Posted: 1/21/2015
Parkland dietitian offers tips on achieving, maintaining goal
Dieting, counting calories and avoiding excessive carbohydrates and fats are part of most people’s plans for watching their weight. But just what is a healthy weight, and what’s the best way to achieve and maintain it?
As the annual National Healthy Weight Week observance gets underway Jan. 19-23, nutrition experts at Parkland Health & Hospital System offer helpful advice to get you on the right track.
“The important thing to remember is that your ‘healthy’ weight cannot be calculated from a general source. People’s healthy, or ideal weight, depends on many factors including age, sex, height, body type, bone density, muscle-fat-ratio, overall general health and height,” said Sharon Cox, Registered Dietitian at Parkland. “A healthy weight may be different for different people. You should not compare yourself to people around you, because we are all different.”
But people who are overweight or obese have an increased risk for health-related diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. “And if you are pregnant, excess weight may lead to short- and long-term health problems for you and your child,” Cox said.
Incidence of overweight or obesity has been steadily increasing in the U.S. for most groups for the past 20 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 35 percent of U.S. adults are considered obese, while 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2-19 are obese.
The Dallas County Community Health Needs Assessment describes obesity as a significant health concern in the county. The number of residents considered obese increased by 17 percent from 2005 to 2010. Diabetes, often a complication of obesity, affects 11.4 percent of Dallas County residents, compared to 9.6 percent in Texas and 8 percent for the U.S. The highest diabetes mortality rates in Dallas are in the southern portion of the county.
Rhonda Rodriguez, a 45-year-old Lancaster resident, said that at her doctors’ urging, she enrolled last June in a weight management class at Bluitt-Flowers Health Center, one of Parkland’s Community Oriented Primary Care clinics. Weighing 320 pounds when she started the class, she was experiencing numerous health problems associated with obesity, including respiratory difficulties, high blood pressure and diabetes. She was hospitalized twice in early 2014. “My doctors told me if I didn’t take control of my health and lose weight, it would eventually kill me. I knew I had to make changes and I knew I needed help,” she said.
At the weight management class, Rodriguez has learned about the importance of healthy eating and the need for more physical activity. She has lost more than 35 pounds. And she no longer needs to take medication for diabetes.
“I’ve learned how to read nutrition labels, eat the right portion sizes, and cook most of my meals using fresh ingredients. I exercise twice a day, either doing an exercise video, a stationary bicycle or a walk outdoors. A year ago I could hardly walk from the chair to the door. My goal is to weigh 150 pounds. It’s a constant battle, but I am committed to doing this for myself. I want to be here for my grandchildren.”
Cox said a healthy weight is one that is right for your body type, and is based on your body mass index (BMI) and your waist size. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in pounds by height in inches squared and multiplying by a conversion factor of 703. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is generally considered a good number. A person’s waist size indicates how much “belly fat” a person has. People who store fat around their stomachs are more likely to develop weight-related diseases.
“When it comes to maintaining a healthy weight for a lifetime, calories control your weight,” Cox said. “Weight management is about balancing the number of calories you consume with the number of calories your body burns. For most of us, exercise also plays a role.”
Cox urges people to consider the following tips to maintain a healthy weight:
- Be consistent with meal plans
- Eat breakfast, don’t skip meals
- Drink plenty of water
- Eat whole foods that are unprocessed, such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains
- Control serving sizes
- Increase physical activity
“Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight requires long-term lifestyle change with nutrition and exercise, not short-term changes with diet and activity level,” Cox said.
Parkland supports healthy living in the community by offering weight management groups, diabetes meal planning classes, one-on-one nutrition counseling, group nutrition classes, cardiovascular, and diabetes meal planning classes – all free of charge to patients enrolled in Parkland’s network of Community Oriented Primary Care health centers and referred by the primary care physician.
To find the health center nearest you, visit www.parklandhospital.com/locations.
Here are some websites for additional information on weight and health: