Obesity is becoming a widespread problem in Canada and the United States. More than 60% of Americans over the age of 20 are overweight (we’ll review how you can calculate your body fat percentage to determine if you’re overweight or not below). Unhealthy lifestyle and poor nutrition are the 2 common reasons for excess body fat. However, genetics or the side effects of certain medications can also cause significant weight gain, gradually or abruptly.

The importance of maintaining a healthy weight cannot be stressed enough. It is not a matter of cosmetics or aesthetic preferences, it is of survival, so if you calculate your percentage of body fat and determine that you are overweight, you should immediately start looking for a solution to lose weight. Untreated obesity coupled with a lack of regular exercise can lead to high blood pressure, arrhythmia, diabetes, and other conditions. Many Americans die daily from heart attacks, caused by complications created by obesity. Being fat is not only frustrating, it’s also dangerous.

Fortunately, there are many different ways to lose excess body fat. It’s about setting a goal and patiently pursuing it, not giving up halfway (the first step is calculating your body fat percentage and setting a realistic goal). You can’t lose 25 pounds overnight (unless you have fancy surgery or liposuction), but you can lose it in 1-3 months. Setting possible goals is crucial. Failure to do so could lead to disappointments and feelings of discouragement. You don’t have to starve yourself and follow unreasonable diets, but you will have to make sacrifices to lower your calorie intake.
Walking, working out in a gym or on a treadmill, and jogging are great ways to speed up the “slimming” process. Exercise is good for weight loss as it burns calories, but it’s also great for our overall health. Done regularly, it delays the aging of the organs, allows better oxygenation of the brain and brings pleasure. After physical exercise, the brain produces endorphins (the body’s pain reliever). The effect of endorphins can be compared to that of heroin or opium, they are known to be hormones of pleasure. The workouts allow us to experience natural highs, with all the subsequent benefits.

There is a way to check if you are in your optimal size, without spending a single penny. It’s called BMI (Body Mass Index) which has been a recognized mathematical formula used for centuries and is a good way to calculate body fat percentage. Introduced by the Belgian scientist Adolph Quetelet, the BMI makes it possible to assess whether the weight of a given person is proportional to his height. To calculate BMI, you will need to take your weight in kilograms and divide it by your height in meters squared.

Example:

1) You weigh 170 pounds, which is equivalent to 77.2 kilos.
2) Your height is 5 feet 9 inches, which translates to 1.75 meters.
3) 1.75 squared = 1.7 x 1.75 = 3.06
4) Divide 77.2 by 3.06 which equals 25.2

Let’s see what category that result falls into, within the BMI ranges:

Less than 18.7 = underweight
18.7 – 24.9 = optimal weight
25 – 29 = overweight
30+ = obese

It is important to assess your own condition in order to take decisive steps towards improvement.
Maintaining a healthy body weight costs less, promotes self-esteem and allows a better appreciation of life. Losing weight now and getting the result for life is worth the effort! We live once, so let’s help each other live it to the fullest.