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Assessing your weight and shape

Do you have a weight problem and, if so, how much do you need to lose to reach the weight range that is healthy for you? Here are some easy ways to find out the facts about your figure.

must know

Measure your BMI

To work out your BMI, you need to divide your weight by your height, squared - a calculator is handy to do the sums.

1 To find your BMI using metric measurements, take your weight in kilograms and your height in metres (get someone to check your height for you if it has been a while).

2 Now divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres, squared. (To turn your weight in pounds into kilos, divide by 2.2; and to turn inches into metres, multiply by 0.025.)

So if your weight is: 59 kg (9 st 4 lb)

And your height is: 1.6 m (5 ft 4 in)

Your BMI is: 59 ft(1.6 X 1.6) = 23.

The scientific approach

Most of us have several different ways of keeping an eye on our weight: for instance, we notice when a favourite pair of trousers feels too tight, or when we do not like what we see in the mirror or on the bathroom scales. To assess what your weight really says about your health and wellbeing though, it pays to take a more scientific approach.

If you’ve been in denial about your weight for years, the thought of finding out the cold facts might be daunting, but it might not be as bad as you think. Many people have a fixed idea about what their weight ‘should be’, and often it’s based on the slim figure they had as a teenager or on their wedding day, which might not be comfortable or realistic for them now. And if the truth about your weight does come as an unpleasant shock, turn that feeling into a motivational boost. Now that you are about to start a healthy weight loss campaign, you need never see that figure on the scales again.

Body Mass Index

A simple weight-and-height comparison used to be the favoured method of assessing whether someone was overweight or not. Today health professionals prefer to use the Body Mass Index (BMI), a figure that represents your weight per square metre.


must know

Obesity

Over 20 per cent of British women are obese yet in a Cancer Research survey only four per cent said they were. The health risk starts increasing before it reaches the point where you may look or feel extremely overweight.

Key to the BMI chart

Colour zone 1

BMI under 18.5: underweight.

You do not need to lose weight and may even have an increased risk of certain medical conditions that are linked to low body weight, such as osteoporosis (‘brittle bones’).

Colour zone 2

BMI 18.5 – 24.9: normal.

You do not need to lose weight for medical reasons. If you are at the top end of the range, it is worth taking care to eat healthily and exercise regularly to ensure you don’t creep into he ‘overweight’ range.

Colour zone 3

BMI 25 – 29.9: overweight.

A BMI of 25-plus indicates that you are over your ideal weight, and in this range you start to increase your risk of developing weight-related health problems. Aiming to lose a few pounds (or more, depending on where you are in the range) will benefit your health.

Colour zone 4

BMI 30 – 39.9: obese.

Within this range you are probably at least 14 kg (30 lb) or more over your ideal healthy weight and are running a ‘moderate’ risk of weight-related medical conditions. As a starting point, losing 10 per cent of your body weight will considerably reduce this risk. If your BMI is between 35 and 39.9, the risk it could pose to your health is classified as ‘severe’. A determined effort to lose weight and lower your BMI is worth making a top priority.

Colour zone 5

BMI 40 or over: extremely obese.

If you are within this range, then you are probably already experiencing weight-related symptoms and difficulties. Tackling your weight is important and urgent; see your doctor to discuss the various options and to access specialist advice.


BMI is based on the assumption that the difference between people who are the same height, but different weights, generally reflects how much fat they have on their bodies. So for assessing health status, BMI is a more accurate measurement than weight versus height alone, as it takes body composition into account.

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BMI facts

The standard BMI chart is for adults over 18; ask your GP about BMI for children. BMI is not a suitable measure for pregnant or breastfeeding women.

A high BMI might not mean an unhealthy weight for body builders and athletes, who may have a high proportion of muscle, which weighs more than fat.

The BMI might not be a reliable indicator for elderly or frail people who may have very low muscle mass.

There are many online BMI calculators on health websites, but take an average, as from experience they vary.

