You should not only focus on your weight but also improve your lifestyle habits such as healthy eating and exercise.
Body mass index (BMI) is weight (kg) divided by height squared (㎡), and a BMI of 25 or higher is usually classified as obese. According to statistics, the obesity rate among domestic adults based on BMI 25 increased from 31.5% in 2014 to 37.2% in 2022.
Weight is not only a cosmetic issue but is also related to health. In particular, abdominal obesity is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome and causes various chronic diseases.
However, weight is not an absolute standard for health. In relation to this, we compiled incorrect information related to weight based on data from health and medical media outlets such as ‘MedicalNewsToday’.
“Is it better to be underweight than overweight?”=If weight loss and health are absolutely related, the more weight you lose, the better your health indicators will be. However, when the weight exceeds normal weight and enters the low weight range, it is associated with increased mortality.
This correlation was confirmed in a study targeting people with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 23 and no special diseases. According to data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the coronavirus pandemic, people who are overweight with a body mass index of 23.7 to 25.9 have a low risk of hospitalization, treatment, and death, and those who are underweight with a body mass index of 18.5 or less have a higher risk of complications. There are research results.
“Is weight an absolute measure of health?”=People who are overweight are evaluated as having poor health from a metabolic perspective, including blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, heart and artery health.
However, according to the results of a meta-analysis of 24 studies by a joint research team from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Minnesota, there was not always a significant correlation between weight loss and improved health.
Half of those classified as overweight and more than a quarter of those classified as obese were normal from a cardiovascular perspective. On the other hand, 30% of people classified as normal weight had cardiometabolic indicators outside the healthy range. There are limits to determining health based on body weight alone.
“Pay more attention to your weight than your healthy habits?”=If you only focus on maintaining a normal weight, you may neglect other health behaviors necessary to maintain your health. Even if a person’s weight remains within the normal range, health indicators deteriorate if there is nutritional imbalance, lack of physical activity, or habits such as smoking or excessive drinking.
The same thing happens when you are very stressed or feel very depressed or anxious. According to a paper published in the international academic journal Social Issues and Policy Review, healthy behavior is more closely related to extending lifespan than the number on the scale.
Therefore, rather than focusing on body mass index or weight, it is more important to eat healthily, exercise, manage stress, and try to live a healthier lifestyle. Through this, you can naturally control your body fat percentage.
Even if your weight is normal, if you are considered skinny obese or maintain wrong lifestyle habits, you may develop metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, so it would be better to prioritize efforts such as walking more during your commute to work and reducing your intake of refined carbohydrates.
Source: kormedi.com
