Reaching the right weight is the desire that many people pursue today. However, some individuals associate their ideal weight with a mere tendency of physical beauty and not with the need to have a healthier life.
Many people program their diets with unrealistic goals. Sometimes diets do not give the results we want, either because of the time in which we propose to lose weight or because our bodily characteristics are far from the amount of kilos we want to eliminate.
Planning the diet to an appropriate weight is a task that needs honesty. To do this, you must investigate and inform yourself about what is the healthy weight you should reach, beyond the physical aspect. It is an aspect that influences your health and will prevent many diseases.
The extremes are bad
When we talk about adequate weight, we refer to a concept that has nothing to do with beauty patterns or aesthetic canons. Rather, we talk about the body weight you should have to reduce the risks of developing or suffering from diseases.
We know, as reported by the World Health Organization, that people who are overweight increase their chances to reduce their life expectancy by contracting diseases. Cardiovascular problems, hypertension, diabetes, cancer and sleep apnea are just some examples.
However, this does not escape those who have a lower weight than normal. The mortality rate in this group of people is also very high. Low weight can be a sign of certain disorders, such as bulimia, anorexia, cancer or AIDS.
What is your adequate weight?
Anabel Aragón, responsible for Nutrition and Health of the company Nestlé, explained to the health section of the EFE Agency that healthy weight is defined by the optimal weight range that reduces the chances of suffering from diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, high cholesterol, etc.In this step it is essential to determine what is your Body Mass Index (BMI). With this term we refer to the measure that will allow you to discover if you are within healthy values or not.The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that the BMI helps diagnose if an individual is underweight, overweight or obese. To calculate the BMI there is a simple formula, you only need to know your height and weight.In words that are easy to digest, you should only divide your weight, in kilograms, between your height and height, in meters. That is: BMI = weight (Kg) ÷ height² (m).
BMI ranges
The WHO proposed the following range to define how healthy you are:
- Low weight = less than 18.5 kg / m².
- Normal weight = between 18.5 and 24.9 kg / m².
- Overweight = between 25 and 29.9 kg / m ².
- Obesity grade 1 = between 30 and 34.9 kg / m²
- Obesity grade 2 = between 35 and 39.9 kg / m².
- Third degree of obesity or morbid obesity = greater than 40 kg / m ².
According to these categories, you are at an appropriate weight when your BMI is between the values of 18.5 and 24.9 kg / m² . This means that the indicators that are located above or below are associated with greater risks of suffering health complications.Aragón clarified that these data are only applicable for people between the ages of 20 and 65. Children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and those who perform highly competitive sports do not fall into these ranges.
Recommended kilocalories to program your diet
From this BMI formula, you can plan your diet to get an adequate weight. That said, we remind you that kilocalories are defined as the units of measurement that allow us to identify the energy that food provides.Anabel Aragón states that women should not spend 2,000 kilocalories a day, while men should consume 2,500 daily. He indicated that these values vary according to the characteristics of each individual.On the other hand, he clarified that athletes should have a higher energy consumption. Possibly between 15 and 30%. Be that as it may, it is important that people have the advice of a professional, who can help them prepare a plan according to the characteristics of their body.
Read labels to control energy intake
Finally, the specialist recommended reading the labels of the containers. To know the contribution of each food advised that “we look very well at the nutritional information on the label and in the portions of the package”.
The labels indicate the amount of calories that a product contributes to the diet for each unit, ration or per 100 grams of consumption. Perhaps on many occasions this information is not clear, so he warned the following:
- Fruits, vegetables, vegetables and vegetables provide very few calories because they are composed of large amounts of water.
- Fats and oils add up to twice the calories that carbohydrates and proteins contribute to the diet.
Remember that having an appropriate weight will allow you to conserve your health and prolong your life expectancy. Starting with your BMI, program your diet to reach the right weight.However, take into account that on this path there are other tips that go beyond food. Reaching an adequate weight also requires exercise and proper rest. If in doubt, consult a specialist in this area.