Weight Management

A healthy weight supports the optimal functioning of various body systems, including bones, muscles, the brain, and the heart. Maintaining a healthy weight ensures these systems can operate smoothly and efficiently over the years.

Impact of Excess Weight:

• Health Deterioration: Excess weight, especially obesity, negatively affects nearly every aspect of health. It can impair reproductive and respiratory functions, memory, and mood.
• Increased Disease Risk: Obesity significantly raises the risk of several serious diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. These risks arise from both mechanical stress due to extra weight and complex hormonal and metabolic changes.
• Quality and Length of Life: Obesity reduces quality and duration of life and escalates healthcare costs on an individual, national, and global scale.

Benefits of Weight Loss:

• Risk Reduction: The good news is that weight loss can mitigate some of the obesity-related risks. Losing just 5 to 10 per cent of body weight can provide substantial health benefits.
• Health Improvements: Even if obese individuals do not reach their “ideal” weight and even if they start losing weight later in life, they can still experience significant health improvements.

What is the ideal weight?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a formula that estimates a person’s body fat based on their height and weight. It is calculated as:

BMI=(Weight(kg))/(Height(m2))

BMI Classifications:

• Underweight: BMI less than 18.5
• Normal weight: BMI 18.5–24.9
• Overweight: BMI 25–29.9
• Obese: BMI 30 and above

Health Risks Associated with BMI:

• Underweight (BMI < 18.5): Increased risk of health problems such as malnutrition, weakened immune system, and osteoporosis.
• Overweight and Obesity (BMI ≥ 25): Higher risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers. Obesity (BMI ≥ 30) is particularly linked to significant health risks and increased healthcare costs.

Limitations of BMI:

• Incomplete Health Assessment: BMI does not account for other crucial health indicators such as cholesterol levels, blood sugar, heart rate, blood pressure, and inflammation.
• Body Composition Differences: BMI uses the same calculation for both men and women despite muscle and fat distribution differences. Men typically have more muscle mass and less fat mass than women, which BMI does not distinguish.

Despite its limitations, BMI is widely used for assessing weight-related health risks. Most studies indicate that the risk of chronic disease and premature death increases with a BMI lower than 18.5 (“underweight”) or 30.0 or higher (“obese”).

A note on weight discrimination

While studies often highlight obesity as a risk factor for certain health conditions, they frequently overlook the significant role that weight stigma and discrimination play in health outcomes. Discrimination is one of the social determinants of health, meaning it is one of the daily life conditions that affect our health and can contribute to health inequities.

Weight Discrimination in Healthcare:

• Avoidance of Medical Care: Individuals with high body weights may avoid seeking medical care due to experiences of weight discrimination. This avoidance can lead to delayed diagnoses and treatment.
• Inaccurate Diagnoses: When individuals with high body weights do seek medical care, their health concerns are often attributed solely to their weight. This can result in misdiagnoses or a lack of comprehensive care, allowing health conditions to progress further before being accurately identified and treated.

Impact of Weight Stigma on Daily Life:

• Mental Health: Experiences of weight stigma are linked to adverse mental health outcomes, including increased stress, anxiety, depression, and lower self-esteem.
• Physical Health: Weight stigma can also negatively impact physical health, contributing to conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. The stress from discrimination can exacerbate these health issues.

How to keep a healthy weight

Maintaining a healthy weight involves more than just dieting—it’s about adopting sustainable habits that support your overall well-being. Here are six essential habits to incorporate into your lifestyle:

• Eat Protein, Fat, and Vegetables: Include a variety of foods at each meal. A balanced plate should have protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates. This ensures you are provided with the essential nutrients and helps keep you satisfied longer.
• Move Your Body: Incorporate cardio workouts, such as walking, jogging, running, cycling, or swimming, and weight training exercises into your routine. Cardio improves cardiovascular health, while weight training boosts metabolism and enhances muscle strength. Combining both types of exercise is more effective for weight loss than doing either alone.
• Eat More Fiber: Fiber-rich foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, bread, and legumes, move slowly through the digestive tract, helping you feel fuller for longer. This supports weight loss, stabilises blood sugar levels, promotes regularity, and protects against certain chronic conditions.
• Eat Mindfully: Mindful eating involves being aware of how your body responds to food. This includes eating more slowly, recognising the difference between hunger and emotional cravings, and preparing colourful foods with various textures to enhance meal enjoyment. Eating slowly allows your brain to register fullness, helping you eat less and distinguish genuine hunger from satiety.
• Stay Hydrated: Drinking plenty of water throughout the day can promote weight loss by reducing food intake, especially if you drink water before meals. Staying hydrated also supports increased fat-burning and enhances long-term weight loss.
• Get Plenty of Sleep: Adequate sleep is crucial for weight management, as sleep deprivation can alter hunger and appetite-regulating hormones. Aim for at least 7 hours of high-quality sleep each night to support your body’s natural processes and overall well-being.

Incorporating these habits into your daily routine can significantly contribute to maintaining a healthy weight and overall well-being. Focusing on balanced nutrition, regular exercise, mindful eating, hydration, and adequate sleep can help you achieve sustainable weight management goals.