Healthy Diet + Exercise = "ZERO" Obesity

    Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/ or increased health problems, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis, gall bladder disease, and certain reproductive disorders. Obesity in Canada is a growing health concern with health officials stating that it is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in Canada. According to Forbes, Canada ranks 35 on a 2007 list of fattest countries with a percentage of 61.1% of its citizens with an unhealthy weight.

  

     Many people may be wondering, "Am I obese?" Men are considered obese when they have a body fat percentage greater than 25%. Women are considered obese when they have a body fat percentage greater than 30%. The body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) measurement are two tools used by health professionals to help assess your risk of developing health problems associated with being overweight and underweight. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but it does correspond fairly closely to direct measures of body fat in most people. The BMI is calculated using a person's height and weight. Based on these standards, a person with a BMI of 30 or above is considered obese, and a person with a BMI of 40 or higher is considered morbidly obese. 

• To calculate your BMI and level of risk, click BMI Calculator / BMI Chart or see your doctor. 

How to minimize your risk? 
There are several ways to prevent obesity, and exercise is one of the most effective. It is also important for people who are overweight or obese to incorporate exercise into their daily activity. The best way to lose weight is to do so gradually by engaging in regular physical activity and eating a balanced diet. An active lifestyle can help anyone. In fact, 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week can significantly improve your health. Regular physical activity can also make you feel better because it:

• Helps keep your bones, muscles, and joints healthy.
• Reduces anxiety and depression and boosts your mood.
• Helps control your weight.
• Helps you fell more energetic.
• Improves your self-esteem.

Remember to appreciate yourself. If you cannot do an activity, do not be hard on yourself. Feel good about what you can do. Be proud of pushing yourself up out of a chair or walking a short distance. Pat yourself on the back for even trying if you cannot do it the first time, it may be easier the next time!

Types of Physical Activity: There are many physical activities that large people can do without special skills or a lot of equipment.

• Weight-bearing activities: walking, climbing stair, and golfing, which involve lifting or pushing your own body weight.
• Non-weight-bearing activities: swimming, which put less stress on your joints because you do not have to lift or push your own weight.
• Lifestyle activities: gardening or washing the car, which are great ways to get moving. 

    Healthy eating builds a healthy body and is important for maintaining a healthy body weight in order to prevent obesity. Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods. Canada's Food Guide and other nutrition publications provide information that can help you make wise food choices. In addition, it is always helpful to use the Nutrition Facts table on food products to help you make informed food choices.

•  Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods: you need more than 40 different nutrients for good health and no single food supplies them all. Use the Food Guide Pyramid and the Nutrition Facts table on food labels as handy references.
• Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetable: Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy some of these at first, try other kinds.
• Eat moderate portions: If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it is easier to eat the foods you want and stay healthy.
• Eat regular meals: Skipping meals can lead to out-of -control hunger, often resulting in overeating. When you are very hungry, it is also tempting to forget about good nutrition. Snacking between meals can help curb hunger, but don't eat so much that your snack becomes an entire meal.

 We are what we eat, thus it is essential to pay close attention to what we take in, how we take in and how it affects our health. And remember that physical activity does not have to be hard or boring to be good for you. Anything that gets you moving around, even for only a few minutes a day, is a healthy start to getting more fit. Therefore, Healthy diet + Physical activities plays a huge role in today's modern world in order to prevent or/ lower the chance to become obese. 

 

 References

Clinaero, Inc. (2006-2011). BMI Calculator.
                 Retrieved July 02, 2011, from http://bmi.emedtv.com/bmi-calculator/bmi-calculator.html
Clinaero, Inc. (2006-2011). BMI Chart.
                 Retrieved July 02, 2011, from http://bmi.emedtv.com/bmi/bmi-chart.html
Health Canada. (2011, March 07). Canada's Food Guide.
                 Retrieved July 02, 2011, from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php
Health Canada. (2006, December 15). Obesity.
                 Retrieved July 02, 2011, from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/life-vie/obes-eng.php
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (2011, March 23). Obesity in Canada.
                 Retrieved July 02, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity_in_Canada
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. (2011, June 18). Obesity.
                 Retrieved July 02, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity