HEALTH MATTERS - WEIGHT MANAGEMENT In the fourth edition of my regular health articles I thought I would look at obesity - as it is a subject very close to my own heart and something I struggle to get to grips with on a personal level. Obesity is a term used to describe somebody who is very overweight, with a lot of body fat. Defining obesity There are many ways in which a person's health in relation to their weight can be classified, but the most widely used method is Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a measure of whether you're a healthy weight for your height. To calculate this divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres, then divide the answer by your height again and this will give you your BMI. For most adults: a BMI of 25 to 29.9 means you are considered overweight a BMI of 30 to 39.9 means you are considered obese a BMI of 40 or above means you are considered severely obese BMI is not used to definitively diagnose obesity - as people who are very muscular sometimes have a high BMI, without excess fat - but for most people it can be a useful indication of whether they may be overweight. A better measure of excess fat is waist circumference, and this can be used as an additional measure in people who are overweight (with a BMI of 25 to 29.9) or moderately obese (with a BMI of 30 to 34.9). Generally, men with a waist circumference of 94cm or more and women with a waist circumference of 80cm or more are more likely to develop obesity-related health problems. Risks of obesity Taking steps to tackle obesity is important because, in addition to causing obvious physical changes, it can lead to a number of serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, such as:
HEALTH MATTERS - WEIGHT MANAGEMENT In the fourth edition of my regular health articles I thought I would look at obesity - as it is a subject very close to my own heart and something I struggle to get to grips with on a personal level. Obesity is a term used to describe somebody who is very overweight, with a lot of body fat. Defining obesity There are many ways in which a person's health in relation to their weight can be classified, but the most widely used method is Body Mass Index (BMI). BMI is a measure of whether you're a healthy weight for your height. To calculate this divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres, then divide the answer by your height again and this will give you your BMI. For most adults: a BMI of 25 to 29.9 means you are considered overweight a BMI of 30 to 39.9 means you are considered obese a BMI of 40 or above means you are considered severely obese BMI is not used to definitively diagnose obesity - as people who are very muscular sometimes have a high BMI, without excess fat - but for most people it can be a useful indication of whether they may be overweight. A better measure of excess fat is waist circumference, and this can be used as an additional measure in people who are overweight (with a BMI of 25 to 29.9) or moderately obese (with a BMI of 30 to 34.9). Generally, men with a waist circumference of 94cm or more and women with a waist circumference of 80cm or more are more likely to develop obesity-related health problems. Risks of obesity Taking steps to tackle obesity is important because, in addition to causing obvious physical changes, it can lead to a number of serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, such as:
HEALTH-MATTERS-4.docx