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Is Being Overweight a Mental Illness?

I heard a discussion on Radio 4 last Friday. It was talking about how many people (in the UK specifically) are overweight now and what the trend looks like going forward. In fact, they read one statistic which said that by 2050, something like 60% of men, 40% of women and 25% of children will be obese. Those are huge numbers!

In case you are not familiar with the definition of obese, it usually refers to a person’s BMI (body mass index.) If a person has a BMI of 30 or higher, then they fit into the “obese” category. Having a BMI of 30 means a person is roughly 30 pounds above a “normal weight”.

Referring back to the statistic that the radio program stated, I actually think their numbers could happen a lot sooner than 2050. They probably are already close to that in the US!

Anyway, getting to the point of this post…the program also posed the question about whether or not being overweight is a “mental illness”. They had one person representing each side of the argument, but I have to say I was shocked that this question even came up!

I think being overweight and trying to lose weight is definitely a huge problem and can be one of the hardest things for people to do, but I can’t imagine how it can be classed as a mental illness.

Cravings play a huge part in people overeating, which I guess could possibly fall into an addiction category, but again, I think a mental illness categorisation is just a step too far! We have to stop blaming something…anything…everything and making excuses for our weight problems. Even if you have been overeating, eating the wrong things, overweight, dieting, or trying to lose those last 10 pounds for years, it is still in your control!

I am an example of this. I went through a few years of eating really bad foods, hiding food from my roommates and friends, essentially lying to myself about why I couldn’t lose weight. I dealt with CRAZY sugar and carb cravings, sometimes feeling like I was going to have a breakdown if I couldn’t get that “treat” that I needed.

But, I’ve gotten away from that in a totally natural way. I didn’t have a mental illness, I just had really bad habits that were forcing me into a vicious cycle of craving the exact things that I was trying to avoid.

I’m not saying it is easy to change your habits and start losing weight, but everyone can do it! It is not a mental illness. Don’t fall into that belief, or you will be even further away from achieving your goals.

To your health,
Kimberly

P.S. If you’re interested in a way to kick start your own weight loss or just be a healthier person, download my Free Weight Loss Report that is shown in the top right corner. And feel free to contact me with questions or comments.

How to calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index)

Hi everyone,

Many of you may have heard of this before, but as it is easy to forget the details, here is how to calculate your BMI and also what exactly it means for each of us.

For the majority of people, the objective of going on a diet is to lessen health risks and to reach and maintain what is considered to be a healthy weight. But how exactly do we know what a healthy weight is? This is where the Body Mass Index chart comes in really useful.

Body Mass Index or BMI as it is commonly known, is a tool used to establish how much you should weigh according to your height and its a much more accurate way of determining where you are placed on the obesity scale than simply referring to your weight alone.

The BMI chart is the starting point for doctors when their patients need advice about overweight and obesity problems. Most of us are aware than being overweight adds to the risk of suffering from diseases like diabetes, heart attacks and strokes. Along with this a diet lacking in nutrition can raise bad (LDL) cholesterol levels. This will, in turn, increase the development of plaque in the arteries and may lead to several other conditions considered to be life-threatening somewhere down the line.

Being aware of how BMI is calculated will assist you in finding where you stand on the Body Mass Index scale.

Firstly, weigh yourself and convert your weight to pounds. Then divide your total pounds by your height in squared inches. Don’t forget to square the height measurements prior to doing the calculation or it will not work. When you have your answer multiply this figure by 703 and this will give you your BMI number.

Now check out the results below.

* A BMI less than 18.5 is considered to be underweight
* A BMI from 18.5 to 24.9 is considered to be within the normal range
* A BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 is considered to be overweight
* A BMI coming in at over 30.0 is considered obese.

A doctor who becomes aware of a patient within the overweight or obese categories is likely to make a point of discussing the problem with them. The patient will be encouraged to lose at least 10% of their body weight as this alone can reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Naturally, if the patient loses more weight than this, the risks are cut even further.

Body Mass Index is also relevant to children. A child’s chart is a little different but it works in more or less the same way. When a high BMI is discovered in a child, the condition can be reversed and the state of health improved by consulting the pediatrician for advice.

For children, the doctor is the best person to determine their BMI but BMI calculators are available on line as a starting point for the concerned parent.

The BMI is merely a means of determining where someone should be on the scale as far as weight goes and it does not necessarily mean heart disease will follow as overweight and obesity are only two of the risk factors involved here. However, this is one area that can be changed by the patient and in doing so the chances of leading a long and healthy life for years to come are greatly enhanced. Besides, it feels great to be in the normal range!

To your health,

Kimberly

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