In my office, all patients must step on the scale before heading back to the examination room. Many groan and moan, some close their eyes in denial and others flat out refuse. What is interesting to me is the number of women who don’t realize they are overweight, let alone obese.
To determine obesity, a body-mass table is used which takes into account your height and weight. A number between 18 and 24 is considered a healthy weight; 25-29 is overweight and above 30 is obese. Let me give you some examples:
If you are 5’6” and weigh 167 pounds, this is considered overweight.
If you are 5’4” and weight 169 pounds, this is considered overweight.
If you are 5’5” and weigh 180 pounds, this is considered obese.
If you are5’7” and weigh 203 pounds, this is considered obese.
If you are 5’6” and weigh 247 pounds, this is considered severely obese.
A new research article came out saying many Americans are in denial about their weight and that it is important for health care providers to ask their patients whether or not they need to lose weight before discussing lifestyle changes.
I bring this article up not to be demeaning but because obesity is a serious health problem that can lead to many other conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol issues, joint pain, hormone imbalance, depression, cancer, and more. It appears our society has become okay with a big belly as 68 percent of Americans are either overweight or obese (according to the Centers for Disease Control).
I implore you – don’t be one of the statistics. Determine if you are overweight or obese and do something about it. Take charge, take control and act now! If it took you 10 years to pack that weight on, please don’t expect it to magically fall off in four weeks.
Cut out sugar--completely. If you don’t need that candy then you don’t need that candy. Drink at least eight glasses of water per day. Flush out that fat! Eat a lot of fiber to keep things moving. Eliminate the empty calorie carbohydrates like white bread, French fries, granola bars, bagels, sugary cereals, and flavored yogurt.
Lastly, get up and move your backside! Vigorous exercise (sorry, taking the stairs and walking the dog don’t count) several times per week is an absolute must. If you’re having a hard time, then hire a trainer to get motivated and stay accountable. Join an online exercise forum to also help keep you accountable.