Staying Healthy-Knowing Your Body
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March 24th, 2008
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Staying Healthy-Knowing Your Body
What Is Your Ideal Weight?
A lot of us get hung up on that number on the scale. But weight doesn’t tell you much about your health and fitness status or even how you look! A crucial part of determining how much you should weigh has to do with what makes up that weight. For example, is our weight made up of a healthy ratio of muscle, bone, and fat? Knowing this can help you determine your scale reading.
Unfortunately, limits on “desirable” thinness have not been set. The popular notion is that, as long as a woman isn’t “badly” anorexic, being thin is not hazardous. Our standard of normal body size has become so thin that average weight people are considered abnormal. What has actually been proven, however, is that people on both extremes of the continuum (excessively tin or over 100 pounds above the norm) have increased health risks. The majority of those who consider themselves “overweight” are not. To get a better idea of your health, you should consider your weight, body mass, and body fat percentage.
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Ideal Weight
A lower body weight is not necessarily the goal to improve your health or enhance your appearance. Have you ever heard it said that muscle weighs more than fat? What that means is that muscle is more dense than fat. A pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat, but muscle mass is more compact and only takes up 1/3 the space! If you go on a healthy weight loss program, which includes regular exercise, you will almost certainly gain muscle and lose fat. The scale may stay the same or may even go up, but you lose inches, since muscle takes up less space. |
Body Mass Index
The body mass index (BMI) is a screening tool to assess weight status. Keep in mind that BMI is only based on height and weight; it does not take into consideration your body composition or genetics. A healthy weight for you may be higher than the BMI standards. Your eating habits, physical activity patterns, other lifestyle choices, body composition and genetics are more important than any number on the scale in determining what weight is right for you. Use BMI as a rough indicator, and consult a health care professional to help you determine what weight is right for you. |
Body Fat Percentage
Some body types carry more fat than others-no matter what you eat or how much you exercise. Percent body fat does not necessarily tell you how healthy or fit you are, or tell you how you look. There are large-framed students who have a higher percentage of body fat who train for triathlons, exercising several times a week and eating a healthy balanced diet. Other students may be ultra-thin and have a lower percentage of body fat, but don’t consume adequate calories or nutrients, lack physical endurance and strength, and don’t look healthy or fit. |
Body Types
The social requirement that we achieve the “ideal weight” is based on the presumption that we can completely control our body size. In fact, the size and shape of our bodies are as genetically determined as skin and eye color.
Each one of us inherits a specific body type. Even though the media would have us think otherwise, there are really many healthy and normal body types. For ease of reference, body types have been categorized into three main types. Each body type has advantages over the others for certain activities, but a person with any body type can be healthy and fit and look great!
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Ectomorphs Ectomorphs are generally tall and thin and have long arms and legs. These people have difficulty gaining weight and muscle no matter how much they eat or how hard they weight train. They have the body type you tend to see in ballet dancers, runway models, long-distance runners, and some basketball players. A very small proportion of the population has this type of body. |
Mesomorphs Mesomorphs are generally muscular, shorter, and have stocky arms and legs. These people are strong and tend to gain muscle mass when they do strength training. They may find it difficult to lose weight, but they excel in power sports like soccer, softball, vaulting in gymnastics, sprinting events in track and field. |
Endomorphs Endomorphs are generally shaped like apples of pears and carry more body fat. Their bodies resist losing weight and body fat no matter how restrictive they are with their eating. In fact, the more they “diet,” the more their metabolisms slow down to resist weight loss. These people are better able to handle long periods of starvation and famine (which was a benefit to our ancestors). Sports they excel at are distance swimming, field events, and weight lifting. |
If you don’t think you fit into any of these, don’t worry. Many of us fall somewhere in between. The important thing to know is that there are many body types, and all of these types are normal.
Losing Fat
The only way to lose weight is to create a calorie deficit. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. So to lose ½ pound to 1 pound a week, that means creating a deficit of 250 to 500 calories per day (either by eating fewer calories or burning more in physical activity). Of course, genetic differences determine how easy it is for you personally to lose weight.
To increase the chances that you won’t gain it back, lose weight slowly! Decrease your intake slightly by 300-500 calories per day and increase your exercise level. Aim for about .5-2 lb. weight loss per week. If you are very overweight, 2 lb. per week is acceptable. But, if you only have a few pounds to drop, the rate should not exceed 0.5-1 lb. per week.
Of course before going on any diet, you need to consult your medical doctor. You can then discuss an optimal level of desired weight loss as well as a program that will be best for you and your lifestyle.
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