Food and Fitness

Maintaining a Healthful Weight

The Myth of the Ideal Body Weight

All bodies come in many different shapes and sizes

Image of an “Ideal” Body – Desperately try to reach that idea– Usually it is a losing battle

Traits passed down through heredity

What is Healthy Weight? Successful weight management starts

with accepting the body you were born with

Take steps to achieve a healthy weight within your body limits– Important to be fit and healthy what ever

your shape is even if you may never look like a model or

famous athlete

What is a Healthy Weight? One that will help you say healthy

throughout your life Minimizes your risk of lifestyle diseases Variety of methods are used to evaluate

whether a person is at a healthy weight Common methods involve determining body

mass index, body fat percentage, and waist-to-hip ratio

Body Mass Index Ratio of weight to height Compute your BMI by doing the

following:– 1. Record your weight in pounds– 2. Measure your height in inches– 3. Multiply your weight by 703; then divide

that number by your height squared (your height times itself)

Body Mass Index BMI

20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40+

Risk for health problems

Very Low Risk Low Risk Moderate Risk High Risk Very High Risk

Body Mass Index More accurate than just your weight

alone but not foolproof Examples:

– Bodybuilder may have a BMI of 30 or higher

– Athletes and other individuals with large muscles masses are not necessarily at risk

Body fat measurements may need to be taken

Body Fat Percentage Used instead of BMI Amount of body fat a person has in

relation to muscle Can be a more accurate measure than

the BMI Can show if the extra pounds are from

muscle, not fat

Body Fat Percentage Healthy body fat percentages for non-

athletes are approximately – 15 to 19 percent for males– 20 to 25 percent for females

Individuals above these ranges are said to be obese– Having excess body fat

Body Fat Percentages Athletes:

– Males: 5-10%– Females: 10-20%

Body fat percentages lower than these amounts can indicate an eating disorder

Waist-to-Hip Ratio A measurement of how fat is

distributed in the body This is where the variations of body

types comes into play– Pear-like shapes carry most of their fat on

the thighs and hips– Apple-like shapes carry most of their fat

over the abdomen

Waist-to-Hip Ratio Check body shape easily Stand relaxed and measure the waist

without pulling in stomach Measure the hips where they are the

largest Divide the waist measurements by the

hip measurement gives the waist-to-hip measurement

Waist-to-Hip Ratio Adult women should have a ratio no

higher than.80 Adult men should have no higher

than .95 Ratios above these limits may increase

the risk of health problems, even if BMI shows that weight is at a healthy level

Food and Fitness

Weight Management

Losing Excess Weight Overweight

– Weighing more than 10% over the standard weight for one’s height

Risk factor for the following:– Heart disease– Diabetes– Cancer– High Blood Pressure

Evaluation Weight Management Methods

Weight Management Diets– Eating Plans that reduce calorie intake for

weight loss Weight Management Centers

– Organizations that provide both an eating plan and psychological support

Weight Management Products– Pills shakes, prepared meals and more,

all sold with the promise of helping people lose weight

Fad Diets and Other Dangers Fad Diets

– Popular weight-loss methods that ignore sound nutrition principles

– RiskyWatch for:

– Very low calorie diets (800 or less)– Eating plans based on a single food– Fasting-going without food– Diet Pills– Plans that promise quick weight loss

Successful Weight Management

Behavior Modification– Making gradual permanent changes in

your eating and activity habitsSet Reasonable GoalsBe More ActiveChange Your Eating Habits

Food and Fitness

Keeping Active

Benefits of Activity Helps keep your body mobile

– Keeps muscles strong and flexible Helps improve physical health

– Regular activity can help you feel better by reducing stress and anxiety

– Studies show that active people have a brighter outlook on life

Types of Activity Lifestyle Activities

– Forms of physical activity that are a normal part of your daily health throughout a lifetime

Sports– Individual Sports

Activities that you can do by yourself– Bicycling

– Partner Sports Carried out with another person

– Nature Sports Interaction with nature

– Surfing, rock climbing, sailing, swimming

Types of Exercise Aerobic Exercise

– Vigorous activity in which oxygen is continuously taken for a period of at least 20 minutes

Healthy goal– Do aerobic exercise a minimum of 3 days

a week for at least 30 minutes

Types of Exercise Anaerobic Exercise

– Builds flexibility and endurance– Involves intense bursts of activity in which

the muscles work so hard that they produce energy without using oxygen

Examples:– Running the 100 meter dash– Resistance training