Weight management

Definition

Weight management means keeping your body weight at a healthy level.

Information

The terms "overweight" and "obese" are used to describe excess body weight. They do NOT mean the same thing.

Overweight can mean being very heavy in weight but not necessarily having a large amount of body fat. Overweight may mean more muscle, which is due to more lean body tissue. An athletic person can weigh more than is recommended based on desirable body weight calculations, but would not be considered obese because most of the weight is from muscle and not from fat.

Obese refers to a large percentage of body fat, no matter what the actual body weight is. People can be obese and weigh an appropriate amount for their height because a large percentage of their weight is from fat.

Weight management for people who have been overweight involves continued physical activity and monitoring of the amount of food eaten.

UNDERWEIGHT

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are eating disorders associated with a negative alteration in body image. Anorexia nervosa is a disorder of extreme self-imposed limitations of food, resulting in dangerously rapid weight loss to the point of starvation. This disorder is most commonly found in adolescent females, but may also occur in males, children, and adults.

Bulimia is binge eating followed by self-induced vomiting and is frequently associated with anorexia nervosa. Often times there is no significant weight loss and the condition may not come to medical attention until the individual seeks help.

Excessive intentional weight loss can cause a person to be dangerously underweight. For these people, weight management involves maintaining sufficient intake of food to prevent losing the weight that has been gained.

ARE YOU OVERWEIGHT OR UNDERWEIGHT?

The percentage of body fat can be determined by a registered dietitian or an exercise physiologist. Recommendations on body fat ranges follow:

The average adult woman in the United States has approximately 22 to 25% body fat. A healthy amount is 20 to 21%. A ratio of 30% body fat is considered obese.

Adult men in the United States average 17 to 19% body fat; 25% or higher is considered obese, and a desirable amount is 13 to 17%.

An easy way to determine your own desirable body weight is to use the following formula:

• Women: 100 pounds for the first 5 feet of height plus 5 pounds for each additional inch.
  
• Men: 106 pounds of body weight for the first 5 feet of height plus 6 pounds for each additional inch.