios differ based on your age and gender