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 desirable.
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 without teeth! So how can we determine what is a healthy body weight for each individual?
How do 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 from the CDC is added below.
BMI for Adults
The accepted definitions of weight categories by BMI are:
- Underweight – BMI of 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.
Check if You are Overweight using Waist Circumference
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
Why Strive for a Healthy Weight?
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.
I’m Obese or Overweight. What do I do?
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 their weight with age. To do this 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.
I am Obese but Not for Long
I have done diet after diet often with some success at losing weight. The weight has always come back. Sometimes immediately and other times after a year or more. Whenever there was a big event in my life, I would fall to food to soothe me and some weight would return. Then I would be upset about some of the weight returning and “give up” and eat what I wanted or beat myself up. Both resulting in additional weight coming back on and often more beyond where I had started.
What Helped Me Lose 45 Pounds
What helped me the most is fasting. Fasting is simple and any amount of it causes an impact on your health and often your weight. The other most important thing was getting a coach to help me with my thoughts so I no longer beat myself up about the number on the scale. I still eat many of the things I want and have only stopped eating things that my body has a problem digesting.
My BMI has dropped from 40 to 33 during the pandemic and I will continue to use these methods until I am no longer obese. If you would like help to learn to fast then sign up for my free Easy Guide to Intermittent Fasting below.
