BMI Index

OBESITY

Obesity is a very serious health problem which afflicts millions world-wide. Obesity is extremely common in South Africa, 59.4% of black, 42% of colored, 40% of Indian and 38% of white females are obese. In black, white and colored males the incidence is 27% and in Indian males 4%. It is also well documented that obese children have a higher risk of becoming obese adults.

Once you have decided to lose weight take a fresh look at your health and lifestyle choices, and consider this useful information to assist your success.

What are the health risks of being overweight or obese?

Obesity is an independent risk factor for many serious life threatening diseases amongst all ages.

How do I assess if I am overweight or obese?

In most cases excess weight can be detected by what you weigh, but this can also be deceiving. The most accurate way to determine overweight is to use the waist-hip ratio in conjunction with the body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.

The Body Mass Index (BMI)

The BMI is often used to classify obesity and determine the risks:

BMI = WEIGHT (kg) / HEIGHT (m)

A BMI between 15.5 and 25 is the normal healthy weight range

A person with a BMI between 25 and 30 is classified as overweight.

Generally speaking, obesity can be diagnosed when a person has a BMI of greater than 30

Waist Circumference

If the waist circumference exceeds 88cm in women and 102cm in men, regardless of height, weight loss is essential.

The waist-hip ratio determines the body's distribution of fat. An advisable waist-hip ratio would be

• Less than 1,0 for males
• Less than 0,85 for females

Weight loss reduces the risk factors and many other symptoms of obesity. Physical benefits include improvement in tiredness, joint pain, angina, sweating, menstrual problems and urination problems. It also significantly reduces the risk of death from associated diseases and metabolic abnormalities. Psychological benefits include an improvement in productivity and sexual functioning.

What weight control guidelines can I use?

Targets: Weight loss of 5% to 10% can have a major effect in improving your health.

Ready, set, go! Be determined to succeed, seeing yourself healthy and in control of your weight.

Treatment options: There are many effective dietary and medication treatments available which should be discussed with your doctor.

Balance intake and output: Exercise, together with correct eating habits and behaviour modification, forms the triad around which long-term success in weight loss is most likely to occur.

Where am I going : Set realistic short and long-term goals.

For the record : Keep track of your eating habits and slowly replace the old with the new habits.

Helpful tips for weight Management

The first step in managing your weight is to recognize fat as the culprit in the diet. fat is more energy dense than proteins or carbohydrates, in other words, 1 gram of fat is more fattening than 1 gram of protein or carbohydrate.

• 1 gram of fat = 9 calories
• 1 gram of protein = 4 calories
• 1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 calories

Furthermore 1 calorie of fat is also more fattening than 1 calorie of protein and carbohydrate. This can be explained by the fact that fat digestion is more efficient than that of proteins or carbohydrates, and therefore fat is stored more easily in the body. In the typical Western diet +- 40% of the daily energy intake comes from fat. Fat should, however, contribute no more than 30% of the daily energy intake. A low fat, high carbohydrate, moderate protein diet offers the best chance or weight reduction in obese patients. To reduce dietary fat intake, intake from foods with high fat content should be limited, or exchanged with the following "better choices" and "low fat foods".

Food with high fat content & better choices

• Butter, oil, margarine( 80 -100% fat ) Lite margarine( 50% fat )
• Mayonnaise, salad dressing ( 60% fat ) Low oil or lite products( 15% fat)
• Cream, coffee creamer( 25 - 35% fat ) Lite coffee
• Cheese ( cheddar, gouda, cream cheese ) Mozzarella, feta, cottage cheese (22%) Lite cheeses ( 10% fat )
• Ricotta & Low fat & fat free cottage cheese (1-4%)
• Ice cream ( 10-16% fat ) Sorbet ice cream ( 8% fat )
• Full cream milk & yoghurt( 3% fat ) Low fat / fat free milk( 0-2% fat )
• Snacks, chocolate, chips, nuts( 25-30% fat ) Vitamin sweets, popcorn
• Meat, processed meat, sausages (10-30% fat) Lean meat and chicken(5-10% fat)
• Fast foods, burgers, pies etc( 12-30% fat ) Self prepared foods with low fat products
• Sauces, gravies ( % fat varies ) Low fat products, weight loss products
• Cakes, pastries, puddings( % fat varies ) Wheat / rice crackers

Low fat foods

• Fruit and fruit juices ( < 1% fat )
• Vegetables ( < 1% fat )
• High fibre breakfast cereals
• Popcorn ( air popped )
• Fat free yoghurt ( 1-4% fat )
• Low fat buttermilk
• Potatoes and sweet potatoes ( <1% fat )
• Fish ( 1-10% fat )
• Coffee and tea ( 0% fat )
• Fat free dairy products ( <1% fat )
• Yeast bread ( 2-4% fat )

Cooking Tips

* Microwave cooking, oven bake, grill, roast, steam, boil, cook with wine, use a non stick frying pain.

x Stop frying in butter, margarine or fat; adding oil, butter, margarine, cream or rich sauces, cooking in milk or cream.

General Tips

• Engage in moderate exercise 3 to 4 times a week.
• Follow an active lifestyle (e.g. take the stairs rather than the lift).
• Make enough time for meals and always be aware of what you eat.
• Always eat at a table.
• Eat slowly and put your fork down after each bite.
• Don't take second helpings, except for fruit, vegetables or salad.
• Read food labels and compare the fat content of products.
• Never go shopping on an empty stomach.
• Use interesting herbs and spices in cooking rather than oil, butter or sauces.
• Trim meat and chicken of excessive fat before cooking. ( fat is absorbed during the cooking process).

Safe and effective weight loss

Safe and effective weight loss is best achieved slowly and steadily, this slow method is better for the body - if weight is lost to fast, the body switches to survival mode and tries even harder to retain fat as fuel for later use, because the enforced starvation ( reduced calorie intake ) is seen as a threat to survival.