HEALTH ISSUES
The problem ‐ overweight and obesity
Your body weight is determined by the amount of energy obtained from your food compared to the amount of energy that your body is using. The surplus energy you take in from food and drink is mostly stored as fat. To lose weight, the energy you take in from food must be less than the energy you use, in other words eat less and exercise more.
To see if you have a healthy weight you can use a measurement called your Body Mass Index, or BMI. This is calculated as follows:
Your weight in kilograms (kg) divided by your height in metres (m) squaredSo for example, a woman that is 1.60m tall and weighs 60kg would have a BMI of 23.4 (The calculation would be: 60 divided by 1.6, and then the answer divided by 1.6 again).
- A BMI between 18.5 and 25 is defined as healthy.
- A BMI of over 25 is defined as overweight.
- A BMI of over 30 is defined as obese.
Sensible weight loss should be seen as an overall lifestyle change which involves eating a healthy balanced diet and doing plenty of physical activity. You should try to lose weight gradually, about 1-2 lbs (approximately 0.5-1.0 kg) a week. This way, the weight is more likely to stay off. This rate of weight loss is based on using up 600 calories per day more than you take in. The amount of weight you lose will depend on how much weight you need to lose, how active you are and whether you are male or female.
Health benefits of losing weight
Studies have shown that, when overweight, losing (and keeping off) 5-10% of your body weight can significantly reduce your risk of: heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. For example, it can:
- Lower high blood pressure
- Improve control of blood sugar levels in people with diabetes
- Reduce the risk of angina (heart condition causing chest pain)
- Improve blood cholesterol levels
- Ease lower back and joint pain
What’s more, a sensible approach to weight loss means that you are more likely to keep your excess weight off for good. It is important that you maintain the healthy lifestyle changes you make. Eating a healthy balanced diet and keeping physically active will remain important even after you have reached your desired weight.
Top tips
- Decrease the amount of foods you are eating that are high in fat. Fat is the most concentrated source of energy in our diets, and so reducing the amount you eat will reduce your energy intake. To do this, you could try cutting out fried foods and reducing the amount of cakes, biscuits and desserts you eat (but you don’t need to cut them out completely).
- You should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.
- Boil, steam, grill, poach or microwave food rather than frying or roasting.
- Choose lean cuts of meat and trim off any fat. You can also opt for ’reduced-fat’ versions of dairy foods such as reduced fat cheese and yogurt.
- Switch to a reduced fat milk (skimmed, semi-skimmed or 1% milk) if you’ve not already done so.
- Read the nutrition information on food labels as this will help you choose foods which are lower in fat and calories.
- Base your meals on starchy foods, such as bread, rice and pasta, especially those which are high in dietary fibre, such as whole meal bread which can help you to feel fuller (and therefore less likely to snack!).
- Restrict the amount of high energy snacks you eat such as chocolate, cakes and crisps but you don’t need to ban them completely. Banning them completely might make your diet difficult to maintain and you will be more likely to fail.
- Don’t skip meals as this will make you feel tired, over-hungry and could give you headaches. People who have more chaotic eating habits often end up eating more overall throughout the day.
- Always eat breakfast. Breakfast gives you the energy you need to start the day and provides lots of important nutrients. There is even some research to suggest that it will help you control your weight.
- Moderate the amount of alcohol you consume. Alcohol contains calories too ‐ these count towards your total energy intake each day. You are also more likely to over‐consume on foods when you have been drinking alcohol.
- Physical activity is just as important as a healthy balanced diet when considering weight loss. You need to increase your energy output as well as decreasing your energy input.
Tips for reducing the risk of diabetes
What is diabetes?Diabetes develops when your body cannot use glucose properly and as a result there can be high levels of glucose in the blood if the condition is not controlled. People with diabetes can lead a full and active life. But if uncontrolled, it can cause a number of serious problems over time such as blindness, kidney failure, foot ulceration and nerve damage. Also, people with diabetes are at greater risk of developing heart disease than healthy people. So it is very important for those diagnosed with this condition to control their blood sugar levels and their blood pressure, to eat a healthy diet, be physically active and to lose weight if necessary.
How can I reduce my risk of type 2 diabetes?There are certain risk factors that can increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. You can’t change all of them but you can make some changes to your lifestyle that will help to reduce your risk.
Your weightNot everyone with diabetes is overweight, but between 80-90% of people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are overweight. The more overweight and the more inactive you are, the greater your risk. To find out if you are overweight ask your GP to measure your BMI (body mass index) – a healthy BMI is 18.5-25 kg/m2. A healthy varied diet and regular exercise can help you lose weight gradually and help keep it off.
