William Penn Life, 2000 (35. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2000-06-01 / 6. szám

Keep your BMI under 25

Your BMI-BodyMoss lndex-is key to determining health risks

AMERICA HAS A WEIGHT problem. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), some 97 million American adults-more than half of the adult population--is overweight. Nearly 23 percent of the country's adults are obese. And the percentage of overweight and obese Americans keeps rising.

Overweight and obese persons have an increased risk of developing any number of illnesses. The frighteningly long lists includes hypertension, lipid disorders, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, respiratory problems and certain cancers. The NIH says the total costs attributable to obesityrelated disease is almost $100 billion a year.

To aid physicians and patients in this battle of the bulge, the BMI, or Body Mass Index, was created. The BMI describes a person's body weight relative to height and is strongly correlated with total body fat content in adults. Federal guidelines identify overweight as a BMI of 25 to 29.9 and obesity as a BMI of 30 and above. A BMI of 30 is about 30 pounds overweight and is equivalent to 221 pounds in a six-foot person and to 186 pounds in someone standing five feet, six inches. The BMI numbers apply to both men and women.

"The evidence is solid that the risk for various cardiovascular and other diseases rises significantly when someone's BMI is over 25," said Dr. F. Xavier Pi Sunyer, chairman of the panel that developed the federal guidelines. "[The] risk of death increases as the body mass index reaches and surpasses 30."

In addition to your BMI, you should also keep an eye on your blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels and waist circumferencewhich is strongly associated with abdominal fat. Excessive abdominal fat is an independent predictor of

disease risk. A waist circumference of over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women signifies increased risk in those who have a BMI of 25 to 34.9.

The most successful strategies for weight loss include calorie reduction, increased physical activity and behavior therapy designed to improve eating and physical activity habits.

People with a BMI over 25 should:- Engage in moderate physical activity, progressing to 30 minutes or more on most, or preferably all, days of the week.- Reduce dietary fat and total calorie intake.- Reduce body weight by about 10 percent. With success, and if warranted, further weight loss can be attempted.

—Allow yourself about six months to lose that 10 percent, losing about 1 to 2 pounds maximum per week.

— Make weight maintenance a priority after that first six months.

And, consult your doctor before starting any weight loss program. mn|

Health Links

For more information about body weight, body mass index and how to reduce your health risks through weight loss and healthy eating habits, log onto the web site of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at:

www.nhlbLnih.gov

Willi» Pen Lile, June 2000

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