Weight Management

Gain, Lose or Maintain?

Many individuals gain weight in adulthood. This increases their risk for a variety of diseases. These include the following:

• High Blood Pressure
• Heart Disease
• Stroke
   
• Diabetes
• Certain Types of Cancer
• arthritis
   
• Breathing Problems
• Other illnesses

Therefore, it is advisable for most adults not to gain weight. If you are overweight and have one of these problems, you should try to lose weight, or at the very least, not gain weight. But, before you begin on any weight reduction regime or fitness program, consult your physician.

Maintaining Your Weight

Weight maintenance is a balancing act between the amount of energy (foods and beverages) you consume and the number of calories you burn each day. Physical activity is a good way to burn calories, maintain weight, and relieve stress -- just to mention a few of the benefits. All to many of us spend too many of our waking hours in front of a computer screen, working at a desk, sitting in classes, watching T.V. and other sedentary activities.

To burn more calories, try doing a few things a little differently. Walk up those flight of stairs instead of using the elevator. Park the car a little further away from the store (providing it's not a -20ºF day), walk the dog with your kids instead of sending them out to do it. Well, you get the idea. More vigorous activity helps to reduce body fat, build some muscle and reduce your risk of developing a vary of diseases.

The kinds and amounts of foods you eat and the pattern of your eating are equally as important as exercise in this equation. Fats contain more than twice the calories of carbohydrates. For example, you could eat 1 slice of toast with 1 tsp. butter or margarine or 2 medium apples. That's because 1 tsp. of butter, which is what you get in a restaurant --1 pat, is 45 calories while 1 medium apple is approximately 60 calories. Fats and any high-fat foods are packed with calories.

Weight maintenance is just as important for the older population. Some people begin to lose weight as they age for a variety of reasons. Some of the weight that is lost is muscle. Maintaining muscle through regular activity helps to keep individuals feeling well, helps fight depression or those "winter blues" and reduces the risk of falls and fractures.

Healthy Weight Guidelines

There are guidelines for healthy weight ranges for adult men and women. A number of factors affect this -- age, body build, height, muscle mass etc. Take a look at the body mass index if you're interested in seeing where you fit. Health risks due to excess weight appear to be the same for both young and old alike. The further you are above the healthy weight for your height, the higher your risk for developing a variety of diseases.

Location of Body Fat

The location of body fat has been found to be an important factor in health risks for adults.

Excess body fat that settles in the stomach and around the waist, so called the  "apple" body build, is a greater health risk than excess weight carried in the hips and thighs and buttocks. For women, a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.8 or greater indicates that your shape is that of an apple. For men, a waist-to-hip ratio of 1.0 or greater is indicative of an apple, meaning your fat stores are carried around your middle. If you carry your excess body fat below the waist, you are known as a "pear".

Extra weight in the abdomen is linked to:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Certain types of cancer

Are you an Apple or a Pear?

Stand relaxed. Measure your waist at it's smallest point. NOTE: Don't pull in your stomach.

Next, measure your hips at the largest part of your buttocks and hips.

Last but not least, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. If the answer is close to 1.0 or greater, consider yourself to be an apple. If the number is considerably less than 1.0, you're a pear.

For a healthy weight, your waist-to-hip ratio should be less than 0.8 for women and below 0.95 for men.

As we all know, weight is partially influenced by genes. From what we know now, the pattern of this fat distribution is also a hereditary tendency. However, that's not the whole story nor an excuse. Smoking and drinking too much alcohol also seems to increase fat in the abdominal area, thereby increasing the risk of health related weight problems.

Weight Control in Children

Children need enough food for proper growth and development. To promote this, encourage healthy eating habits by setting the example yourself. Serve a variety of whole grain breads and cereals; fruits and vegetables; low fat dairy products; lean meat, poultry and fish. Plenty of active play and sports is another healthy component of any lifestyle and a good one  to begin early in life.

Although limiting fat intake may help prevent excess weight gain in children, fat should not be restricted for children under 2 years of age. Helping overweight children to achieve a healthy weight along with normal growth requires special attention. It is advisable to consult a registered dietitian or your pediatrician to monitor your efforts

For further information on this topic see Weight Management.