How Can I Tell If I’m Overweight?
How Can I Diet Naturally – In Detail. Being overweight can be a big problem – both mentally and physically. Luckily though, it’s far from being a permanent one, and by taking the right steps you can be down to a healthy weight and shape in no time at all.
So How Can I Tell If I’m Overweight?
The first thing you will notice is that you are buying all your clothes in ‘large’ or ‘extra-large’ sizes, and may need special measurements for rings, bracelets etc. You may also find yourself getting out of breath by doing simple tasks such as climbing the stairs, or taking the dog for a walk. Other common signs of overweight-ness are feeling cramped in seats in cinemas and on airplanes, and developing leg and back pains from carry around the extra weight.
There are much more precise ways of telling if you’re overweight however. One of them is the BMI or ‘Body Mass Index’. To calculate this, you start by simply taking your height in meters and multiplying it by itself (e.g. 1.70 x 1.70 = 2.89). Next, you find your weight in kilograms. To do this, simply divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 (e.g. 200 / 2.2 = 90.9). Finally, divide this answer by the answer you got from the first calculation (e.g. 90.9 / 2.89 = 31.5).
If you are overweight, your result is likely to be between 25 and 29.9 (30+ if you are obese). A healthy weight lies between 18.5 and 24.9.
However, this equation doesn’t account for the weight of your bones and muscles so can often be inaccurate. A better method is to calculate your body fat percentage, which is the amount of fat on your body as a proportion of your total weight. A great way to test this is by using the inexpensive ‘Accu-Measure skinfold calipers’ (type ‘accu-measure’ into a search engine to find out more about these). If you want to find out your body fat percentage for free, there are also many sites on the internet that can calculate it based on tape-measure readings.
A person who is overweight will usually have a body fat percentage of above 20%; although many scientists consider 20-25% to be acceptable.
What Are The Hazards of Being Overweight?
Aside from the difficulties listed above, being overweight can also pose serious health risks. Most of these are a lesser degree of the hazards of obesity. Overweight-ness has been thought to decrease life expectancy by three years at the age of 40 (Framingham Heart Study). Overweight people are also more susceptible to cancer, can be subject to discrimination and find it more difficult to find a partner or employment.
What Can Be Done About It?
Overcoming overweight-ness can be a lot easier than you think. Knowing ‘how can I tell if I’m overweight?’ is the first step – now you simply need to follow the right plan of diet and exercise. Make sure to find a proven diet program that will allow you to lose weight naturally, permanently and without sacrificing you metabolism. With the right information, you can easily transform your body like thousands of others to enjoy the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
