Peckkale

Weight Related Risk Factors
BMI, Body Fat Percentage and Waist Circumference

By checking your Body Mass Index, Body Fat Percentage and Waist Circumference or Waist-Hip Ratio, or by comparing your body weight with the Healthy Weight Chart, you can quickly see whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. You may decide to lose weight as a result of these factors.
Health Care Professionals Study Weight Related Risk Factors

When physicians or other health care professionals assess your weight, then as well as BMI and other measurements, they also look for the presence of other weight-related risk factors. The more of these risk factors you have, the more you are likely to benefit from weight loss if you are overweight or obese.
Weight Related Risk Factors

The types of weight-related risk factors that professionals look for, include:

* A personal or family history of heart disease
* A Family history of weight-related health problems
* Age - Male older than 45 years; or a postmenopausal female
* Evidence of high blood pressure
* Evidence of abnormal blood fats (high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides)
* Evidence of high blood sugar
* Evidence of Respiratory problems
* Evidence of Arthritis in Hips or knees
* Lifestyle risks, like: smoking, lack of exercise, poor eating habits

Metabolic Syndrome - Syndrome X

Called Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X, this comprises a clustering of 5 overweight-related symptoms that combine to boost the risk of cardiovascular disease. The weight-related symptoms are:

* Intra-abdominal (central fat) obesity
* Insulin resistance
* Impaired glucose tolerance
* High blood pressure
* Poor blood lipid (fats) profile.

People with two or more of these weight-related symptoms may be classified as having 'Syndrome X'.
Weight Related Risk Factors - Recommended Weight Strategy

* If you are normal weight without risk factors, you're doing fine!
* If you are high-normal with some of the above risk factors, consider losing 5-10 percent of your present body weight to reduce these risk factors.
* If you are overweight (or obese) with some of the above risk factors, take action now! See your doctor and ask him to advise you about your weight loss options.