Overweight and Obesity

Monday’s Message from BLC #1- 08 – Overweight and Obesity

When you are out this week in a crowd look to your right and then to your left and one of the three of you are obese and two of the three of you are overweight. 65% of Americans are overweight and 30% are obese. 300,000 Americans die each year from obesity complications. If we do not do something for our selves then at least we ought to do something for our children.

You are overweight if your measurements meet these criteria:
1. a male’s waist to hip ratio in inches is >1 and a female’s waist to hip ratio is > than .8
2. the waist measurement around the belly button is >40 inches in a male and 35 inches in a female
3. the BMI [ Body Mass Index ] found in tables is greater than 26

40% of Americans will be on an unsuccessful diet this next 12 months

What should you be doing? First, DO NOT resort to quick fix diets, pills or “voodoo” prescribed by diet doctors or multi level marketing companies. We will be discussing sensible ways to address weight loss through out the next year.

What should I weigh?
If you are a male then the following equation works for you
For your first 60 inches of height use 107 # and to that add 6# X every inch over 60 inches
EG. 6 feet 2 inch man would be 107 + [ 14 X 6 ] = 191 # for a good body weight
Add 10% for healthy fat and you have 210# for a good weight
If you are a female then the following equation works for you
For your first 60 inches of height use 106 # and to that add 5 # X every inch over 60 inches
EG. 5 feet 6 inch woman would be 106 + [ 6 X 5 ] = 141 # for a good body weight
Add 10% for healthy fat and you have 155# for a good weight

How many calories should I eat to lose weight?

Resting Metabolic Rate is the calories burned for sitting in a chair, awake and doing nothing.
For a male: 900 + [10 X # kg ] = Calories N.B. Kg = weight in pounds divided by 2.2
EG. 220 # man is 900 + [ 10 X 100 ] = 1900 calories
For a female: 800 + [ 7 X # kg ] = Calories
EG. 155# woman is 800 + [ 7 X 70 ] = 1290 calories

To the Resting Metabolic Rate multiply the activity factor
1.2 for sedentary job: Our male would be 2280 calories and female 1540 calories
1.4 for moderate activity: Our male would be 2660 calories and female 1806 calories
1.6 for active life style: Our male would be 3040 calories and female 2064 calories

Now you know your weight and calorie maintenance so JOIN the 250 Club. Eat 250 less calories per day and use / burn 250 more calories per day. Remember to lose a pound of weight then 3500 calories must be lost and the 250 Club would help you lose 52 pounds in a year with out much change in life style.

Ed writes what not to do when on a healthy living plan:
This morning I rowed 7 km which should take care of the cheese on the hamburger and most of the onion rings, walked 2 miles which should take care of the lemon meringue pie and lifted weights which should take care of the hamburger bun. The rest of the hamburger, the coke, a hand full of peanuts and the hot fudge Sunday is still up for grabs. Ed

We will discuss more on healthy living in subsequent additions. Happy Living