Tommorrow's Muslims

Obesity

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Balance health

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Achieving a Balance Diet

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Obesity

Dieting makes you fat

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Obesity

MEASURING BODY WEIGHT HOW COMMON IS OBESITY? OVERWEIGHT AND HEALTH

THE ROLE OF EXERCISE THE ROLE OF FOOD LOSING WEIGHT PLUMP BUT NOT OBESE

Body weight is affected by energy intake from food and energy output, ie energy needed for basic body processes (such as keeping the heart beating) and for physical activity. If a person regularly gets even a little more energy from food than they need, they may start to gain weight and eventually become overweight. Extra energy from food and drink is mostly stored as fat. Balancing energy intake and output to maintain a healthy weight has many benefits.

MEASURING BODY WEIGHT

Comparing weight against height is a quick and easy way of finding out if someone is a healthy weight for their height. A more useful way to judge whether a person is overweight is to work out body mass index (BMI). The BMI value below are for adults, ie when growth has stopped.

BMI is worked out by the formula:

weight (in kilograms)

height x height (in metres)

The BMI can be compared with the following ranges:

Below 20	Underweight
20-25	Acceptable
25-30	Overweight
30-40	Obese
Over 40	Very obese

For example, an adult woman weighing 60kg who is 1.6m tall has a BMI of:

60 = 23.4

(1.6x1.6)

She is therefore a healthy weight.

HOW COMMON IS OBESITY?

Obesity is common in North America, Australasian and Europe. It also occurs, but is less common, in developing countries. In 1996, 45% of men and 34% of women in England were overweight. A further 16% and 18% respectively were obese. It is likely that the incidence is similar in other parts of the UK. Obesity tends to be more common among people aged 40-60 years and those from lower income groups. Today, more people are obese than ever before.

It is normal to store fat during growth, particularly during infancy and adolescence. It is therefore difficult to measure obesity in children. The number of children who are very much heavier than would be expected for their height is about 2% in primary school children and 10% in secondary school children.

OVERWEIGHT AND HEALTH

People who are obese are more likely to suffer from coronary heart disease, adult onset diabetes, gallstones, arthritis, high blood pressure and some types of cancer. People who have their extra weight around the middle - ‘apple shaped’ - are at more risk of some of these diseases than those who have most of the extra weight around their hips and thighs - ‘pear shaped’. Men tend to be more ‘apple shaped’ whereas women tend to be more ‘pear shaped’. People who are very overweight find it more difficult to be physically active and this may add to their health problems. Most of the health problems associated with obesity are removed once the extra weight is lost. Although people who smoke cigarettes tend to weigh less than people who do not smoke, the risks from smoking are greater than those of being obese.

THE ROLE OF EXERCISE

Many people in the UK have very inactive lifestyles - few people have physically active jobs or do significant amounts of exercise out of work. Lack of activity is an important factor in the increasing incidence of obesity. Walking or cycling instead of using a car, going to exercise classes and taking part in team sports such as football or basketball can all help a person maintain a healthy body weight by increasing energy output. Any form of activity or exercise that people enjoy should be encouraged. People who are already overweight are usually encouraged to become more active as well as reducing the amount of energy provided by their diet.

THE ROLE OF FOOD

All diets containing more energy than a person needs can cause weight gain. But, because fat provides just over twice as much energy per gram (37 kJ/g) as carbohydrate (17 kJ/g), a diet high in fat can make over-consumption more likely. Foods high in complex carbohydrates (starchy foods) may be more filling than foods high in fat. It may also be that excess dietary fat is more easily converted to body fat than excess carbohydrate or protein.

LOSING WEIGHT

If someone is obese, they will usually need advice from their doctor or dietitian about a suitable weight-reducing diet. This can be a good opportunity for someone to make general improvements to their diet. Special slimming products are not necessary. Preventing obesity is important, as dieting is difficult and often fails. Children who are very overweight are not put on slimming diets but are encouraged to become more active and, if appropriate, choose a more balanced diet.

PLUMP BUT NOT OBESE

Being overweight, but not obese (BMI 25-30), is not a risk to health but people in this range are encouraged not to put on any more weight and to ensure that they are exercising regularly and making sensible dietary choices.

In many countries, there are cultural pressures for people to be slim. Many people try to lose weight even though they are in the normal weight range for their height or only slightly plump. Unnecessary slimming is not advised, as this may lead to a person becoming underweight, and in severe cases may lead to development of an eating disorder, eg anorexia nervosa.

Taken from the British Nutrition Guide.