Posted Jan 19, 2011
We are approaching the third week of January, the time by which some experts predict our New Year’s resolutions to lose weight have already hit the skids. Not to be discouraged, however. Healthy Weight Week (January 16-22) is here to help us “celebrate healthy living habits that last a lifetime and prevent eating and weight problems, rather than intensifying them, as diets do.”
Come again? “Diets” can set us up for a lifetime of freaky eating styles and dangerous nutritional deficiencies if we are not careful which “diet” we follow. Experts who sponsor Healthy Weight Week encourage us to begin a new journey this year…take steps to “eat normally” that will help prevent weight problems over our lifetime.
How do we eat “normally”? Francie Berg, Chairman of this year’s Healthy Weight Week, says, “Normal eating means having a healthy relationship with food that is natural, trusting and flexible.” People who eat normally:
-Eat at regular times…usually three meals and one or two snacks each day (but sometimes we don’t and we don’t beat ourselves up);
-Eat to satisfy hunger – -that sensation when our body says “I need to eat now” – -not to satisfy emotions;
-Stop eating when we no longer feel hungry, not when the last piece of cheesecake is gone;
-Eat when our inner signals tell us we are hungry, not when the donuts show up.
-Concentrate on healthful habits, not numbers on the scale. Examples of “healthful habits” include: taking a walk instead of camping out in front of the television; choosing a salad instead of curly fries; eating an orange instead of drinking an orange soda for a snack).
And how do we determine if we are at a “healthy weight”? Start by calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI): Weight (in pounds) x 703. Divide that number by height (in inches). Divide that number by height (in inches) again. “Normal” weights within a BMI range of 20.0 to 24.9 are associated with the lowest risk for overall health problems.
There are exceptions to this BMI, however. People of Asian descent need to go by a lower BMI scale than Caucasians. (Normal BMI range for Asians is 18.5-22.9).This is based on good evidence that diabetes, heart disease and other health problems show up at weights that would be considered normal for Europeans or Caucasians.
BMI may also not be a good indicator of normal weight for body builders and other muscle-packing individuals (Arnold comes to mind). These folks may be “overweight” due to extra muscle, not extra fat. Body composition tests are helpful for these folks.
Ready to hit a different road to health this year? Check out www.healthyweight.net for more ideas.
(Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. She is the author of Diabetes DTOUR Diet, Rodale, 2009. Email her at bquinn@chomp.org mailto:bquinn@chomp.org .)