Thursday, June 16 2005 19:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Let us discuss about various ways of gaining as well as losing weight. The Body Mass Index, or BMI, defines all healthy weight, overweight and obesity. The formula is BMI equals weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared (BMI = kg/m2). A BMI over 25 is considered overweight, a BMI over 30 is considered obese. A medical diagnosis generally takes into account factors such as age and sex.

The energy quotient of food is measures as "calories". When a person consumes more calories (and thus the body creates more glucose) than the body can "burn" it is stored as fat. When the body burns more calories than a person consumes, the extra energy is taken from the fat stores (and when there are no fat stores, from the muscle tissue). So to lose weight, eat less than you burn. In short, if your food contains more fat than that is needed to meet the energy needs of the body; this will ultimately make you fat! So will excess intake of carbohydrates.

How to solve this problem? The best way is to have a fitness plan that includes Aerobic activity and weight training. Aerobic activity can be cycling, running, rowing, swimming, aerobic classes, and like activities. The digestion system breaks down all sugars and starches into glucose. The body's metabolic and cellular processes use that glucose as energy. Aerobic activity helps to increase the amount of calories the body will burn, thus limiting the amount of "unhealthy" weight.

Weight training helps to build muscle tissue and increase bone density. Both of these will increase the amount of "healthy" weight. Additionally, the greater the amount of muscle tissue, the higher the resting metabolic rate will be. In other words, as you build muscle, more fat is burned even while you are at rest.

Be a little conscious about the food habits you have. Don't pile up on the junk foods, white flour, processed, sugar, high fat foods. Eat lots of healthy grains, fruits and vegetables and add protein (don't over do it). But don't forget to keep the exercise in! You don't want that extra weight to turn into extra fat.

So a regular exercise with a planned diet could help in keeping you fit. It is also advisable to have a bit of Knowledge of your family history on health. At times particular individual tend to gain weight and that may me due to hereditary. Not only that even some medicines at times, may lead to an increase in weight. But that does not mean, you should get paranoid about weight and start taking those cheap pills that claims to make one slimmer. After all, it is all about perception. In the name of diet, you do not pay through your nose. So, eat drink and be happy!

Part I - Are you worried about that excess weight?