Everyday, whether it’s at office, the
mall, the park and even on the street, it’s quite normal to see people in
various shapes and sizes – slim, fit, fat or obese. In fact, obesity is
considered to be one of our generation’s major health problems. This makes it
even more important to know how to take care of your family’s health and avoid
the side effects of being overweight. And to help you avoid it or lower it,
here are some essential facts to consider:
Obesity: What is it?
Obesity
occurs when the body accumulates excess fat. This creates many health problems,
some life-threatening. The causes of obesity involve many factors, including
hereditary, environmental and mental factors.
Obesity: How do you measure it?
Obesity
can be measured by a tool called the BMI or Body Mass Index. To do this, divide
your weight by the square of your height; if you get a number that’s between 30
and 39.9 then you are considered to be obese. If the index oversteps 40, then
you suffer from severe obesity which is accompanied by dangerous health
consequences.
Quite
simply, if your height was 1.64m, the square of that would be 1.64x1.64, which
is 2.69. Now divide your weight, 90kg for example by 2.6 and you get 33.7. This
is your BMI. And this can put you at risk of many health problems.
Obesity: What causes it?
Obesity
is a result of excess energy intake that exceeds energy output. In other words,
when you consume more calories than your body burns (energy in more than energy
out), then your body will store the excess calories as fat. This can be due to:
o Modern
lifestyle and long hours spent sitting at the computer
o Eating
food that’s high in calories and fat
o Replacement
of traditional food with fast food
o Watching
too much TV and the influence of advertising
o Lack of
physical activity
o Slow
metabolism, which is the rate at which calories are burnt in the body
Obesity: How to combat it?
The
best solution is to follow a balanced, varied diet accompanied by exercising an
average of 60 minutes per day.
Good to know:
Worldwide,
1 billion people are overweight, and this number will increase progressively to
reach a billion and half by 2015!
Share this
Related Posts
What Is the 'Best Diet' for You?
What makes a diet best? In Best Diets 2016, the latest set of exclusive rankings - Is Medically Supervised Weight Loss Right for You?
The image never fails: a slender, happy person holding up that extra-large pair of pants
- Easing Into A Diet Program!
This week I want to address those of you that need help easing into a diet program. Firs
- You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Lose Weight?
If you’re hoping to drop a few pounds for an upcoming vacation, the old “calories in, ca
:)
:(
hihi
:-)
:D
=D
:-d
;(
;-(
@-)
:P
:o
:>)
(o)
:p
:-?
(p)
:-s
(m)
8-)
:-t
:-b
b-(
:-#
=p~
$-)
(y)
(f)
x-)
(k)
(h)
cheer