Healthy Body Weight

Body Fat Risks  A person who is overweight and has too much fat is at a higher risk of developing diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes.  Excess body fat can also place stress on the muscles, joints, and organs making it more difficult to do physical activity.  However a person with too little body fat can also be harmful to your health.  Underweight- a weight too low for health, may not get enough nutrients to function normally.  Too much body fat or being overweight, can lead to many health problems.  High blood pressure, hypertension, type 2 diabetes.  These diseases tend to be passed from one family member to another.

Obesity  It is important to maintain a healthy weight if diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol run in the family.  Being overweight and having too much fat in the blood can clog the arteries of the heart, leading to a heart attack and stroke.  Conditions such as breast cancer, diseases of the gallbladder, arthritis, breathing problems, and problems with pregnancy are also caused by and can be made worse by being overweight.

Obesity  Obesity- overfatness to the point of injuring health.  Has been named as the leading health problem among young people today.  Since the 1980’s more and more of the nation’s youth are obese. 3 times as many yr. olds are obese today.  Rates of diabetes has continued to grow and is occurring more frequently among today’s youth.  Some people are constant “dieters” who frequently diet in unhealthy ways.  More than half of all females in high school diet even if they don’t need to. About one quarter of all high school males reporting they are dieting as well.

The Right Weight for You  Your body’s weight reflects its composition- the total mass of its bones, muscles, fat, fluids, and other tissues. The more you have the more you will weigh.  One tissue, body fat will vary the most.  Fat material is stored in the body. Fat does respond the most to changes in food intake and physical activity. Fat is usually the target of efforts to control weight.  A skin fold test- a test of body fatness.  Skin-fold caliper- a pinching device that measures the thickness of a fold of skin on the back of the arm, below the shoulder, on the side of the waist, or elsewhere.  Pinch Test- an informal way of measuring body fat. Use your thumb and forefinger from one hand to pinch the skin and fat at the back of the other arm. Take your fingers away and measure the space between the areas your fingers touched.

The Right Weight for You  Body weight, by itself says little about body fatness!!  A person with strong muscles and bone may not be overweight, but may seem overweight on a scale. Also a person who doesn’t seem overweight on the scale may have too much body fat for good health.  Weighing your self may help give you an idea of where your weight is at and that can dictate your future goals.  How much should I weigh? Factors such as height, gender, growth rate, and physical activity level must be considered.  Body Mass Index BMI- an indicator of overweight or underweight based on a person’s weight. Weight should be in pounds multiply it by 703 then divide it by your height in inches squared.

Energy Balance  Your body fat reflects your energy income and expenses.  Food taken in – Energy spent by the body = Change in fat stores  An apple has 100 calories; a candy bar 425 calories  For each 3,500 calories you eat over the amount you spend your body stores 1 pound of fat. The reverse is also true for every 3,500 calories you spend beyond those you eat, you will use up a pound of body tissue as fuel.  Basal Energy- total of all the energy needed to support the chemical activities of the cells and to sustain life.  Physical Activities- movements of the body under the command of the conscious mind.

Energy Balance  Basal energy supports the work that goes on in the body all the time.  Include: Beating heart, inhaling and exhaling of air, maintenance of body temperature, working of the nerves and glands.  A person whose total energy needs are 2,000 calories per day spends 1,200 to 1,400 of them to support basal activities.  The number and size of your muscles- Meaning legs will need more energy and spend more energy than your arms and shoulders.  Total body weight meaning a 200 lb. person will require more energy to move than a 100 lb. person will.  The length of time of physical activity and the amount of effort and intensity of activity.  Example a student who walks between classes: Energy for basal activities 1,250 energy for physical activity 650 = total energy needs 1,900 calories.