1. Are you obese or just overweight? Do you even need to lose weight?
2. How much do I need to lose?
3. How many calories should I consume to lose weight?
4. Can being overweight make more susceptible to cancer?
5. Could excess weight be the reason I've been unsuccessful in getting pregnant?
6. I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, which causes me to snore a lot and
sometimes stop breathing during sleep . Will it help if I lose weight?
7. Is my excess weight ruining my joints?
8. I suffer from a lot of back problems. Would losing weight alleviate the pain?
9. If I'm overweight, does that increase my risk for developing heart disease?
10. What is Percentage body fat?
11. What are the benefits of weight loss?
1. Are you obese or just overweight? Do you even need to lose weight?
One of the simplest ways of answering this question is finding your Body Mass Index or BMI. Your BMI is a formula that compares your weight to your height. It does not apply if you are very muscular or pregnant. The following table gives the normal values:
BMISTATUS
Below 18.5 Underweight
18.5 - 24.9 Normal
25.0 - 29.9 Overweight
30.0- 39.9 Obese
>40 Morbidly Obese
2. How much do I need to lose?
Most health experts agree that you should aim for a modest weight loss. Your target weight should be 10% or 2 BMI's under your current weight. You can use the BMI table to determine your goal weight.
3. How many calories should I consume to lose weight?
Your weight loss should be about 1% of your weight per week. Thus, a 175 person should aim for a weekly loss of about 1.75 pounds. The weight loss will gradually taper because your body will need less and less calories to maintain itself. Exercise may help keep your weight loss at a steady pace.
4. Can being overweight make more susceptible to cancer?
Being overweight won't give you cancer, but it can increase your risk for many different cancers, including colon, breast and endometrial cancer.
5. Could excess weight be the reason I've been unsuccessful in getting pregnant?
Possibly. A woman's weight can sometimes affect fertility. (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)
6. I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea, which causes me to snore a lot and sometimes stop breathing during sleep . Will it help if I lose weight?
For those with sleep apnea, even modest weight reduction may alleviate the need to long-term therapy or upper-airway surgery.
7. Is my excess weight ruining my joints?
It's difficult for the natural cushions in our joints to withstand extra body weight. Losing weight can reduce the wear and tear on your joints.
8. I suffer from a lot of back problems. Would losing weight alleviate the pain?
If you carry most of your "extra pounds" around your abdomen, this can put excess stress on your back muscles. Losing weight and strengthening your abdominal muscles can greatly relieve your discomfort.
9. If I'm overweight, does that increase my risk for developing heart disease?
Yes being overweight greatly increases your risk for heart disease.
10. What is Percentage body fat?
A percentage body fat indicates the percentage of body fat to body weight. Too much fat can lead to health problems like heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol and other serious conditions. If you keep your body fat within a reasonable level, you'll be healthier and, of course, slimmer.
Percentage body fat is another way to assess whether you are obese or not. This is more accurate than merely checking your weight and your BMI. The standard range of percentage body fat is 10 to 20% for males and 18-28 % for females.
Percentage Body Fat and your Total Body Composition is measured in our office by using the state of the art
BIO SPACE MACHINE. Don't Start a weight loss program without having your total body composition measured
TOTAL BODY COMPOSITION
For accurate analysis of your total body composition, we recommend the following:
· Measure with an empty stomach
· Measure 2 hours after meal
· Measure after urination and excretion
· To get net weight, remove heavy clothes or accessory
· Do not exercise before measurement
· Do not take a shower within two hours before measurement
· Measure after standing for at least 5 minutes
· Do not measure after abruptly standing
· Do not measure while taking diuretic
· For female, avoid having measurement during menstrual period
· Input accurate height
· Keep room temperature at 68 – 77’ F
· Warm up yourself for 20 minutes before a test in winter
What are the circumstances where an analysis cannot be performed?
· Subjects who are using a pacemaker or other internal electroni medical devices.
· Subjects weighing less than 22 pounds
· Subjects weighing over 551 pounds
· Subjects shorter than 3 feet 1.4 inches
· Subjects taller than 7 feet 1.26 inches
· Subjects who are pregnant
· Subjects who are amputees
11. What are the benefits of weight loss?
If you are obese, you may have already been advised by your doctor to lose some weight. The potential medical benefits of weight loss include, but are not limited to, reduced blood pressure, lowering of blood sugar, decreased blood cholesterol, and decreased risk of heart disease and stroke.
