Weight and Weight Loss
Being overweight is a problem that many people have concerns about, which could be blamed on celebrities, fashion and trends. However, worries over physical appearance and personal ideal weights may not equate with a normal weight. What is normal body weight and how is measured? Body weight is assessed by Body Mass Index (BMI) and can be calculated by
• Weight in kilograms / height in metres squared
or
• Weight in pounds * 703 / height in inches squared
BMI Values
• 18.5 or less - Low BMI (underweight)
• 18.5 to 24.9 - Medium BMI (normal weight)
• 25 to 29.9 - High BMI (overweight)
• 30 and above - Ver High BMI (obese)
(Note BMI is one way of assessing weight and associated health risks there are others).
However not all weight gain represents fat such as weight gain during pregnancy also the weight gain associated with bodybuilding as muscle is considered lean mass.
Both nationally and internationally obesity is becoming a significant health risk with an increasing number of associated health problems and increasing number of deaths world-wide.
Health risks associated with abnormal body weight include:
Cardiovascular disease including coronary heart disease, carotid artery disease, peripheral arterial disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm.
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Sleep Apnoea
• Gall Bladder Disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Stress Incontinence
• Excessive Menstrual Bleeding (Menorrhagia)
• Loss of Menstrual Periods (Amenorrhea)
More recently greater emphasis has been placed on the association with abdominal fat and weight circumference in particular predisposing to Diabetes.
Recommendations for weight loss may be categorised depending upon the level of risk of developing some of the more serious conditions. This may include:
Men over 45 years and women over 55 years or postmenopausal.
• A family history of heart disease
• Cigarette smoking
• High blood pressure (Hypertension)
• Abnormal cholesterol levels
• High blood glucose levels (Diabetes)
Losing Weight
The focus for weight loss should be more about promoting a healthy life style a change of eating and exercise habits for life, which usually automatically results in reduced risk of disease. Many strict diets result in a rebound weight gain or 'yo-yo' dieting. Numerous different diets have been promoted over the years including
• Low-Carbohydrate Diet
• High Fibre Diets
• Atkins Diet
• Weight Watchers Diet
• Glycaemic Diet
• Low- Fat Diet
• The 90% Diet
At Natures Trail we can offer dietary advice or you can book to see the nutritionist and have on-site nutritional screening phone for an appointment now 0114 2665984.
We also sell a wide range of safe and reliable herbal and mineral supplement to aid weight reduction.
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