Weight Management

What is a healthy weight?

A healthy weight is a weight that lowers your risk for health problems. For most people, body mass index (BMI) and waist size are good ways to tell if they are at a healthy weight.

But reaching a healthy weight isn’t just about reaching a certain number on the scale or a certain BMI. Having healthy eating and exercise habits is very important.

Why pay attention to your weight?

Staying at a healthy weight is one of the best things you can do for your health. It can help prevent serious health problems, including:

• Heart disease.
• Stroke.
• High blood pressure.
• Type 2 diabetes.
• Sleep apnea.

Are You at a Healthy Weight?

Your first step to find out if you are at a healthy weight is to find out what your BMI, or body mass index, is and what your waist size is. For most people, these are good clues to whether they are at a healthy weight.

What’s your BMI?

A healthy weight is one that is right for your body type and height and is based on your body mass index (BMI) and the size of your waist (waist circumference)

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number based on a person’s weight and height that provides a way to estimate the effect of weight on health. The higher the BMI, the greater the risk of some diseases, including high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, some cancers, and type 2 diabetes.
To calculate exact BMI, one of the following equations is used:

The person’s weight in kilograms and height in metres: BMI = kilograms divided by (metres squared)
The person’s weight in pounds and height in inches: BMI = (pounds x 703) divided by (inches squared)

What’s your waist size?

After you know your BMI, it’s time to look at your waist size.
Measuring your waist can help you find out how much fat you have stored around your belly. People who are “apple-shaped” and store fat around their belly are more likely to develop weight-related diseases than people who are “pear-shaped” and store most of their fat around their hips. Diseases that are related to weight include type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Measure your waist size with a tape measure. The tape should fit snugly but not press into your skin.

What Affects Your Weight?

Nutrition—what and how you eat—also affects your weight

The average Canadian meal contains too many calories. It also contains too much saturated fat, cholesterol, animal protein, salt, alcohol, and sugar.

It can be hard to make healthy food choices:

• Emotions and easy access to fast foods and snacks are among the many things that influence our food choices today.
• Lack of time leads many people to eat on an irregular schedule or skip meals. People who do that have more trouble staying at a healthy weight than people who eat regular meals.
• Sometimes a food that seems like a healthier choice may not be. A low-fat cookie may have less fat, but usually it is high in sugar and has the same number of calories as a regular cookie. Potato chips that are “cholesterol-free” may still be high in fat and calories.

Physical activity—how much you move—is the third factor that affects your weight

Being physically active is an important part of staying at a healthy weight.

• Regular activity helps you stay fit. When you’re fit, you feel better and have more energy for work and for your family. When you’re fit, you burn more calories, even when you’re resting.
• Even if you are overweight or obese, you will benefit from being more physically fit. Improving your fitness is good for your heart, lungs, bones, and joints. And it lowers your risk for heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some cancers. If you already have one or more of these problems, getting more fit may help you control other health problems and make you feel better.
• Moderate activity is safe for most people, but it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before you start an exercise program.

Who can help me?

There are many health-care providers (e.g. dietitian, doctor, diabetes educator, pharmacist) who can help you. Check with them before taking any weight loss medications, supplements, starting intense exercise or changing your diet.
We at Aafiyat help our patients during this journey to achieve their goals of a healthy lifestyle by mentoring and coaching them during this process

Believe in yourself

Each person’s body has its own size and shape. Feel good about yourself and the behaviour changes you make. Remember to think long-term but make changes gradually.