Your waistWomen ‐ if your waist measures 80 cm (31.5 in) or more you have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Men ‐ if your waist measures 94 cm (37 in) or more you have an increased risk of developing diabetes (if you are white or black); if you are an Asian male the measurement is 90 cm (35 in) or more.
Your ageFor type 2 diabetes, you are at increased risk if you are over 40 years of age; if you are African-Caribbean, you are at increased risk if you are over 25 years of age. The risk continues to increase with age. Of course, you can’t change your age but you can work on the other risk factors to reduce your risk.
Your family historyYou can’t change your family history either, but having diabetes in the family increases your risk. The closer the relative is, the greater the risk. Tell your GP whether anyone in your family has diabetes and if you know you do have a genetic predisposition, make sure that you are doing all you can to reduce your risk in other ways.
How can I reduce the risk?
- Be physically active
- Eat healthy
- Control your weight
Tips for a healthy heart
Eating a healthy diet and being physically active can reduce your risk of suffering from heart disease and stroke – the major causes of death worldwide. The number of deaths from heart disease have been increasing in recent years, it is a major cause of premature death (that is, before the age of 60) and a leading cause of ill health. But the good news is – it is largely preventable!
Heart disease occurs as a result of ’bad cholesterol’ collecting within blood vessel walls and forming a hardened plaque through a process known as atherosclerosis. This causes the vessels to ’fur up’ and narrow which reduces the flow of blood to the heart. This may cause chest pain, also known as angina. A heart attack occurs when the narrowed arteries feeding the muscle of the heart become blocked by a blood clot or other material associated with the damage to the arteries, starving the heart muscle of oxygen. A stroke results when the blockage occurs in a blood vessel feeding the brain, or a blood vessel bursts, causing bleeding in the brain.
Most of us don’t really think about our hearts until there is a problem. However, there are a number of things you can do to help keep your heart healthy and reduce your risk of heart disease or a stroke.
Who is at risk?There are a number of risk factors that you can’t change:
- family history of heart disease
- age
- male sex
- some existing medical conditions (e.g. type 2 diabetes)
However, there are a number of lifestyle behaviours that put you at increased risk that can be changed. The main ones are:
- smoking
- a poor diet
- physical inactivity
These factors contribute to the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, which are some of the strongest risk factors for heart disease.
The more risk factors you have, the greater your personal risk, as their effects on your heart are cumulative. But there are many things you can do to reduce your overall risk and keep your heart healthy. It’s never too late to start!
How can I reduce the risk?
- Be physically active
- eat healthy
- Control your weight
- Quit smoking
Drink alcohol moderately- For older people it has been shown that moderate alcohol consumption (one or 2 units a day) may provide some protection against heart disease. But excessive alcohol intake raises blood pressure which is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and binge drinking (drinking more than 6 units a day for women or 8 units a day for men) is a risk factor for sudden death
Tips for reducing the risk of cancer
Cancer is a complex disease and there are many factors that influence whether or not an individual develops cancer. These includes exposure to certain risks such as smoking, a person’s genetic make-up and even the country (and hence the environment) where a person lives. For example, smoking 20 cigarettes a day increases lung cancer risk by 20-40 times (a 2,000-4,000% increase in risk!).
Diet can also affect risk of some types of cancers, although the effect is far less than with smoking. The strongest links are with some cancers of the digestive tract ‐ the mouth, throat, stomach and large bowel (colon) – and some hormone-related cancers such as breast cancer. It is estimated that approximately 30% of cancers could be prevented if people changed their dietary habits.
Risk factors
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- High consumption of red and processed meat
- High consumption of salt
Healthy eating tips for people with arthritis
Arthritis is a condition that affects the body’s joints
If not managed, arthritis can impact on your quality of life and make daily activities a challenge (e.g. climbing the stairs or opening food jars)
You are more likely to develop heart disease and osteoporosis with rheumatoid arthritis, but a healthy diet and lifestyle can help to protect against these diseases.
Risk factors
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity
- High consumption of red meat
If you have arthritis, reducing your weight, eating a healthy diet, exercising may help to control your symptoms. It can also reduce your risk of developing other health problems such as heart disease and osteoporosis.
✔ BEHAVIOR CHANGE
Social
Add a group recreational activity to your weekJoin a group activity. Go with neighbours or work colleagues, or go alone ‐ you will meet people there.
Friends’ involvementGo for a run or a walk with friends, walk a bit long for a lunch. Or arrange a weekly activity like playing football, jogging, a walk, swimming etc.
