The prevalence of obesity is increasing. It was recently revealed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics that 55.2% of Australians are overweight or obese.
Why is it important to maintain weight within the healthy range?
There are many long-term effects of being overweight.
These include:
High cholesterol | High blood pressure | Heart disease | Type 2 diabetes
Stroke | Gall Stones | Polycystic ovary disease | Arthritis | Back pain
What is a healthy weight?
Overweight and obesity is defined by the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is calculated by dividing your weight in kg by your height in metres squared [BMI = Weight/Height2].
For example Mary's height is 1.65m and she weighs 64kg, her BMI is 64/(1.65x1.65) = 64/2.72 = 23.5
BMI Classification less than 20 Underweight | 20 - 25 Healthy | 25 - 30 Overweight | above 30 Obese
Mary's BMI of 23.5 is therefore within the "Healthy" range
What are the causes of overweight/obesity?
There are many factors that can contribute to the development of overweight and obesity. These can include:
Eating too much food | Eating food that is high in calories |
Not being physically active | Genetics
What should I eat to lose weight?
Weight loss should be slow. FAD diets that promote rapid weight loss in a short period only encourage short-term changes to eating patterns. As a result weight is often regained.
It is important to eat a balanced diet every day. Try and include:
- Fruit (2 serves per day): 1 serve = 1 whole medium fruit (banana, apple) or 2 small fruits (apricots or kiwi fruit) or 4 dried apricots or 1 cup of tinned fruit in natural juice, drained.
- Vegetables (5 serves per day): 1 serve = 1 medium potato or ½ cup of leafy green vegetables (cabbage, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower) or 1 cup salad vegetables or ½ cup of legumes (lentils, chickpeas, dried beans)
- Breads and Cereal Products (4-7 serves per day): 1 serve = 2 slices of wholegrain bread or 1 cup of cooked rice, pasta or noodles or 1 cup of wholegrain breakfast cereal. Whole grain breads and cereals break down slower in the gut and therefore may assist in controlling blood glucose levels.
- Meat, fish or poultry (1-2 serves per day): 1 serve = 65-100g cooked lean meat/chicken or 2 small eggs or 80-120g cooked fish fillet. Any type of fish in the diet is beneficial. If using tinned fish, buy fish in water rather than brine, as it is high in salt. People with diabetes are also at higher risk of developing heart disease. It is important to limit saturated fat intake as this has been linked to heart disease. Removing all visible fat from uncooked meat and chicken before cooking will help reduce the intake of saturated fat.
- Dairy Foods (2-3 serves per day): 1 serve = 1 glass of milk (250mL), 2 slices of cheese (40g) or 1 individual tub of yoghurt (200g). Low fat dairy products are a good choice for people trying to lose weight. They also help to reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet.
- Extras (0-2 serves per week): Eg 1 serve = 1 can of soft drink, 1 medium piece of cake, 1 bun, 3-4 sweet biscuits, 30g potato crisps, 2 scoops of ice cream, ½ slice of pizza. These foods should be included in the diet occasionally as they are likely to contain high levels of fat, sugar and salt. They also tend to be high in calories.
These changes to your diet should be life-long. This will help you maintain your body weight.
Should I exercise? Does it really help?
Exercise can assist with weight loss and maintenance. For weight loss to occur, the calories used in one day must be greater than the calories you eat. It is important to keep active as this will use up calories. Exercise can also help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It is recommended that you do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days of the week. This can be brisk walking, bike riding, swimming, ballroom or line dancing. The 30 minutes of exercise a day can be broken up into smaller intervals. For example 3 by 10 minute intervals per day.