What your BMI means

The World Health Organization (WHO) has established that a BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9 is ‘normal’, by which it means that someone whose BMI is within this range has the least risk of developing weight-related health problems.

A BMI of 25–30 is considered ‘overweight’, with an increased risk of developing weight-related illnesses, such as certain cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The higher your BMI above this level, the more the risk to your health increases and the more you will benefit by losing weight: losing just five to 10 per cent of your body weight and keeping it off can make a difference, so it’s well worth aiming for.

Waist management

Your waist measurement is another important indicator of whether you are in healthy shape or not. This is because research has shown that where we carry any excess weight on the body is just as crucial to our overall health as how much extra we might have.

It appears that too much fat around the stomach, seen as an apple shape or ‘beer belly’, plays a damaging role in increasing the body’s resistance to insulin, which in turn can lead to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Someone who is an ‘apple’ shape will have a greater risk of health problems than someone of the same weight who carries their weight around the hips, thighs and bottom (the classic ‘pear’ shape).


To work out your BMI, accurately you will have to weigh yourself.

must know

Body fat

An average healthy man has about 15–20 per cent body fat; an overweight man would have about 25 per cent body fat; and an obese man, 35 percent or more. For women, the figures are 25–27 per cent; 30 per cent; and 35 percent respectively. You can have your percentage of body fat measured: common methods include skin-fold callipers, bioelectrical impedance or dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Measure your waist

To measure your waist, keep the tape measure flat and hold it firmly but not too tightly against your skin. The place to measure is the midpoint between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the hip bone, about 2.5 cm (1 in) above the navel.

Check the table below to see how healthy your waist measurement is. If your BMI is in the normal range but your waist is in the ‘increased risk’ category, it would be a good idea to lose some weight to slim your waist and stomach.


Going pear-shaped is not bad news for ur health.

Note: Asian people with ‘apple’–shaped waists have been found to be at higher risk of developing health problems than other groups. Asian men with a waist measurement of 90 cm (36 in) or more, and Asian women whose waist is in excess of 80 cm (32 in) are in the ‘high risk’ group.



Does your waist shape up?

The Ashwell Shape Chart (opposite) was developed by leading nutritionist Dr Margaret Ashwell and is an at–a-glance way of checking whether your shape, as determined by your waist and your height, is in a healthy range or not. To use the chart, just read off your height in a horizontal line and your waist measurement in a vertical line. The point where the two lines meet is where your shape is on the chart.

Apple shapes

Fat seems to be more easily lost from ‘apple’ shapes than from ‘pears’, and this could help to explain why men often seem to slim more quickly than women. Being stressed stimulates production of the hormone cortisol, which is known to play a part in distributing stored fat in the central abdominal area, and this could contribute to an ‘apple’ shape. Fat stored in the central area is found deep down in the region of the stomach, while fat on the hips, thighs and bottom is stored nearer the surface of the skin. This can give it the ‘orange peel’ texture known as cellulite, so it is a small consolation that while it may not look attractive, it is less harmful to health than central abdominal fat.

Quick measures

If you can pinch more than an inch of fat at the back of your upper arm or at your midriff, you’re probably overweight.

Another method is to divide your hip measurement by your waist measurement: if the result is less than 1, you are a ‘pear’; if it’s more than 1, you are an ‘apple’.

If your waist measurement is less than half your height, your shape is likely to be in the ‘OK’ healthy range.

want to know more?

Take it to the next level. . .

Your weight and health 22

Cellulite 113

Assessing your fitness level 149

Increasing exercise 134

Other sources

Gyms and health spas may offer body composition tests which tell you the percentage of body fat, water and lean tissue in your body.

Book in for a lifestyle ‘MOT’ at your local surgery to test for weight-related conditions.

Invest in the latest bathroom scales that measure BMI and body fat percentage as well as your weight.

Join a fitness class to tone up troublesome areas such as your stomach, bottom and thighs.

For books on fitness training and exercise.

For more on the Ashwell Shape Chart, see www.ashwell.uk.com

How to Lose Weight

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