Obesity is becoming a widespread problem in Canada and the United States. Over 60% of Americans age 20 and older are overweight (we’ll review later how you can calculate your body fat percentage to determine if you’re overweight or not). Unhealthy lifestyle and poor nutrition are the 2 common reasons for excess body fat. However, genetics or the side effects of certain medications can also cause significant weight gain, gradually or abruptly.
The importance of maintaining a healthy weight cannot be stressed enough. It is not a matter of cosmetics or aesthetic preferences, it is of survival, so if you calculate your body fat percentage and determine that you are overweight, you should immediately start looking for a solution to lose weight. Untreated obesity along with a lack of regular exercise can lead to high blood pressure, arrhythmia, diabetes, and other conditions. Many Americans die daily from heart attacks, caused by complications created by obesity. Being fat is not only frustrating, it is also dangerous.
Fortunately, there are many different ways to lose excess body fat. It’s about setting a goal and patiently going after it, without giving up halfway (the first step is to calculate your body fat percentage and set a realistic goal). You can’t lose 25 pounds overnight (unless you have elaborate surgery or liposuction), but you can lose them in 1-3 months. Setting possible goals is crucial. Failure to do so could lead to disappointments and feelings of discouragement. You don’t have to starve yourself and go on unreasonable diets, but you will have to make sacrifices to lower your caloric intake.
Walking, working out in a gym or on a treadmill, and jogging are all great ways to speed up the “lose weight” process. Exercise is good for weight loss since it burns calories, but it’s also great for our overall health. Performed regularly, it delays the aging of the organs, allows better oxygenation of the brain and brings pleasure. After physical exercise, the brain produces endorphins (the body’s pain reliever). The effect of endorphins can be compared to that of heroin or opium, they are known to be pleasure hormones. Workouts allow us to experience natural highs, with all the benefits that follow.
There is a way to verify if you are in your optimal size, without spending a single penny. It is called BMI (Body Mass Index) which has been a recognized mathematical formula, used for centuries and which is a good way to calculate the percentage of body fat. Introduced by the Belgian scientist Adolph Quetelet, the BMI makes it possible to assess whether a certain person’s weight is proportional to their height. To calculate BMI, you’ll need to take your weight in kilograms and divide it by your height in meters squared.
Example:
1) You weigh 170 pounds, which is equivalent to 77.2 kilos.
2) Your height is 5 feet 9 inches, which translates to 1.75 meters.
3) 1.75 squared = 1.7 x 1.75 = 3.06
4) Divide 77.2 by 3.06 which equals 25.2
Let’s see what category that result falls into, within the BMI ranges:
Less than 18.7 = underweight
18.7 – 24.9 = optimal weight
25 – 29 = overweight
30+ = obese
It is important to assess your own condition in order to take decisive steps towards improvement.
Maintaining a healthy body weight costs less, promotes self-esteem and allows a better appreciation of life. It is worth striving to lose weight now and get the result for life! We live once, so let’s help each other live it to the fullest.
