“Health is not about the Weight you lose, but about The Life, You Gain.”
Words such as overweight, obesity, and weight loss loosely circulating the classroom as I entered our Weight Management Support Group today. As I looked around the room before the beginning of our session, I noticed people of all shapes and sizes who have reached their weight goals yet, some, still classified as “obese.”
The Center for Disease Control reports there are 39.8% of the American population who are obese defined by having a BMI >30. Obese individuals typically associated with specific metabolic health risks such as diabetes, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, and some cancers. Serving as a support system for obese clients, they are encouraged when we discuss the fact that “all weight is not the same”-let’s weigh in on weight.
There is a unique subset of obsessed individuals who do not have the associated health risk as indicated, and these individuals are what is known as Metabolically Healthy Obese (MHO). I must exclaim, there is still a range of unhealthy obese individuals are diagnosed with these associated complications and studies suggest it is at an epidemic level. However, studies also report that 35% of the general obese population is without health complications related to obesity.
No two individuals are the same, and one cannot generalize the point that all obese individual will have the same health issues. Each of us has our physiological makeup which consists of a complex interconnection between our genetics, environment and behavior factors which determines our response to various metabolic health issues.
Most of our weight management participants are healthy and have proven just because of an obese status does not mean that a person has an unhealthy lifestyle. To achieve and sustain health somewhat indirectly of weight status requires lifestyle modifications such as exercising 30 minutes a day, limiting or restricting alcohol intake, stop smoking, and the
Perhaps you are a member of this elite subset of (MHO) you are most fortunate by the genetics life has given. However, recommend that you continue to follow positive lifestyle modification to sustain and maintain optimal health. The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest traditional diets known to humanity today. Here are the basics for both obese and non-obese individuals.
DAILY: 1-2 Servings: Whole Grain Bread, cereals, pasta, rice, couscous, and others
2-3 Servings: Vegetables (lunch and dinner). Variety of colors and one raw.
1-2 Servings: Fruit. Choose as dessert
1 Serving of Dairy: Prefer in the form of low-fat yogurt, cheese other
Fermented dairy products.
Olive Oil: Principal source of dietary lipids (especially extra virgin) 1 Tbsp
Olives, nuts, and seeds are good sources of healthy fat, protein, minerals
Also, fiber. Eat like a healthy snack choice.
Weekly: Fish (two or more servings) white meat (two servings) and eggs (two or four servings.
Red Meat: less than two servings, lean cuts, and processed meats less than one serving in small quantity and frequency.
Occasionally: Sweets: sugar, candies, pastries, beverages, sweetened fruit juices, and soft drink, should be consumed in small amounts and left for special occasions.
“Health is not about the Weight you lose, but truly about the Life, You Gain.”
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