Weight: Do You Know Where to Aim?

 
Have you hit the bull's eye? Do you even know where you're aiming? When you step on the scale and look at the needle, do you know if you meet the weight recommendations set by the US Dept. of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines for Americans?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are a set of nutrition recommendations developed to promote a healthy lifestyle. The 1980 Dietary Guidelines called for maintaining an "ideal" weight; in 1990, that changed to maintaining a "healthy" weight.

Over the years, the recommendations became more specific. In 1995, the recommendations noted, "If you are overweight and have one of these problems (high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, certain types of cancer, arthritis, breathing problems) you should try to lose weight."

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2000 suggest aiming for a "healthy weight." Most Americans, however, may not know how to define a "healthy" weight. Overweight refers to an excess of body weight, but not necessarily body fat. Obesity means an excessively high proportion of body fat. Health professionals use a measurement called body mass index (BMI) to classify an adult's weight as healthy, overweight, or obese.

BMI describes body weight relative to height and is strongly correlated with total body fat content in most adults. To get your approximate BMI using pounds and inches, multiply your weight in pounds by 700, then divide the result by your height in inches, and divide that result by your height in inches a second time. Or you can use the interactive BMI calculator at www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ .

The table below will provide you with the BMI ranges and respective weight status.

BMI	Weight Status
Below 18.5	Underweight
18.5 - 24.9	Normal
25.0 - 29.9	Overweight
30.0 and Above	Obese

Now, the larger question is risk of associated disease based on your BMI and waist size. In addition to a high BMI, having excess abdominal body fat is a health risk. Men with a waist of more than 40 inches around and women with a waist of 35 inches or more are at risk for health problems. Below is a chart for you to follow to determine risk:

Risk of Associated Disease According to BMI and Waist Size
BMI	Weight	Waist less than or equal to 40 in. (men) or 35 in. (women)	Waist greater that 40 in. (men) or 35 in. (women)
18.5 or less	Underweight	--	N/A
18.5 24.9	Normal	--	N/A
25.0 29.9	Overweight	Increased	High
30.0 34.9	Obese	High	Very High
35.0 39.9	Obese	Very High	Very High
40 or greater	Extremely Obese	Extremely High	Extremely High

It is excess body fat that leads to health problems such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Obesity, once thought by many to be a moral failing, is now classified as a disease. It is a complex chronic disease involving social, behavioral, cultural, physiological, metabolic and genetic factors. Although experts may have different theories on how and why people become overweight, they generally agree the key to losing weight is a simple message: Eat less and move more. Your body needs to burn more calories than you take in.

So, now you know what a healthy weight is, start aiming for it!

By Kerri Hawkins, Senior, UNH Nutritional Sciences Major and Valerie Long, UNH Cooperative Extension Specialist, Food and Nutrition