An emerging statistic from the Mayo Clinic has taken America by surprise – by placing the focus on not just ‘losing weight’ but getting healthy.
They have found that more than half American adults are considered to have a normal body weight (according the BMI) but have high body fat percentages that put them at risk for certain diseases and conditions as those categorized as overweight and obese.
(Remember, BMI measures a person’s Body Mass Index, by height and weight of the individual, but does not take into account body fat percentages.)
This new risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, increased cholesterol, increased blood pressure and metabolic disease is defined as ‘normal weight obesity’.
This new research may be confusing to the average person because the past efforts of the Mayo Clinic (as well as other reputable health organizations) to combat these issues that have been focused on maintaining a healthy weight. Unfortunately, our society places a great deal of importance on weight rather than the overall big picture of living a healthy lifestyle.
I guess the thing to think about is – what good is a healthy weight if you aren’t indeed ‘healthy’?
The best way to make sure you don’t fall in the ‘normal weight obesity’ category is to maintain a normal weight by eating nutritious foods and physical activity through a combination of aerobic and resistance training exercises. These three components will allow you to lose weight and maintain a healthy body mass – which includes lean muscle.
This is a new study, but what do you think about the findings? If you focus on the lifestyle, and not the weight loss, you will be on the right track.
Read more about the study and normal weight obesity here.
Read more about BMI here.
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