Community activityGet involved with an activity at your community or outdoor space, or try volunteering. Some areas offer ’clean’ volunteering ‐ so you get active and help your community.
Get active with the kidsSet aside time for a weekly family activity that you all enjoy. Go to a green space to fly a kite, run, swim, etc
Psychological
Achievable goals and realistic targetsSet achievable and measurable weekly goals like a number of minutes for walking.
Reward yourself but not with foodGive yourself ’credits’ towards rewards, such as new clothes or health and beauty treatments.
Lose weight with supportA reputable weight loss group can provide social support and encouragement.
Conscious controlKeep a diary of all the food and drink, and all the activity you do in a week. Highlight all the small positive steps you have taken, and try adding more to the list each week
Keep motivatedFor long-term weight loss, keeping motivated is important. It takes around 12 weeks to form new habits so don’t give up and if you slip up don’t be disheartened, try to get back to your plan straight away.
Look at any emotional triggers for eatingSometimes we may want to eat for other reasons than physical hunger like being stressed, bored or upset. Make a list of things you could do to help when this happens.
Physical activity
Increase your local walking timeCombine activity with everyday routine e.g. walking to the shops – walking at a brisk pace (around 4 miles/6.5 km per hour) can use 100 cal more per hour than walking slowly.
Housework funPut music on in the kitchen when you’re cooking/cleaning and dance while you work! Around 15 mins energetic dancing can burn nearly 100cal. Or go outside and do some gardening ‐ an hour of mowing with a mower can burn 330cal.
Decrease sitting timeGet up and about – keep a record of how many hours you spend sitting at home and try to reduce these each week. Take a walk in your lunch hour or after dinner, find some alternatives to screen time (that’s TV and computer time) or be active with the kids, indoor or outdoor.
Places to be physically activeGood deals for gym and fitness class memberships are sometimes available, so check classes and facilities at your local area (aerobics burns nearly 400 cal an hour).
Eating and Drinking
Low energy density foodslike fruits and vegetables provide less energy per gram of food, so you can eat more of them without consuming too many calories.
Party strategiesTo reduce risk of being tempted by high- fat/high-sugars foods at the party buffet, why not select the healthier items on offer first? You could have a veg/bean soup before you go out ‐ soups have a low energy density and can be filling.
Measure out your portionsIf you choose foods like crisps or biscuits to eat occasionally, measure out small portions instead of eating straight from large packs. Why not measure out your oils when cooking or the amount of cheese you are using to moderate your intake?
Eating slowlyPause between mouthfuls to chew and be aware of the taste of the food. It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain it’s full.
Stocking up on healthy foodsTry to keep healthier snacks with you so you’re not tempted by high-fat, high-sugars snacks
A little bit of what you fancyIt may be helpful to allow yourself limited amounts of certain foods each week instead of banning/prohibiting foods completely.
Alcohol caloriesIt can be easy to underestimate the calories in alcohol, but alcohol is rich in calories – why not mix beer or wine with a low calorie soft drink or switch to smaller glasses (large to small wine glasses, pints to half pints or bottles)?
Quick foodsWhy not double the amount when you cook from scratch and keep the extra portion in the freezer for when you’re short of time. This can provide a healthier solution when you are hungry and looking for a quick meal solution to high-fat and high-salt fast foods or the local take-away.
Stay hydratedWe should all aim to drink 1.6 ‐ 2 litres of fluid per day. Remember that drinks containing sugars will also provide calories so choose low calorie drinks. Water is a good choice. Some people even find that drinking water can reduce their hunger.
Our environment
Walking-friendly surroundingsSee if you can find a longer, more pleasant walking route to places you visit regularly or find new places in your area to explore.
Help your environmentAnd help yourself by reducing car use and walking more.
Activate your working environmentDon’t use the lift, take the stairs, have an ’active lunch time’ at least once a week, and walk part of the way to work.
Physiology
Feeling fullSome studies show that foods high in protein (like fish, lean meat, beans) and high in fibre (like wholegrain cereals, wholewheat pasta) can help us to feel full.
Amount of body muscleWhether male or female, increasing lean body mass by strength exercises and decreasing fat mass increases the number of calories your body burns. Try and do strength exercises on two or more days a week.
Lack of sleepResearch has shown getting enough sleep is important in weight management. Why not try going to bed half an hour earlier during the week?
Media
Health-based digital informationTake advice from responsible health websites, radio, TV, newspapers, etc
Social mediaUse social media and smartphone apps wisely, for example to count your daily steps or track your physical activity levels.