Staying healthy in 2018
For years your BMI (Body Mass Index) has been used as a guide for body composition and health.
Knowing your BMI is important, along with your weight and waist circumference. Weighing on a scale does not take into account your height or your fat and lean mass. Knowing your BMI number does not give you a total picture of your actual health. Use it as a guideline.
A high amount of body fat can lead to weight-related diseases and other health issues. Being underweight can also put you at risk for health issues. BMI and waist circumference are two measures that can be used as screening tools to estimate weight status in relation to potential disease risk. However, BMI and waist circumference are not diagnostic tools for disease risks. A trained healthcare provider should perform other health assessments in order to evaluate disease risk and diagnose disease status.
Benefits of maintaining a healthy weight
- Fewer joint and muscle pains
- Increased energy and ability to join in more activities
- Improved regulation of bodily fluids and blood pressure
- Reduced burden on the heart and circulatory system
- Improved sleep patterns
- Reductions in blood triglycerides, blood glucose, and risk of developing type 2 diabetes
- Reduced risk for heart disease and certain cancers.
Excess weight increases how hard the heart has to work, it also raises blood pressure, blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Excess weight can make a person more likely to develop diabetes. Read our post on diabetes and check our recipes for ideas.
