Tag Archives: bmi

Would You Be Happier to Be Thinner Than Your Spouse?

Would you be happier if you were thinner than your spouse? I recently read in “Health News” that a new study from the University of Tennessee found that women who had a lower body mass index (BMI) than their husband in the first few years of marriage were much more satisfied. What they discovered is that it really had less to do with how skinny the wife was and more to do with her BMI. They apparently followed 169 couples, from the beginning of their marriages through the next four years. Men were also more satisfied when they had lower … Continue reading →

New Exercise Program for Kids

My daughter was a chunk of a baby. (See for yourself.) But she has since shed her baby fat and grown into a perfectly sized preschooler, who can outrun all the girls and all but one boy on her soccer team. When I watch her sprint after the ball I often reminisce about her former Michelin Man legs. Man, was she chubby (though, very healthy, according to her doctor). I’m not afraid to speak about my child’s hefty beginnings, but perhaps I should since these days the tide seems to be turning against baby fat. In a recent article published … Continue reading →

Do You Really Need to Lose Weight?

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You’ve met those people with overblown egos, right? Well, some of us have overblown self images too, the bad kind. Some of us have been focusing on that last five pounds for so many years that we don’t even realize that we just aren’t overweight. All too often, we compare ourselves with the emaciated models and celebrities we see in popular magazines and that skews our own reality of what is and is not overweight. Well, it is time we all had a reality check! The easiest way to see if you are actually overweight is to check your Body … Continue reading →

Schools Battle Childhood Obesity

Researchers from Indiana University and Ohio State studied the growth rates of body mass indexes of more than 5000 children. They found that the five and six year olds’ BMIs increased nearly twice as much during the summer than during the school year. The monthly growth rate of their BMIs decreased when school was in session. The researchers believe that the increase in weight was due to a more relaxed lifestyle. During the summer months, children have more leisure time to watch television, play video games, and be idle. In addition, they may have more time to snack on junk … Continue reading →

How Fat Are You Really?

I made an interesting discovery while at the gym today. I met with a personal trainer (complimentary session) who discussed some goals with me, did some fitness testing, targeted areas of concern, matched them up with some other data from testing (weight, body fat tests…) and gave me a plan outline for me to follow on my journey to the healthier me. Over a week ago when I began my new life, I figured I had about one-hundred pounds to lose. I’d done simple on-line calculators that gave me a “healthy weight range” only to find out today, even at … Continue reading →

Breast Cancer Risk Linked to BMI

First things first: obesity is bad for you. But now, the good news: research from Harvard Medical School is showing that women who are heavier as young adults have a lower risk of developing breast cancer before they hit menopause. More bad news? After menopause, that extra weight can be one of the strongest indicators of breast cancer looming in your future. Research shows that postmenopausal women can reduce their risk of breast cancer by losing weight. Postmenopausal women can have a very hard time losing weight — even more bad news. The Harvard Medical School research helps confirm previous … Continue reading →

Pinching an Inch – How Much Is Fat?

During any gym evaluation, the trainer you are working with will likely use calipers to do a body fat test. Th idea is to give you the information that the scale cannot. Remember, when you stand on a scale, you are measuring how much your internal organs, your skin, your muscles, your bones and other body tissues weigh. Since muscle weighs more per square inch than fat, just knowing your weight can be a very misleading number in determining personal fitness. So if weight is not a good indicator of positive or negative health, why do so many of us … Continue reading →