Figures of Health Blood Pressure Cholesterol BMI Calories Per Day
What is it?
Body mass index is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is related to the risk of disease and death. It may overestimate body fat in athletes and underestimate it in older people and others who have lost muscle mass.
Why does it matter?
Obesity For people who are considered obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30) or those who are overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) and have two or more risk factors, the guidelines recommend weight loss.
Losing weight Even a small weight loss (just 10 percent of your current weight) will help reduce your risk of developing diseases associated with obesity.
Calculate your BMI
Online It’s much easier to go to a Web site to calculate the numbers for you. For example, go to www.cdc.gov and search the site for BMI.
Do it yourself Calculate BMI by dividing weight in pounds by height in inches squared and multiplying by a conversion factor of 703.
Example: Weight = 150 pounds height = 5’5″ (65 inches)
Calculation:
BMI categories Underweight = less than 18.5
Normal weight = 18.5 to 24.9
Overweight = 25 to 29.9
Obesity = 30 or greater
Sources: U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture; www.health.howstuffworks.com; www.merck.com/mmhe/ index.html; www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/; www.americanheart.org; www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi; www.w8lossreviews.com/basic_diet.php resources
American Dietetic Association, consumer nutrition information hot line, (800) 366-1655 or www.eatright.org
Food and Nutrition Information Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, (301) 504-5414, www.nal.usda.gov/fnic It’s not rocket science. Staying healthy means eating the right foods and exercising regularly. To help you see how you’re doing, you should keep track of a few numbers. Monitoring your weight, body mass index, blood pressure and cholesterol level can keep you on the right course. What does it mean when your blood pressure is 120 over 80?
The first number is the highest pressure in the arteries, which is reached when the heart contracts. It’s called the systolic pressure.
The second number is the lowest pressure in the arteries, reached just before the heart begins to contract again. This is the diastolic pressure.
You have high blood pressure if systolic pressure averages higher than 140 and diastolic pressure averages higher than 90.
What to do to bring it down:
Normally doctors advise patients to make lifestyle changes to bring the pressure down.
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Overweight people with high blood pressure should lose weight.
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Smokers should stop smoking.
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Reduce your intake of sodium .
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Make sure daily alcohol intake is no more than 2 drinks for men and 1 drink for women.
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Get moderate aerobic exercise .
If those steps don’t work, doctors may try drug therapy. With the wide variety of antihypertensives available, high blood pressure can be controlled in almost anyone, but treatment has to be tailored to the individual.
What is it?
Cholesterol can’t dissolve in the blood. It has to be transported to and from the cells by carriers called lipoproteins.
triglycerides Triglyceride is a form of fat made in the body. High triglycerides can be from overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption and a diet very high in carbohydrates.
Good numbers A normal triglyceride level is less than 150 mg/dL.
The bad: LDL cholesterol
Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as “bad” cholesterol.
Plaque buildup When too much LDL circulates, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. It can help form plaque that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible.
Worst scenario If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, heart attack or stroke can result.
Good numbers LDL levels should be less than 100 mg/dL The good: HDL cholesterol
The benefit About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein. HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry bad cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it’s passed from the body.
Good numbers An HDL cholesterol of 60 mg/dL or higher gives some protection against heart disease.
What your cholesterol levels mean
Your test report will show your total cholesterol levels in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). You also need to check the individual numbers to see if they are in line. Your doctor can help explain, too.
The numbers Less than 200 mg/dL: Desirable
200-239 mg/dL: Borderline-High Risk
240 mg/dL and more: High Risk
People who have a total cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL or more typically have twice the risk of coronary heart disease as people whose cholesterol level is less than 200. activity levels
Sedentary is defined as someone who carries out only normal daily duties (walking to the car/bus, making dinner, minor household chores, etc.).
Low activity is defined as someone who carries out normal daily duties and a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise (walking, jogging, biking, hiking, etc.).
Active is defined as normal daily duties plus at least 60 minutes of daily exercise (walking, jogging, biking, hiking, etc.).
How many calories should I eat if I want to lose weight?
Technically, there is no magic number, although many people can lose weight eating around 1,500 calories. For most adults, reducing 50 to 100 calories per day may prevent gradual weight gain; reducing 500 calories per day may lead to gradual weight loss.
How can I reduce calories?
Guidelines advise eating lower-calorie foods such as fruits and vegetables, decreasing intake of added sugars, fats and alcohol, and controlling portion sizes, especially for calorie-dense foods. How can I burn fat?
If you want to lose weight by burning off excess body fat, aim to eat 500 fewer calories per day than your needs, and maintain or increase exercise . Do not go below 1,200 daily calories without medical consultation.
The number of calories the body consumes in a day is different for every person. An estimate of recommended calories is based on height, weight, gender, age and activity level.
males of average build
Age__ Sedentary__ Low activity__ Active
12-13__ 1,900__ 2,250__ 2,600
14-16__ 2,300__ 2,700__ 3,100
17-18__ 2,450__ 2,900__ 3,300
19-30__ 2,500__ 2,700__ 3,000
31-50__ 2,350__ 2,600__ 2,900
51-70__ 2,150__ 2,350__ 2,650
71+__ 2,000__ 2,200__ 2,500
calories per day
females of average build
Age__ Sedentary__ Low activity__ Active
12-13__ 1,700__ 2,000__ 2,250
14-16__ 1,750__ 2,100__ 2,350
17-18__ 1,750__ 2,100__ 2,400
19-30__ 1,900__ 2,100__ 2,350
31-50__ 1,800__ 2,000__ 2,250
51-70__ 1,650__ 1,850__ 2,100
71+__ 1,550__ 1,750__ 2,000
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