Weight Issues

"Weighty issues"

What is obesity and what are its dangers?

Obesity means the storage of excess fat in the body. Typically, those who exceed their ideal weight (due to excess body fat) by 20 percent or more are considered "obese." Obesity increases the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure) and risk of heart disease. Those with "apple" shapes (fattest in the abdomen area) are generally more at risk for coronary artery disease, stroke and hypertension than those with "pear" shapes (fattest in hips, buttocks and thighs).

How much should I weigh?

That depends on many factors, but here's a quick formula to give you an idea if you may be "overweight":

(a) Convert your weight to kilograms, by dividing pounds by 2.2 (e.g. 135 lbs/2.2 = 61.6);

(b) Convert your height to meters, by dividing inches by 39.4 (e.g. 62 inches/39.4 = 1.6 meters), then square that number (1.6 x 1.6 = 2.6)

(c) Divide (a) by (b) to get your "body mass" (e.g. 61.6/2.6).

For women, desirable body mass is 21-23, overweight begins around 27.5, and seriously overweight is above 31.5. (For men, desirable body mass is 22 to 24, overweight begins at around 28.5, and seriously overweight is above 33.)