The standard way of diagnosing if someone is overweight or underweight is by calculating their body mass index (BMI).
It measures whether you have a healthy weight for your height. BMI is calculated by dividing an adult’s weight by the square of their height. Several calculators on the internet can help you calculate your BMI.
A BMI between 18.5 to 24.9 means that you are healthy. Between 25 to 29.9 indicates that you are overweight and a BMI of more than 30 means you are obese although some exceptions apply to less than one percent of the population that are extreme athletes like bodybuilders, boxers and rugby players. Most people are not extreme athletes.
Attaining and maintaining a normal BMI is not easy. Here are some simple ways to manage your BMI:
Breakfast/ lunch/dinner
As with any meal, it’s important to focus on your overall diet and not on any one meal in particular. Eating at least three meals per day is associated with improved energy regulation and weight control.
It’s important to eat a healthy diet because eating the right foods can keep you healthy now and later on in life.
Your breakfast, lunch, and dinner should have starch, a vegetable and protein. Take a fruit 3 – 4 hours after your breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Having three major meals and 2-3 snacks daily reduces the likelihood that you will overeat at any of the meal times.
Breakfast is the first meal of the day that breaks the fast after the longest period of sleep and is consumed within 2 to 3 hours of waking.
Make sure your breakfast lunch and dinner always contain a vegetable. This is a great way to make sure that you are getting enough vegetables throughout the day.
These could be carrot sticks, grated carrots and beetroots, tomato slices, cucumber slices, green/yellow/red pepper, and vegetable salads. You could also incorporate vegetables into the other dishes.
Limit processed cereals or pastries which contain a lot of added sugars and are of little nutritional value, as well as breakfast meats such as sausage and bacon which have been shown to increase the risk of some cancers when eaten regularly, and which are also high in saturated fats, which increases the risk of heart disease.
Eat slowly. It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to signal to the brain that it is full. Eating slowly will thus help you to “eat to satisfaction,” but no more!
A dietitian can help you to know what and how much to eat within your calorie allowance. Your food plan will be personalised, based on your age, sex, height, weight, physical activity level and preference.
Sugar
To have a healthy diet, it’s important to limit or avoid sugar, sweets, and refined grains. Refined grains are found in white bread, white rice, most forms of pasta, and most packaged “snack” foods.
Whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread and brown rice, have more fibre and are better for your health.
The World Health Organisation reports that much of the sugars consumed today are “hidden” in processed foods that are not usually seen as sweets.
For example, 1 tablespoon of ketchup contains around 4 grams (around 1 teaspoon) of free sugars. A single can of sugar-sweetened soda contains up to 40 grams (around 10 teaspoons) of free sugars.
Alcohol
If alcohol is consumed, it should only be in moderation, with no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.
This refers to the amount consumed on any single day and is not intended as an average over several days. However, it is not recommended that people who do not drink alcohol start for any reason.
During drinking sessions drink more slowly, drink with food and alternate your alcoholic drinks with a glass of water.
Water
First of all, water has no calories, is fat-free and cholesterol-free, and is low in sodium. Second, it is an appetite suppressant. Third, water helps the body metabolise stored fat. When the kidneys do not have enough water, they cannot function properly.
The liver steps in as a backup, but doing so hinders its ability to metabolise fat effectively. The fat thus remains stored in the body, and you gain weight.
Proper water intake is key to weight loss. If people who are trying to lose weight don’t drink enough water, the body can’t metabolise the fat adequately.”
Can other beverages be taken instead of water? While fruit and vegetable juices diluted with water are good, they are not calorie-free.
Also, liquids loaded with sugar and milk increase the body’s need for water, as water is needed to digest them. Alcohol and caffeine-containing beverages like coffee and tea cause frequent urination making it necessary to drink more water to replace what is excreted.
There is just no substitute for that precious liquid, water. Your dietitian will help determine your individualised water requirement. So how about drinking a glass right now?
Sleep
To some people, sleep is a waste of time. Preferring a very busy daily schedule of business and social engagements, they only surrender to sleep when extremely tired.
A sufficient amount of sleep is essential for optimal physical health, weight, immune function, mental health, and cognition.
Consensus recommendations of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society specify that adults aged 18 to 60 years should sleep seven or more hours per night regularly for optimal sleep health.
Exercise
Exercise is an essential component of weight management. Dieting can lead to loss of muscle but exercise can help maintain muscle mass while dieting.
Exercise reduces tension, anxiety and depression. Performing daily activities such as light housework, shopping, gardening, clearing walks, and driveways, caring for a child or grandchild, caring for an older person, and leisure walking or exercising in a pool have health benefits as well.
Exercise can be broken up into 3 or 4 ten minutes’ sessions per day. It does not need to be continuous to produce health benefits.
Moderate-intensity exercise is most effective if it is performed at least five days a week. Reduce prolonged sitting and sedentary activities.
Consider standing up or short walking breaks after 30 minutes of sitting and decrease the time spent on social media, internet surfing, and watching TV.
Ms Kerina is a consultant dietician at Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi.
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