Understand Normal Weight Values – Part 1

Part of a heart disease prevention program is attaining and maintaining an appropriate weight. But before you can imagine what you may have to do to accomplish this task you must first understand normal weight values and how they fit into your diet plan.

Obesity is an ever-growing problem in the world today. With increasing amounts of processed and manufactured foods as well as technology becoming more accessible in the home, people are eating higher fat choices and becoming more sedentary.

Unfortunately, obesity isn’t just a problem of vanity but it also affects your health and longevity. Obesity raises the risk of illness to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, arthritis, sleep disturbances, breathing issues and premature death. If you understand your normal weight values, and how those are important to your health, you have a better chance of reaching your goals.

Obesity is a result of complex social and psychological factors. Beginning solid eating habits in your childhood will often translate to a healthy adult who has successful efforts at maintaining normal weight. In previous years, weight charts were developed for people to map out their normal weight values depending upon whether they have a light, medium or heavy frame. This left too much to chance. There was too much subjectivity and the ranges of normal were very small. Today, to understand normal weight values, you must have a grasp of Body Mass Index or BMI.

Resources:

US Food and Drug Administration: how to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Labels

http://www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/labelingnutrition/ucm274593.htm

Science: Information about Energy Balanc

http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih4/energy/guide/info-energy-balance.htm

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: healthy Weight – It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/

American heart Association: What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/What-Your-Cholesterol-Levels-Mean_UCM_305562_Article.jsp

University of New Mexico: Getting a Grip on Body Composition

http://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/underbodycomp.html

Colorado State University: Understanding the Food Label