Putting a Stop to Weight Gain!

A main problem with todays lifestyle is obesity. If you eat more than you need for energy you expand, your body stores the surplus as fat. If the fatty tissues become conspicuous, you may be considered obese.

A healthy weight is a weight at which you feel good about yourself and have energy for work and play and one that does not put you at risk for weight related diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer and diabetes.

There are many reasons attributed to weight gain. Chief among them, being consumption of food rich in calories, heredity, hormonal imbalance, post delivery in women, psychological problems and some diseases.

The amount of food eaten is not the only determinant of weight. Age, metabolism, genetics and physical activities play a very important role in our weight, health risk for disease.

Calculate waist circumference to find where the fat is stored in the body. People who are "apple shaped" store fat around the abdomen and are at an increased risk for diseases associated with being overweight. "Pear Shaped" people store fat around the hips.

Obesity is an open invitation to many diseases e.g. Hypertension, heart diseases, kidney related diseases, gall bladder stone, joint pains and backaches, Weight management comprises diet schedule and physical exercise.

Nutrition is an extremely important component of being healthy. A diet that includes lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins and low dairy products supplies your bodys nutritional needs, satisfies hunger, decreases craving and lowers your risk for some diseases like some cancers and osteoporosis. In addition, you will generally feel better and have energy.

The most important step to cut the calories is to reduce the protein size and stop in between snacking. Eat in moderation, especially foods like sweets, chocolates, butter, fried food, soft drinks, alcohol, nuts, refined foods such as bread, pasta, potatoes, processed foods like instant noodles etc. Cook food in pure, unprocessed fats like olive oil, ghee (40% healthy unsaturated fat) as they have essential fatty acids that protect the heart by raising good cholesterol levels. Eat a lot of fiber especially raw vegetables. Boil or bake vegetables rather than frying them. Limit the amount of sugar and salt.

Physical activity is the key to improving health and preventing serious illness. Regular physical activities significantly reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, hypertension, obesity, anxiety, depression and cancer of breast, colon and female reproductive system. One should get at least 30 minutes per day or moderate physical activities for 5 or more days a week.

Some people especially young girls resort to crash dieting and try to starve themselves; this will lead to diseases like anemia and can result in chronic fatigue.

An easy formula to calculate ideal weight for men is to multiply the height in cm with 0.358 and for women to multiply their height in cm with 0.313. If the weight is in excess of 10%, then you are obese. Maintenance of ideal weight improves flexibility and increases longevity of life.

Healthy Height Weight Chart for Adults

Height (in cm)	Weight (in kg)
Male	Small	Medium	Large
152	45.4-48.4	49.4-53.0	52.0-56.2
155	47.0-52.0	50.5-54.3	53.5-58.0
157	48.6-52.0	51.9-55.6	54.3-58.8
160	49.8-53.9	53.0-57.0	56.9-60.9
163	51.4-55.6	54.3-58.8	57.6-62.5
165	52.7-56.8	55.9-60.0	59.2-64.1
168	54.3-57.4	57.6-61.6	60.9-66.1
170	55.6-60.0	59.2-63.7	62.5-67.8
173	57.2-61.6	60.9-65.3	64.1-69.4
175	58.8-63.3	62.5-67.0	65.7-71.4
178	60.4-65.0	64.1-68.6	67.4-73.5
180	62.0-67.0	65.7-70.6	69.0-75.5
183	63.6-68.6	67.4-72.2	70.7-77.2

Height (in cm)	Weight (in kg)
Female	Small	Medium	Large
147	42.5-45.3	44.9-48.2	47.8-51.9
150	42.9-46.1	45.7-49.0	48.6-52.7
152	43.7-47.0	46.5-49.8	49.4-53.5
155	44.9-48.2	47.8-51.0	50.6-55.1
157	46.1-49.4	49.0-52.3	51.9-56.3
160	47.4-51.0	51.9-55.1	54.3-58.0
163	48.6-52.3	51.9-55.1	54.3-59.2
165	50.2-53.9	53.1-57.2	56.3-61.2
168	51.4-55.5	54.3-58.8	58.0-62.9

Testimonials

"I am currently 31 years old and have lost my right vision. It all started 3 months ago when I was having problems with my right vision. After going to the hospital I was given eye drops, which did not help. Things got worse and after several visits at the hospital, finally I was only able to see the big 9 on the eye chart. I was told that there was a swelling on my optic nerve. I changed the hospital, and this time I was told that I have a brain tumor which is pressing on my optic nerve. By this time, I had already lost my vision. I was recommended to Dr. Kamaljit, and I showed him the MRIs, and he told me he could treat me. After 3 weeks of treatment, I have regained some of my vision. I am still undergoing treatment and hope to see everything clearly again."

- Phakham Hongpidsa