Weight Control
The topic of "weight loss" has become commonplace in American Society. For many, the topic has become obsessive and compulsive, particularly among young people. Often, this age group is unrealistic about their self-image wanting to either be more thin than is healthy, or thinking that they will "grow out" of their excessive weight. The media (newspapers and TV), advertising, family, friends and other children all affect the way in which we perceive ourselves. A simple tool to help you better determine if you are overor underweight if to evaluate your body mass index (BMI).
The BMI evaluates your weight/frame ratio by looking at the relationship between your height and weight. Using the table below (modified from David C. Nieman, 1995, Fitness and Sports Medicine; A Health-Related Approach, (3rd edition), Bull Publishing Co: Palo Alto, CA), take a ruler and draw a straight line between your height in inches and your weight in pounds. The point on the center line that intersects with the ruler is your BMI.
As a general rule, boys should have a BMI of between 21 and 27.3 and girls between 20 and 27.8. Those children who are either lower or higher than their respective range should strive to move into that range through eating modification and exercise. YOUR DOCTOR CAN BEST DETERMINE WHAT YOUR APPROPRIATE WEIGHT SHOULD BE and can help you in safely achieving your goals.
Regardless of whether or not you need to lose or gain weight, a regular program of healthy eating and aerobic exercise will help promote some of the following benefits:
- a lower resting heart rate
- a greater aerobic capacity (ability to use oxygen and perform longer)
- a more normal blood pressure
- lower triglycerides and blood fats (cholesterol)
- reduced stress
- more energy and a better sense of "well being "
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