March is National Nutrition Month, the perfect time to ask the question: Am I eating right? Chances are, you’re not – or at least not as well as you could be. Read on!
Why is it so important to eat healthy?
A healthy diet can prevent excessive weight gain and chronic disease. Weight gain in adulthood is often gradual, about a pound a year – too slow of a gain for most people to notice. However, there’s increasing evidence that the same healthful food choices and diet patterns that help prevent heart disease, diabetes and other chronic conditions may also help to prevent weight gain. Those healthy choices include:
- Choosing minimally processed foods – whole grains, vegetables, fruits and nuts; healthful sources of protein (fish, poultry, beans); and plant oils.
- Limiting sugared beverages, refined grains, potatoes, red and processed meats, and other highly processed foods, such as fast food.
Although the contribution of any one diet change to weight control may be small, together, the changes could add up to a considerable effect over time. Since people’s food choices are shaped by their surroundings, it’s imperative for governments to promote policy and environmental changes that make healthy foods more accessible, affordable and appealing.
What is obesity?
According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of March 2020, the prevalence of obesity in the U.S. was 41.9% with severe obesity’s prevalence up to nearly one in 10 Americans.
A number of different factors can contribute to a person being obese, including family history and environment. Obesity isn’t a character flaw, consequence of poor willpower or anyone’s fault. It’s a common, serious and costly chronic disease affecting adults and children.
Obesity occurs when the body stores too much fat. Weight that’s higher than what’s considered healthy for a given height is described as overweight or obese. Obesity has traditionally been defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. The BMI is a ratio of your weight to height that is not affected by age, gender or race.
To determine your own BMI, divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters, or simply find your height and weight (in inches and pounds) in this chart.
- If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range.
- If your BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, it falls within the healthy weight range.
- If your BMI is 25.0 to 29.9, it falls within the overweight range.
- If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obesity range.
Recognizing and Treating Obesity
It’s important to recognize and treat obesity because it can put you at risk for many other chronic illnesses, including type 2 diabetes, diseases of the heart and cardiovascular system, some types of cancer, depression, arthritis, disordered breathing, deconditioning and gastrointestinal disorders.
So how is obesity diagnosed? A healthcare provider will use a variety of tools, starting with an evaluation of your health history, including any past challenges with weight management, exercise habits, eating patterns and medical history. In addition, other tests may be conducted, including:
- General physical exam that documents your height and vital signs.
- Calculation of your BMI.
- Measure of your waist circumference, which can indicate how much fat you have stored around your waist. Specifically, women with a measurement of more than 35 inches and men of more than 40 inches are at higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.
- Blood tests: Your healthcare provider may want to measure a few other factors, such as your cholesterol, liver function and/or fasting glucose (sugar) levels, using a blood test.
As for treating obesity, developing a healthier lifestyle will be part of any treatment program – something your health plan’s health coaches are expert at. They can help guide you in setting and reaching your goals.
- If your BMI is between 25 and 29 and you have no complications from the excess weight, improving your lifestyle with better nutrition and more physical activity is appropriate as a sole treatment strategy.
- If your BMI is 27 or more and you have two or more complications from excess weight, medications may be right for you.
- If your BMI is 30 or more, medications are probably appropriate, regardless of whether you have complications.
- If your BMI is 35 or more, surgery may be considered in addition to medications if you have two or more complications from obesity.
- If your BMI is 40 or more, surgery may be considered, regardless of whether complications are present.
So how do I get started eating healthier?
“Start small,” advises Sarah Pittman, registered dietitian and health coach and care coordinator for Health AllianceTM. “Try not to make a lot of diet or exercise goals all at once. It can become overwhelming and unsustainable to change too many habits at one time. Choose one or two diet changes you want to focus on and make those a habit before adding on more changes.”
Her fellow registered dietitian and Health Alliance health coach, Elizabeth Benson, recommends first having a conversation with your doctor as “some health conditions may come with specific dietary recommendations.”
“After that,” she says, “look toward the general healthy guidelines from the USDA and focus on all the foods you can add to your diet … fruits, vegetables, etc.”
For more about National Nutrition Month, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ website. And you can learn more about choosing wisely what you eat at these helpful links:
- Find plenty more tips and resources about nutrition right here on hally.com. And find healthy and delish recipes here. Yum!
- Discover news articles about nutrition and more from our friends at Carle Health.
Want even more great information about nutrition and healthy eating? Check out the many helpful resources from our partners Riverside Healthcare, Sarah Bush Lincoln Health System, OSF HealthCare, Memorial Health, Yakima Valley Memorial hospital and FirstHealth of the Carolinas.