Weight loss and management.
For everyone, weight management means keeping body weight at a  healthy level. Regular exercise, balanced diet and moderate intake of food are the three fundamental principles, when it comes to successful weight control. The type of a weight management plan depends on, whether the person is underweight, normal, overweight or obese.
 Body mass index is a very useful tool and can determine, if a person's weight is healthy or not. BMI can help the individual to identify risks for certain diseases, including diabetes and hypertension. You can visit the pages with the relevant BMI calculators or tables on this site to find out what your body mass index is.
A formula, which is based on the person's somatotype and takes in consideration the gender and the height, is another good piece of information. See below how healthy body weight is determined in adult people.
Females: 100 pounds for the first 5 feet of height plus 5 pounds for each additional inch.
Males: 106 pounds of body weight for the first 5 feet of height plus 6 pounds for each additional inch.
For a small body frame, 10% should be subtracted, whereas 10% should be added for a large frame.
Body fat measurements are used to determine whether a person's weight is normal or not. A caliper is a device with two hinged legs and in-turned points. A registered dietician can calculate the percentage of total body fat by using this instrument and measuring the thickness of a skin fold. The recommended amount of body fat varies for men and women.
In females, the amount of body fat should be 20% - 21%. A woman having more than 30% body fat is considered obese. The average American woman has approximately 22% - 25% body fat.
For males, the recommended amount of fat is 13% - 17%. A man of 25% body fat or higher is considered obese. Adult men in the US present average 17 - 19% body fat.
Athletes usually have less and pregnant women have more body fat than the average figures.
Recommendations for an effective weight management.
Weight management, in people, who are overweight or obese, requires regular physical activity and control on the caloric intake. Below you can find a summary of very basic but important guidelines for a healthy way to manage your body weight. Of course, by trying the following link you can find more extensive weight loss tips.
Weight loss should not exceed a rate of one pound per week.
Aerobic exercise will result in improvement of muscle tissue, increase of basal metabolic rate and, apparently, in higher caloric consumption.
Physical activity, when combined with a healthy and well balanced diet, can help in development and maintenance of a desirable physique.
Moderate consumption of alcohol and soft drinks makes weight management a lot easier. |
