By: Amanda Schroeder

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions, not only in our country, but all over the world. In 2014, 70.7% of American adults over the age of 20 were considered either overweight or obese. That’s nearly ¾ of our entire nation! But, here comes the really sad part. A survey from 2012 shows that adults are not the only ones affected by this epidemic. In the survey, 20.5% of adolescents from 12-19 years old, 17.7% of children from 6-11 years old, and 8.4% of children from 2-5 years old were considered obese. These numbers break my heart! Maintaining a healthy body weight is about so much more than vanity; it’s about allowing you (and your children) to live as many happy and healthy years on this planet as you possibly can! So, how do you know if you’re in a healthy weight range? Well, there are two factors you should consider: your body mass index (BMI) and the size of your waist.

A BMI is a value calculated by taking into account your height, weight, and, for those under the age of 20, your age. The CDC’s BMI calculators for children and teens and for adults can help you figure out what your number is! Once you’re equipped with that number, you can place yourself into a general category. For children, this is a bit more complicated, as it must also be compared to average growing rates. Adults, on the other hand, only need to look at the BMI.

(https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/)

This table shows which BMI ranges correspond to each weight status category. Keep in mind that this table is only applicable to adults. (If you check out the BMI calculator for children and teens, it will tell you where your child’s numbers fall in comparison to other children of the same height, sex, and age.)

The next factor to consider is the size of your waist. When you have excess body fat stored around your middle, your risk of developing obesity related diseases greatly increases. These diseases include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, some cancers, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, kidney disease, and osteoarthritis. In general, men should aim to have a waist circumference of less than 40 inches and a woman’s waist circumference should be less than 35 inches.

At this point, some of you might have found that you are not within the healthy BMI range, your waist is too large, or maybe even both. If that is the case for you, don’t stress! Do your best not to dwell on the past, but look to the future! What are you going to do about it?! If you are considered overweight or obese, research shows that losing as little as 5-10% of your body weight can reduce your risk for obesity related diseases. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, losing just 10-20 pounds can give you a much healthier future! And if you’re losing at a slow and steady pace of 1.5 pounds per week, it would only take about 6 – 14 weeks! (That’s only 1 ½ – 3 ½ months!) Just think about how recently it feels like you were watching 2015 come to a close and gearing up for 2016 – that was nearly 6 months ago! I know weight loss can seem to take forever, but it’s important to remember that health is a lifetime goal. And the time will pass anyway! Would you rather stay the same after 6 months have passed or take charge of your health and make a change? Chances are you’d rather become healthier! This is especially important if you have children. Your children are learning to become adults by watching you and your behaviors. If you don’t want your kids to watch so much TV or eat so much junk food, it all starts with your example. They won’t listen to what you say as much as they listen to what you do. The best way to give your kids healthy habits is to adopt them yourself!

So now that you’ve decided to make healthy changes (hooray!), here are a few things to get you started. (As always, make sure to consult your doctor before drastically changing your diet or exercise habits!)

1. Create a profile on SuperTracker. This website is such a great tool for monitoring nutritional intakes and physical activity. When you set up your profile, it will tell you exactly how many calories you should aim to consume each day to reach your goals. It will also allow you to keep track of the calories you burn through activity!
2. Fill up half of your plate at every meal with fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables contain lots of water and fewer calories than the other food groups, so you need to eat more of them!
3. Make every grain you eat a whole grain. Instead of white rice, choose brown rice. Or instead of white bread toast for breakfast, try oatmeal!
4. Stick to lean sources of protein. Switch over to turkey burgers or even try a black bean burger. (They’re good, I swear!) Or eat peas with your meal! Did you know that green peas have 9 g of protein per cup? I’ve even been known to hide a few peas in my fruit smoothies. They’re sweet!
5. Try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week. This can include riding your bike, walking around your neighborhood or taking a Zumba class with your friends. If you’re a busy bee, break it up into smaller increments throughout your day. As long as you’re doing at least 10 minutes at a time, it all counts! You can even just turn on your favorite music and dance around while you cook dinner. Who doesn’t love a silly, pre-dinner dance party??
6. Try to do strength training exercises at least two times per week. Strength training is anything that will strengthen your muscles, like push-ups, sit-ups or squats. My favorite strength training workout is Pilates! Have you tried it? If I’m being honest, I like it because you’re laying down almost the whole time (yes!), but it makes your muscles burn like crazy! And I get to do it in the comfort of my own living room. Whatever you love, do it!

References:

• http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm
• http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/weight-control/health_risks_being_overweight/Documents/hlthrisks1104.pdf
• https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list?qlookup=11305
• http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/appendix-1/