It is important to find a balance regarding our weight and body fat percentage. Being either underweight or overweight can have negative effects on our health, and being obese can have very significant negative effects. If a person is below a healthy weight for their age, and has a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5, they are considered underweight. On the flip side, if a person is above a healthy weight for their age, or has a BMI ranging from 25 to 29.9, they are considered to be overweight. A person is considered obese when their weight is significantly above a healthy weight and has a BMI of 30 or higher. However, BMI is not always an accurate way to measure being overweight or obese because it does not account for muscle mass, which actually weighs more than fat. Here is a link for a BMI calculator. http://www.bmi-calculator.net/. Just keep in mind, BMI may not be an accurate indicator if an indivdual has a large amount of dense muscle mass.

Many people are not familiar with the risks of being underweight. However, these risks can be as severe as the risks associated with being overweight. Overly thin people can be at a disadvantage in a hospital if an operation requires them to go without food for a prolonged duration of time due to tests or medical procedures. People who are underweight also run a greater risk of being more considerably effected from diseases known as wasting diseases. “People with cancer often die not from the cancer itself, but from starvation” (Sizer & Whitney, p. 325). People who are underweight have less of a reserve to use when they are unable to eat normally.

People who are underweight often suffer from an eating disorder. Some people are just ectomorphs, meaning they have a harder time maintaining weight due to a fast metabolism and a slight frame. In order to prevent being under weight, it is important to understand our personal body type. Whatever the reason, if someone is underweight, they must obviously consume more calories per day in order to surpass the amount of calories they expend each day. It is still just as essential to make sure food choices are dense with the recommend nutritional sources, but underweight individuals should aim to consume more of those nutrients, especially unsaturated fats.

Conversely, the risks of being overweight are generally more prevalent and more severe. Being overweight, especially significantly overweight, accounts for a large percentage of chronic diseases. “Over 70 percent of obese people suffer from at least one major health problem” (Sizer & Whitney, p. 326). Heart disease is the number one cause of death in America, and is directly related to excess body fat. Several other chronic diseases are also attributed to being overweight, such as: diabetes, stroke, cancer, liver disease, and respiratory problems. Being severely overweight also causes more stress on bones, muscles, ligaments and joints, often causing chronic pain and more rapid deterioration of these areas. 

In the case of overweight or obese individuals it is vital to expend more calories than they consume each day. This may seem obvious, but unfortunately, 33 percent of Americans are overweight, while approximately 18 percent are obese. Overweight and obese people tend to eat more saturated fat, processed carbohydrates and sugar, and they not only tend to overeat at each meal, but also to eat too infrequently. The best way to speed up metabolism is to eat several small portions throughout the day instead of a few large meals. The recommendation for this is three small meals with three snacks in between those meals, about two to three hours apart. Those meals and snacks should consist of fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains, lean protein sources and unsaturated fats. In order to prevent being overweight or obese it is important to make these nutritional recommendations a part of everyday lifestyle instead of a short term diet. Dieting makes it harder to keep weight off in the long run, while making proper nutrition a part of one’s lifestyle allows for better long term success in maintaining a healthy weight and body fat percentage.

In order to maintain a healthy weight and BMI, it is imperative to find a balance in diet, as well as exercise routine. Eating too little or too much, or eating food without the proper nutrients can lead to being under, or overweight. It is important to eat for health purposes, instead of being an emotional eater or eating until we are overly full. People should determine how many calories they should consume daily in order to maintain an energy balance. This means the amount of calories we consume should match the amount of calories we burn throughout the day. It is also important to incorporate exercise into our daily routine in order to ensure this balance is being met. These requirements can be determined by using the DRI committee to find personal Estimated Energy Requirements (EER). “The DRI committee has established a method for determining an individual’s approximate energy output” (Sizer & Whitney, p. 331).

Resources

Sizer, F. & Whitney, E. (2011). Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies of Nutrition (12th ed).  Mason, OH: Cenage Learning