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How weight is measured for being overweight or obese?
Answer: Researchers measure weight according to a person's height based on a standard called Body Mass Index or BMI. This standard recognizes ranges of weight that increase the possibilities of certain diseases and health problems.
Who is an overweight person?
Answer: When a person's BMI is between 25 and 29.9, he is overweight.
Who is an obese person?
Answer: When a person has a BMI over 30, he is obese.
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How does being overweight or obese affect my health?
Answer: When a person is overweight or obese, he is more vulnerable to certain disease attacks;
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Gallbladder problem
- Respiratory problem
- Cancer in endometrial, breast, and colon
- Osteoarthritis
- High total cholesterol
- High levels of triglycerides
- Hypertension
What are the major causes of being overweight or obese?
Answer: The modern life style that we follow has many hidden influence on our day to day routine of life;
- We are physically very less active.
- We eat too many calories that are available in easy-to-grab packs.
- Our environment does not allow physical activity or restricts the opportunities for physical activities.
- Genes are to a great extent responsible for deciding how the body will burn calories or store them as fat in the body.
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How do I calculate my BMI?
Answer: The BMI formula is an easy way to calculate your body fat, ideal weight and to decide if you are overweight or obese. Divide your weight in Kg with your height in centimeter.
BMI = body mass (Kg) / the square of the height (Cm)
You are underweight if you are < 19.
You have normal weight if you are < 25.
You are overweight if your BMI is 25 – 29.9.
You are obese if your BMI is = > 30.
How can I stop gaining weight or get rid of obesity?
Answer: To control your weight you should seek help from your family doctor or a professional counselor. He will decide the factors that are responsible for your weight gain. There are two ways to lose weight:
- Weight loss Programs and
- Weight loss Medications.
Weight loss Programs: Weight loss programs are very effective as it offers an overall package combining physical exercise, proper nutrition, healthy food habit, yoga and behavioral counseling.
Weight loss Medications: There are some medical conditions that make weight loss process very difficult for you. As for example, hormonal disorders, cardiovascular disorders, sleep disorder and eating disorder are diseases that will make you obese or overweight. Hormonal disorders like polycystic ovarian disease, diabetes, Cushing's disease and hypothyroidism etc need medication. Eating disorders like carbohydrate craving syndrome will require medications like Phentermine, Adipex, Ionamin etc.
Again there are certain health condition where the related medications induce weight gain e.g. high blood pressure, diabetes, manic-depressive illness, epilepsy, depression, contraception and schizophrenia. Medicines like Hytrin, ardura, Blocadren, Betapace, Tenormin, Aldoment, Progestins which is a component of certain oral contraceptives e.g. Lo/Ovral and Ortho-Tri-Cylcen, Tricyclic antidepressants like Sinequan and Norpramin, Insulins like Diabinese and Depakene, Glucotrol, then Lithium like Eskalith and Lithobid, Neuroleptics named Risperdal and Zyprexa are related medicines that cause weight gain.
Talk to your doctor or counselor if you are taking any of these medications or suffering from physical troubles that induce weight gain. You will need proper treatment of weight loss that will involve medications as well as dieting and exercise.
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