Weight Management

Weight management is the process of monitoring and controlling one's body weight through a combination of diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes. Maintaining a healthy weight is important for preventing and managing cardiovascular disease, as obesity and being overweight are major risk factors for the development of heart disease.

By losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight, individuals can lower their blood pressure, improve their cholesterol levels, and reduce their risk of developing diabetes, all of which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Additionally, weight management can improve overall physical fitness, which can help to strengthen the heart and blood vessels and reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke.

A combination of healthy eating and regular physical activity is recommended for weight management. This includes eating a balanced diet that is low in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, and added sugars, and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Regular exercise, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming, can help to burn calories and build muscle, leading to weight loss and improved cardiovascular health.

The widely accepted scientific knowledge and research on the topic of weight management and cardiovascular disease confirms the information is consistent with the guidelines and recommendations provided by major health organizations such as the American Heart Association, World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It is important to note that while weight management can help prevent and manage cardiovascular disease, it is not the only factor. Other risk factors such as smoking, family history, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels should also be considered and managed appropriately.

Setting Realistic Goals

Gaining weight does not happen overnight, and neither does losing it. Weight loss is a journey that begins with one step that will lead to healthy weight loss in the long run. You need to set realistic weight loss goals that will be achieved through embracing a healthy lifestyle for long-term weight loss and maintenance. ++++++++Sustainable realistic weight loss goals per week involve shedding 1-2 pounds. Therefore, any plans to lose more than this may be considered unsafe and unrealistic in the long run.

We recommend that you focus on the development of sustainable and long-term habits, slowly and gradually. This does not include using fad diets to lose weight quickly, or excessive exercise to get fit fast. Based on your age, gender, current weight, culture, lifestyle and daily habits, we recommend you spend time developing your own personal goals and objectives.

Healthy eating habits

A healthy diet is essential for good health and nutrition. It protects you against many chronic noncommunicable diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Eating a variety of foods and consuming less salt, sugars and saturated and industrially produced trans-fats, are essential for healthy diet.

10 effective weight loss tips

Body Mass Index

Body mass index (BMI) is a measurement used to determine if someone's weight is in a healthy range, or if it is in the underweight, overweight or obese category. It is used mostly for adults between 18 and 65 years of age. Research has shown that BMI strongly correlates with various diseases. Because obesity is a major risk factor for both heart disease and diabetes, it is very important for South Asian adults and children to try to be in the healthy weight range.

What does the BMI value mean?

The following BMI categories are typically used for adult men and women:

18.5 to 24.9 – Healthy
25 to 29.9 – Overweight
30 and above - Obese

HOWEVER, recent research indicates that these values are not appropriate for use in the South Asian population. South Asians tend to have more abdominal obesity (they store more fat around their stomach area), which significantly increases the risk for diabetes and heart disease. Even a little excess weight can increase the risk of a South Asian individual developing these complications. Because of that, a modified BMI scale has been created specifically for this population:

18.5 to 22.9 – Healthy
23 to 27.4 – Overweight
27.5 and above - Obese

South Asian adults should strive to be within the healthy BMI range, between 18.5 to 22.9. Learn how to calculate your BMI to find out what level you are a (hyperlink to BMI calculator)

Calculate BMI

Calculating BMI is very simple. The formula is BMI = kg/m2 where kg is a person's weight in kilograms, and m2 is the person's height (in metres) squared.

For example, a woman who is 1.62 metres tall, and weighs 80 kg has a BMI of 30.3:

BMI = 80 kg/ (1.62 m x 1.62 m)

Waist-to-hip Ratio

Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is another indicator, like body mass index (BMI), used to determine someone's level of risk for obesity and heart disease. It is a ratio of the circumference of the waist to the circumference of the hips.
The following categories are usually used to determine risk based on someone's WHR:

For Men

< 0.95 - Low risk
0.96 to 1.0 - Moderate risk
1.0 and above - High risk

For Women

< 0.80 - Low risk
0.81 to 0.85 - Moderate risk
0.86 and above - High risk

HOWEVER, similar to BMI, recent research indicates that these values are not appropriate for use in the South Asian population. South Asians tend to have more abdominal obesity (they store more fat around their stomach area), which significantly increases the risk for diabetes and heart disease. Even a little excess weight can increase the risk of a South Asian individual developing these complications. Because of that, modified WHR levels have been created specifically for this population:

South Asian men should strive to have a WHR less than 0.90.

South Asian women should strive to have a WHR less than 0.80.

How to calculate your WHR.

To calculate your waist-to-hip-ratio (WHR), use a measuring tape to determine:
Your waist size at its narrowest point (near the belly button).
Your hip size at its widest point.
Divide the waist circumference by the hip circumference to get the WHR ratio.

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT