Finding Weight Loss Programs That Work
Posted by under Lose WeightPeople want a weight loss program that works for them for many reasons like feeling more energetic and living healthier. Being overweight, eating poorly, and being physically inactive all increase your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. Other factors affecting your disease risk include your family and medical history, and lifestyle factors such as whether you smoke or drink too much alcohol.
If you are overweight, losing just five to 10 percent of your weight and keeping it off lowers your risk for developing most of these diseases. For example, overweight 200-lb. person who loses 10 to 20 pounds may reduce risk for disease and improve health problems, such as high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol.
Adopting healthy eating habits and daily physical activity can better your health, even if you don’t lose weight. The number you see on the scale doesn’t necessarily tell you whether you need to lose weight. That is because two people of the same height and weight can have different bone structures and carry different amounts of muscle and body fat.
For most adults, determining your Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist size are reliable ways to tell whether you are overweight and to estimate your risk for health problems. BMI uses your height and weight to estimate how much fat is on your body.
A BMI of at least 25 indicates overweight. A BMI of 30 or more indicates you are obese. Generally, the higher your BMI, the higher your risk. Your waist size indicates whether you have an “apple” shape and tend to carry fat around your midsection.
Your health risks increase even further with increasing waist size. A waist measurement greater than 40 inches for men or 35 inches for women indicates a significant increase in health risk. If your weight puts you at increased risk for health problems, talk with your primary health care provider about safe and suitable options for improving your health.
"I have always thought it would be a blessing if each person could be blind and deaf for a few days during his early adult life. Darkness would make him appreciate sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound."
by Helen Keller
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