Your Weight Is Important
Those of you old enough to remember scales before they were digital will recognize this. I know many of you are adverse to weighing yourself and just go by the fit of your clothes, but that doesn’t allow you to really keep track of your fluctuations. In fact there seems to be a movement in the country that we must just accept ourselves, no matter what we weigh.
I don’t want to debate whether that’s a good philosophy or not, but I do want to talk about the health aspects of your weight. People who are overweight or obese are at higher risk for chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. In a study published in the May 2016 issue of JAMA Oncology, it was found that being overweight also puts you in a higher-risk group for cancer.
The study found that roughly half of cancer deaths in the United States could be prevented if all Americans quit smoking, cut back on drinking, got at least 150 minutes of exercise each week and maintained a healthful weight. Participants who met ALL 4 of those criteria made up the low-risk group. Those who only met 2 or 3 of those criteria made up the high-risk group.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that the “nation’s obesity epidemic continues to grow, led by an alarming increase among women.” For the first time, more that 4 in 10 U.S. women are obese. Obesity is one of our nation’s leading public health problems.
High-fat products such as meat and dairy are likely contributors to the rising obesity rates. Research shows that plant-based diets promote weight loss, making them an important intervention to consider.
How do you know if you are considered obese? Check to see if your BMI is 30 or above. A BMI of 25 or greater is considered overweight. A person who is 5 feet, 4 inches is considered obese if he/she weighs 175 pounds. A person who is 5 feet 9 inches is considered obese at 203 pounds.
Weigh yourself and measure your height, then go to a BMI calculator to figure out your obesity level. Once you know for certain that you are probably endangering your health, you will be able to put a plan in place to lose that weight.
Being overweight is not so much about how you look and how you feel about yourself, but it’s about taking care of yourself for those who love you. “It” doesn’t always happen to the “other” guy/gal.
