Excess weight can lead to a number of health problems, causing an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and possible joint and mobility issues

Our bodies need some body fat to stay healthy, however carrying excess weight can lead to fatty deposits building up in the arterial walls therefore causing damage or narrowing of the blood vessels. It can lead to serious health complications such as a heart attack or stroke.

Types of Fat

The two main types of fat in the body people are aware of is visceral and subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat sits just below the surface of the skin and we can often feel it. However the more dangerous fat is the visceral fat as this surrounds our internal organs and high amounts of this can lead to increased cholesterol, blood pressure, chance of developing diabetes and developing heart and circulatory disease.

Do you know your BMI?

BMI can be used to give an idea of a healthy weight for your height, with a healthy weight equating to 18.5 to 24.9 on the scale. This however doesn’t take into account muscle mass so may be misleading. Waist circumference is also something we can measure as a larger measurement is often associated to increased visceral fat, which as stated earlier is detrimental to your health. The goals are below 94 cm for men and below 80cm for women.

Exercise is key

To help manage your weight we also need to make sure we are getting the right amount of exercise and eating a healthy balanced diet.  It has been shown that a combination of both Cardiovascular and resistance exercise (at least 150 minutes per week) combined with eating healthily can control your weight and therefore improve your health.  For more information on how to maintain a healthy weight please speak to one of our exercise physiologists.