Nutrition News

The Connection Between Your Health and Your Weight

Your health and your weight are very closely connected.  There are at least three key measures to assess if you are at high risk for developing certain diseases and conditions such as:

• Heart disease, Hypertension or High Blood Pressure
• Stroke
• Type 2 Diabetes
  
• Respiratory Problems
  
• Liver and Gallbladder Disease
  
• Cancer (Colon or Breast Cancer)
  
• Osteoarthritis
  

The first key measurement is to assess Body Mass Index, which is a reliable indicator of total bodyfat. (Take into consideration, those who have more muscle may not rely completely on BMI since it does not measure total muscle in the body.) The second measurement is to assess waist circumfrence, which measures the total amount of abdominal fat and this is a strong predictor of who may be at high risk for developing heart disease.  There are other risk factors besides being overweight or obese:

• Family history of disease
• High blood pressure or High cholesterol
  
• High blood sugar
  
• Physical inactivity
  
• Cigarette smoking
  

If you are concerned that you may be at moderate to high risk, make an appointment with Lucinda to have your BMI, Waist circumfrence, and other risk factors assessed.  There is great news!  By making certain lifestyle changes, you can greatly decrease the risk of any disease or condition from occuring in the future.  By eating healthier and exercising, you can also decrease and possibly eliminate certain ailments you may suffer from already. You will feel better in so many ways!