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What's This
Thing Called a Body Mass Index
From
eDiets - The online diet, fitness, and healthy living resource
What's this thing called a BMI and why is it so
important to me?
Here's what the experts at America's leading
online weight loss website have to say:
Body mass index, or BMI, is a new term to most
people. However, it is the measurement of choice for many physicians and
researchers studying obesity. BMI uses a mathematical formula that takes into
account both a person's height and weight. BMI equals a person's weight in
kilograms divided by height in meters squared. (BMI=kg/m2)
If your BMI is high, you may have an increase
risk of developing certain illnesses, including hypertension, cardiovascular
disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis or infertility.
Now's the perfect time to learn your risk of a
life-threatening illness. Step on your scale then
go to our BMI calculator.
According to eDiets and the American Cancer
Society (www.cancer.org), "Controlling your weight can help you feel better and
more energetic, and it's important for your health. It's good for heart
disease. It's good for diabetes. And now, we know it's good for cancer,
too."
Much like eDiets, the ACS is spreading the word
that eating a healthy diet and being physically active are important ways to
reduce your risk of cancer and the above-mentioned diseases.
The ACS also says being overweight may put
you at a greater risk not only for cancer, but also for heart disease,
hypertension, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis and stroke. In fact, a third of
all cancer deaths that occur each year in the U.S. can be prevented through
healthy eating and physically active lifestyles.
Scary, huh? It doesn't have to be. All you got to
do is achieve and maintain a healthy BMI.
Here are a few tips from the ACS for reducing
your risk of disease.
- Eat at least five servings of fruits and
vegetables every day.
- Eat a variety of whole grains whenever you can,
rather than processed grains. The nutrients in whole grains have been
associated with lower risk of cancers such as colon cancer.
- Limit your consumption of red meats, but don't
forgo protein-rich foods. Choose fish, poultry or beans instead.
- Get two servings of dairy products per day,
preferably ones that are low in fat.
- Limit alcohol and high-sugar foods and
beverages. These add calories but very few nutrients, and alcohol can
contribute to cancer risk.
- Consider your portion sizes, no matter what
you're eating. If you're eating out, ask your waiter to wrap up half your
entrée before bringing it to your table.
- Get at least 30 minutes of moderate activity at
least five days per week.
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