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Are you at your ideal weight? How do you know if you are or whether you are
underweight or overweight? The scale
that one’s steps on simply reflects a number.
It does not flash warning signs that you are at one of these
levels. You see, there are many who
think they are at a healthy weight when in fact they are not or they may think
they are fit when in fact that is not true either. These terms are relative to one’s
understanding of healthy weight and fitness.
A person’s body mass index (BMI) is one of the current ways to indicate
a person’s weight classification (Lorenzini, 2014). However, one's BMI does not take into account
their body structure nor their ratio of muscle to fat. As we look at what role an individual's diet has in our
weight we must be careful not to be too narrowly focused on mere numbers, but rather
we should be mindful of what we eat, how much we exercise, and what our ability
is to carry on with our desired activities.
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Diet is albeit one of the biggest factors in someone’s
weight. Each person’s daily need of
calories varies depending on age, weight, activity levels, muscle mass, and
body metabolism (Lewis, Smith, Taylor, Coe, 2001). If you are going to eat a diet high in fat
then it is more likely you will be overweight.
If a person continues those habits, it may lead to obesity. Fat grams count for twice as many calories
compared to carbohydrates and protein (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). It is not hard to understand that if one’s
diet is high in fat they will consume large amounts of calories very quickly
pushing them over the recommended daily intake and it does not take a very
large portion size to do it. Thus, a
person may look at the amount of food visually and think they are not over
consuming in the fat category. According
to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (n.d.), the average adult
should consume five ounces each of grain and protein, two cups of vegetables,
one and a half cups of fruit, and three cups of dairy totaling 1600 calories. This will ensure a well balanced diet that
provides all the essential calories, vitamins, and minerals the body needs to
function at its optimal level (Lorenzini, 2014). Consuming less than the recommended level
could lead to being underweight, whereas consuming more could lead to being
overweight or even obese. http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
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The more lean muscle tissue a person has the faster his/her
metabolism will be and the more fit they will look because muscle is tighter
and takes up less room (Lewis et al., 2001).
The USDA (n.d.) also recommends that an adult person get 150 minutes of
exercise a day to maintain healthy weight and fitness levels. Getting enough calories will prevent someone
from being underweight. If a person
exercises a lot and does not consume enough calories to replenish the body’s
needs that person may become underweight.
Once again, people need to be educated on how much to eat and from what
food groups to ensure that they do not fall into the categories of being underweight,
overweight, or obese.
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References
Lewis, C., Smith, K., Taylor, N., & Coe, D. (2001). First place: Member’s guide. Ventura,
CA: Gospel Light.
Lorenzini, A. (2014). How much should we weigh for a long and healthy
life span? The need to reconcile caloric restriction versus longevity with body
mass index versus mortality data. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 51-8.
doi:10.3389/fendo.2014.00121
Sizer, F. & Whitney, E.
(2014). Nutrition: Concepts and controversies (13th
ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning
United States Department of
Agriculture. (n.d.). Choose my plate.gov.
Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
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