What is Obesity?
Being obese and being overweight are two different things. What doctors use to determine which one you are involves your Body Mass Index (BMI). To calculate your BMI you divide your body weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. If you're mathematically limited, as I am, you can simply use this BMI calculator. BMI is used to track body fat according to your height and your weight, but it doesn't distinguish between lean body tissue and fat. BMI can be misleading for very muscular people or for pregnant and lactating women.
A BMI between 25 and 29 is considered overweight and a BMI greater than 30 is considered obese. If you're BMI is 30 or greater, see your doctor and get a check up before you start exercising or dieting.
The Problem With Obesity
The ugly truth is that obesity contributes to all kinds of health problems such as:
On top of that, you might experience uncomfortable joint pain caused by carrying excessive weight on the body. The good news is that if you lose weight, you can actually prevent many of these conditions and illnesses. Even better news: it doesn't have to hurt to do it!
Getting Started
Before you do anything, SEE YOUR DOCTOR to make sure you can safely exercise without hurting yourself. If you're taking medication, find out how to monitor yourself since some heart or blood pressure medications can affect your heart rate. Make sure you get details from the doc about exactly what you can and can't do. If you've never exercised, the last thing you want to do is hurt yourself by doing too much too soon.
After you get the thumbs up from your doctor, check out the Beginner's Corner to learn how to start an exercise program. There you'll learn what a complete program is like and how to structure it. But, don't get started yet! If you're obese or overweight, you probably have some specific concerns about your exercise.
Next page Your Exercise Options
