What does it actually mean to be “overweight” or “obese”
The words “overweight” and “obesity” are ways to describe having too much body fat. This may be caused by physical inactivity, diet, genes, lifestyle, ethnic and socioeconomic background, exposure to certain chemicals, certain conditions, and use of certain drugs.
The most commonly used measure of weight status today is the body mass index, or BMI.
BMI uses a simple calculation based on the ratio of someone’s height and weight (BMI = kg/m2). Decades of research have shown that BMI provides a good estimate of body fat and also correlates well with important health outcomes like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and overall mortality.
Healthy BMI Ranges
What’s considered a healthy BMI?
- For adult men and women, a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered healthy.
- Overweight is defined as a BMI between 25.0 and 29.9; and a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese
As in adults, obesity is also a growing problem in children and adolescents. Because children grow at different rates, depending on their age and gender, the definitions of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents differ from those in adults.
One important category of obesity not captured by BMI is so-called “abdominal obesity” , the extra fat found around the middle of a person’s body ( which is an important factor in health, even independent of BMI.) The simplest and most often used measure of abdominal obesity is waist size. Guidelines generally define abdominal obesity in women as a waist size 35 inches or higher, and in men as a waist size of 40 inches or higher.
Now let’s talk about what nutrition and obesity have in common
It’s no secret that the amount of calories people eat and drink has a direct impact on their weight: Consume the same number of calories that the body burns over time, and weight stays stable. Consume more than the body burns, weight goes up. Less, weight goes down. But what about the type of calories: Does it matter whether they come from specific nutrients-fat, protein, or carbohydrate? Specific foods-whole grains or potato chips?
And what about when or where people consume their calories: Does eating breakfast make it easier to control weight? Does eating at fast-food restaurants make it harder?
There’s ample research on foods and diet patterns that protect against heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. The good news is that many of the foods that help prevent disease also seem to help with weight control-foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. And many of the foods that increase disease risk-chief among them, refined
grains and sugary drinks-are also factors in weight gain. Conventional wisdom says that since a calorie is a calorie, regardless of its source, the best advice for weight control is simply to eat less and exercise more. Yet emerging research suggests that some foods and eating patterns may make it easier to keep calories in check, while others may make people more likely to overeat.
How does Nutrition in turn help obesity
A healthy, balanced eating for weight loss in obesity requires reducing the number of calories consumed and choosing a wide range of foods that provide good nutrition. Reducing the number of calories consumed by 500 to 1,000 calories a day may be expected to result in a weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week, which is a healthy rate of weight loss. Consuming a high-fiber diet with eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day would also help in weight loss.
The following changes in diet are also recommended:
- Eating small meals and avoiding or carefully choosing snacks
- Eliminating high-calorie beverages, such as soda, juice, or alcohol, and drinking water instead
- Limiting consumption of restaurant and fast food
- Limiting alcohol consumption
- Switching from harmful fats (such as saturated and trans fats) to good fats, such as monounsaturated fats (in olive and canola oils) and polyunsaturated fats (in deep-sea fish and vegetable oils), and limiting the amount of fat consumed.
Note that diet is individualized, so it’s best to seek the advice of a Registered Dietitian for proper and personalised diet recommendation in your weight loss journey.
Increasing physical activity can help lose weight in a healthy way and keep it off. Physical activity includes not only exercise (that is, structured physical activity) but also lifestyle activities, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, gardening, and walking instead of driving when possible.
Lifestyle activities can burn a considerable number of calories. People who do not exercise while on a reduced calorie diet for weight loss are more likely to regain the weight they lose.
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