Weight Management | Baylor Scott & White Heart and Vascular Hospital

Managing your weight

Being overweight can put you at higher risk of many health problems, including heart disease and stroke

Diet, family history,stressandactivity levelall have an impact on your weight.

认识到当你已经达到了一个不健康的ght is the first step toward managing your weight.

Risks of being overweight

Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Some types of cancer
Liver disease
Heart disease and stroke
Gallbladder disease
Sleep apnea (breathing stops for short periods during sleep)
Osteoarthritis (wearing away of the joints)

A man and a woman smiling while riding bicycles

Determining body fat

Two simple methods—waist circumference and body mass index—are often used to measure the amount of a person's body fat

Ideal numbers

Waist measurement
Women: less than 35 inches
Men: less than 40 inches
Body mass index (BMI)
Less than 25

Waist Circumference

If you carry fat primarily around your waist, you are more likely to develop health problems than if you carry fat mainly in your hips and thighs. Women with a waist measurement of more than 35 inches, or men with a waist of more than 40 inches may have a higher disease risk than people with smaller waist measurements.

To measure your waist circumference, place a tape measure around your bare abdomen, just above your hipbone. Be sure that the tape is snug but does not compress your skin and is parallel to the floor. Relax, exhale and note the number.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Body mass index (or BMI) measures your weight in relation to your height. It is a reliable indicator of total body fat for both men and women, but it does have some limits. It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build. It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.

BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in pounds by your height in inches, then multiplying the result by 703.
(Weight in pounds divided by height in inches, then multiplied by 703=BMI)

Calculate your BMI

The higher your BMI is above 25, the greater chance you may have of developing health problems.

If your BMI is 25 or above, you should lose some weight. Even losing 10 pounds can make a difference in your health. Talk with your physician about weight loss goals that are safe and realistic for you. Losing as little as 5 to 15 percent of your body weight over a six-month period or more can go far in improving your health. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, losing 5 percent means losing 10 pounds.

Healthy way to reduce your weight

Avoid fad diets

With strict dieting, you may take weight off fast, but you'll likely put the pounds back on. This is the healthy way to reduce your weight:

Change what you eat

Eat fewer calories
Eat as little fat as possible, especially saturated fats

Change how you eat

Eat when you're hungry, not when you're tired, stressed, lonely or bored
Don't skip meals. If you're not hungry, eat less, but eat something
Make breakfast or lunch your main meal and eat a light dinner