Overweight & Obesity

 

What is overweight and obesity?

Overweight and obesity are conditions where weight is greater than the healthy limit for a given height due to excess body fat. For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are calculated from weight and height measurements to establish a number called the “body mass index” (BMI).

BMI = WEIGHT/HEIGHT2

It is imperative to remember that while BMI correlates with the amount of body fat, BMI does not directly measure body fat. Therefore, some people, such as athletes who are lean and /or muscular, may have a BMI that identifies them as overweight even though they do not have excess body fat.

BMI: below 18.5    UNDERWEIGHT   BMI: 18.5 – 24.9     NORMAL
BMI: 25.0-29.9   OVERWEIGHT   BMI: above 30    OBESE

Other methods of estimating body fat and body fat distribution include measurements of skin fold thickness and waist circumference, calculation of waist-to-hip circumference ratios, and techniques such as ultrasound, computed tomography, and magscore.

What causes overweight and obesity?

  • Consuming more kilojoules than the body needs by:
    • Eating a diet high in fat and fat products
    • Eating large portions of food or excessive amounts of food
    • Eating excess sugar and sugary foods
  • Insufficient exercise to burn the extra kilojoules

What are the risks of overweight and obesity?

Being overweight or obese increases the risk of many diseases and health conditions. These include:

  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
  • Sleep apnea and respiratory problems

HELPFUL HINTS

  • Follow a weight loss program.
  • Start doing some exercise.  Every bit counts.
  • Watch what you eat.
  • Watch portion sizes.
  • When shopping read labels and buy healthy foods

WEIGHT REDUCING DIETARY GUIDELINES

A weight reduction or energy restricted diet should contain all food groups with the portion sizes and frequencies differing according to individual needs. Losing small amounts of weight can improve your health. A sensible rate of weight loss is 0.5 – 1.0 kg each week. Maintaining weight loss is just as important as losing it in the first place.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

  • These may be fresh, frozen or tinned.
  • Aim to eat 5 fruit and vegetables a day.
  • Encourage fresh fruit rather than fruit juice as a routine snack

FAT

  • Eat a low fat diet.
  • Use light or low fat spread on bread and always spread thinly. If you use margarine or butter, spread thinly.
  • Avoid fried food rather grill, bake, roast and poach your food instead.
  • If you have to fry your food, stir fry occasionally using small amounts of oil or spray ‘n cook to lightly coat the pan.
  • Cut down on pastry, cakes, biscuits and chocolate.
  • FAT MAKES YOU FAT!

PROTEIN

MEAT

  • Trim visible fat off meat and take the skin off poultry.
  • Portion size for any lean meat:
    • Main meal 75 – 100g cooked
    • Snack meal 20 – 50g cooked

FISH

  • Try to include fish once or twice a week.
  • Portion size for fish:
    • Main meal 100 – 125g cooked
    • Snack meal 25 – 50g cooked

DAIRY FOODS

  • Choose low fat dairy, such as low fat or fat free milk, low fat and light cheese and low fat yoghurts
  • Sugar free flavourings (cocoa, artificial sweetener, vanilla essence) can be added to milk

CARBOHYDRATES

  • Eat more complex carbohydrates instead of refined ones, e.g. whole-wheat and wholegrain breads and breakfast cereals, rice - brown and normal and durum wheat pasta. These foods are filling and low in fat.
  • Try not to add too much fat (butter/margarine/oil) to starchy food.

FOOD CONTAINING SUGAR

  • Keep intake of sugar low.
  • If you do drink sugary drinks, try to gradually reduce it, and replace it with artificial sweetener.
  • Drink water, sugar-free or diet soft drinks.
  • Limit your intake of confectionary, dessert, cakes and biscuits.

MISCELLANEOUS

ALCOHOL

  • Limit alcohol as it is high in calories
  • 1 g of alcohol is equal to 7 calories/28 kilojoules.

DIET TIPS

1. Eat regular meals – include a starchy food at each meal, such as bread, potato rice, pasta or a breakfast cereal
2. Do not eat too much sugar or sugary foods
 
a. Avoid excess sugar containing foods: Sweets, chocolates, sugar coated breakfast cereals, fruit squashes, fizzy drinks, sugary cakes and biscuits and puddings made from sugar.
3. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables – all fruits contain natural sugars, and should be spread evenly throughout the day.
4. Eat less fat
 
a. Eat less fatty foods
b. Grill, bake, boil, steam or microwave instead of frying
c. Use limited amounts of olive oil and canola oil when cooking
d. Choose a margarine that is low in saturated fats and high in mono-unsaturated fats (Canola or olive)
e. Use low fat or fat free milk
f. Try eating oily fish for Omega-3’s like salmon, sardines, pilchards
g. Be careful of foods labeled as “low fat” such as biscuits, cakes, desserts, and ice cream. These foods often contain a lot of sugar and are not suitable for your diet.
5. See a dietitian for a proper meal plan to suit your individual need.