Balancing Your Body: Understanding the Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Weight

Maintaining a good body weight goes far beyond the satisfaction of slipping into your favorite pair of jeans or turning heads at the beach; keeping excess weight off has a multitude of health benefits that will keep you moving for years to come.

What is considered a healthy weight?

 Though it can vary from person to person, those with a body mass index (BMI) roughly between 18.5 and 24.9 are considered to be within a healthy weight range. BMI is calculated by dividing your weight by your height.

Let’s take a look at just a few of the many upsides to keeping your weight at a healthy level:

1) Healthy weight = healthier you

One of the biggest reasons for maintaining a proper body weight is that research shows that excessive weight increases the risk of exacerbating certain gastrointestinal conditions, including:

• Abdominal bloating
• Anorectal and pelvic floor dysfunction
• Diverticulitis
• Gallstones
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Hemorrhoids
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Polyps

Other serious health complications that may develop include:

• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular disease
• Cataracts
• Diabetes
• Heart attack
• Infertility
• Stroke

Fortunately, if you are overweight, you can decrease your chances of developing or aggravating these and other conditions by slowly losing five to 10 percent of your body weight over a few months.

2) You’ll have pep in your step

Shedding extra pounds means there’s less of you to carry around, giving you more energy to enjoy more activities, such as playing with your children or grandchildren, walking the dog and traveling to new destinations.

3) You’ll rest easier

Research has suggested that poor sleep quality may be the result of excess weight. By taking and keeping weight off, you may just be able to fit some extra Z’s into your routine. It may also help to reduce the occurrence of sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing can repeatedly stop and start throughout the night.

4) You’ll keep chronic symptoms at bay

In many cases, excess weight can make symptoms you may have as the result of certain conditions significantly worse and/or reoccur more frequently. This is especially true of gastrointestinal conditions, such as acid reflux. By getting rid of extra weight, you may see an alleviation of symptoms.

What can I do to maintain a healthy weight?

After excluding any other factors that may contribute to excess weight and ensuring that a change in habit will not pose a health risk, one of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight is by abiding by the energy balance. With this, the number of calories you ingest from eating and drinking (energy in) is balanced with the energy your body burns from every day actions, such as breathing, digesting and moving (energy out).

The guidelines for energy balance are as follows:

• The same amount of energy IN and energy OUT over time = maintaining weight (energy balance)
• More energy IN than OUT over time = weight gain
• More energy OUT than IN over time = weight loss

This is a process that occurs over the course of time. It does not have to be exact every single day.

In order to maintain a healthy weight:

• Follow a healthy diet
• Be physically active (e.g., taking a 30-minute walk/day)
• Limit the amount of time spent being sedentary

If you’re unsure where to start your weight-loss journey, consult the specialists at our comprehensive weight loss center to help you get on track to a healthier you.

For more information, contact Digestive Healthcare Center today.