February is Hearth Healthy Month 

scaleThe Shaklee Corporation in its Health and Wellness Update has published several great article about how to keep your heath healthy.  The one below caught my eye and I thought it would a good article to share.

Weight Is a Heart Issue – What is being overweight?
Overweight and obesity are both defined by Body Mass Index or BMI (which is a ratio of weight to height). A BMI between 25 and 30 places someone in an overweight category and 30 or higher is considered obese.

 

Why control your weight?

The classifications of overweight and obese are not simply labels; there is a dramatic increase in the likelihood of disease as people increase their BMI, such as:

  • Coronary artery disease (CAD)
  • Certain cancers
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol and triglycerides
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Sleep apnea
  • Stroke
  • Type 2 diabetes

Even having a few extra pounds greatly increases the risk of heart disease.  In a 14 year study, it was shown that moderately overweight (not obese) individuals have an increased risk of heart disease. 50 percent for womeni and over 70 percent for menii

 

The cost of being overweight
Obesity itself is not what causes the harm; it is the diseases that are associated with obesity that cause the harm. The costs of these diseases and syndromes are enormous, and that doesn’t even begin to calculate the personal, physical, and emotional problems associated with increased BMI.

  • Obese people are expected to live 2-4 years less than someone with a healthy weight; the extremely obese (BMI over 40) have 8-10 years taken off their life expectancy. ii
  • More than one-third of adults in the U.S. are considered overweight and another one-third are obese.
  • The medical costs associated with obesity are estimated at over $150 billion dollars.
  • Obese people cost an average of $1,429 more in medical services per year than someone who is normal weight.

 

What can I do to control my weight?
There is much you can do to control your weight. Reducing and maintaining a healthy weight is one of the best tools we have to forestall or avoid many diseases. First of all, there are no easy answers, but here is where you can start:

1. Lifestyle: Set realistic goals, track your progress, exercise, think positive, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, and make sure you get good support from your family and friends.
2. Boost Your Metabolism: Maintaining or increasing your lean body mass (muscles) is your best bet for keeping your metabolism going strong. There are a variety of supplements that can help with your metabolism as well.
3. Practice Portion Control: Fill your plate with low-calorie fruits and vegetables, watch liquid calories (in soda and other drinks), order small meals, avoid your triggers (that cause you to eat more), and eat slow and enjoy your meal.
4. Protein: Not only does protein help you feel full longer, it also helps you keep your lean body mass. Starting the morning with a good protein or protein shake helps you feel full longer. iii
5. Fiber: The benefits of fiber on weight loss are many. Studies have shown that fiber can help you feel full, support blood sugar, and it helps remove cholesterol from the body as part of a healthy diet.iv

 

i Manson JE, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Colditz GA, Hunter DJ, Hankinson SE, Hennekens CH, Speizer FE. Body weight and mortality among women. N Engl J Med. 1995;333:677-685.
ii Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci E, Ascherio A, Spiegelman D, Colditz GA, Willett WC. Body size and fat distribution as predictors of coronary heart disease among middle-aged and older US men. Am J Epidemiol. 1995;141:1117-1127.
iii Wayne Westcott, Jose Varghese, Nicholas DiNubile, et al. Exercise and Nutrition More Effective than Exercise Alone for Increasing Lean Weight and Reducing Resting Blood Pressure. Journal of Exercise Physiologyonline. 2011 Aug; 14(4): 120-133.
iv Leidy HJ, Bossingham MJ, Mattes RD, Campbell WW. Increased dietary protein consumed at breakfast leads to an initial and sustained feeling of fullness during energy restriction compared to other meal times. Br J Nutr. 2009 Mar;101(6):798-803. PMID: 19283886. Pal S, Khossousi A, Binns C, Dhaliwal S, Ellis V. The effect of a fibre supplement compared to a healthy diet on body composition, lipids, glucose, insulin and other metabolic syndrome risk factors in overweight and obese individuals. Br J Nutr. 2011 Jan;105(1):90-100. PMID: 20727237.
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