Weight Debate

Some facts about fiber:
The American Dietetic Association recommends 20 to 35 grams of fiber daily. For children it is 10 grams, plus the child’s age. For example, an 8 year old child would need 10 grams + 8 years = 18 grams of fiber per day. Both children and adults often eat too many refined and processed foods from which the natural fiber has been removed. Most Americans eat only half the recommended amount of dietary fiber each day. read more »

Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and arthritis are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States.

These diseases account for 7 of every 10 deaths and affect the quality of life of 90 million Americans.

Although chronic diseases are among the most common and costly health problems, they are also among the most preventable.

You can prevent or control the devastating effects of these diseases. read more »

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI is one way to tell whether you are at a healthy weight, overweight, or obese.

The formula used for BMI calculation is: BMI = (weight in pounds ÷ (height in inches)² ) x 703. Example:

BMI = your weight in pounds ÷ by your height in inches ÷ by your height in inches x 703. Example: A person who is 140 pounds and 5’6′.
140 pounds divided by 66 inches divided by 66 inches times 703 = a BMI of 26 (22.59 rounded off).

Standard weight status categories associated with BMI ranges for adults:

• A BMI below 18.5 is underweight.
• A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is in the healthy range.
• A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is overweight.
• A BMI of 30 or greater is considered obese.

Body Mass Index Calculator for Adults
The calculator below provides BMI and the corresponding BMI weight status category. Use the body mass index calculator below for adults 20 years old and older.

BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. Excess body fat can lead to:

• A higher risk for premature death
• Heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Problems with cholesterol and triglycerides
• Gout
• Gallbladder disease
• Lung problems
• Arthritis
• Certain kinds of cancers

Another way to find out if you are at risk for health problems caused by overweight and obesity is to measure your waist.

• If you are a woman and your waist is more than 35 inches, your risk of disease is higher.
• If you are a man and your waist is more than 40 inches, your risk of disease is higher.

Note:
Because BMI does not show the difference between fat and muscle, it does not always accurately predict when weight could lead to health problems. For example, someone with a lot of muscle – such as a body builder – may have a BMI in the overweight or obese range, but still be healthy and have little risk of developing diabetes or having a heart attack.

“Fish to avoid” is for everyone – but especially for women who are pregnant or might become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children. Some fish and shellfish contain higher levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child’s developing nervous system.

Knowing what fish to avoid will help you gain the health benefits from fish and keep your exposure to mercury, Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other toxics low.

AVOID these fish due to mercury:
Women who are or may become pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children should NOT eat:

• Mackerel (King)
• Shark
• Swordfish
• Tilefish
• Marlin (imported)
• Tuna Steak
  • Bluefin
  • Bigeye (imported longline)
  • Yellowfin (imported longline)

( Red Text: Overfished, farmed, or caught using methods harmful to marine life and/or environment).

Safe to Eat
It is safe to eat 2 to 3 average meals a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury. Some fish low in mercury are:

• Anchovies
• Butterfish
• Catfish
• Clams
• Cod (Pacific)
• Crab (Blue, King, Snow) (US, Canada)
• Crab-Imitation
• Flounder/Sole (Pacific)
• Herring
• Mackerel (canned)
• Oysters
• Pollock – Fish sticks
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Scallops
• Shrimp – Prawns (US, Canada)
• Squid – Calamari
• Tilapia (US, Central/South America)
• Trout
• Tuna – canned light

Albacore (“white”) tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. When choosing your meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat 1 average meal of albacore tuna per week.

An average meal is:
A seafood serving or “average meal” is about the size and thickness of your hand, or 1 ounce for every 20 pounds of body weight. Example:

• 160 pound Adult = 8 oz.
• 80 pound Child = 4 oz.

Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 1 average meal per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don’t consume any other fish during that week.

Remember:
Fish is a great source of protein, vitamins, and nutrients. Fish is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which provide protection from heart disease and are great brain food for you, your children and if you are pregnant, for your unborn child.

So… eat fish, but make smart choices and choose fish that are low in mercury, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), and other contaminants.

Visit www.doh.wa.gov for more information.

Drinking too much alcohol can, over time, damage your heart and raise your blood pressure. Alcoholic beverages have calories, and are low in nutritional value. If you drink alcohol, you should do so moderately.

For women, moderate drinking means one drink per day.
For men, it means two drinks per day.

One drink counts as:

• 5 ounces of wine
• 12 ounces of beer
• 1 and 1/2 ounces of 80-proof hard liquor

Research suggests that moderate drinkers are less likely to develop heart disease than people who don’t drink any alcohol or who drink too much.

Red wine drinkers in particular seem to be protected to some degree against heart disease. Red wine contains flavonoids, which are thought to prevent plaque buildup. Flavonoids also are found in:

• Red grapes
• Berries
• Apples
• Broccoli

Drinking more than one drink per day increases the risks of certain cancers, including breast cancer. If you are pregnant, could become pregnant, or have another health condition that could make alcohol use harmful, you should not drink.

Note:
With the help of your doctor, decide whether moderate drinking to lower heart attack risk outweighs the possible increased risk of breast cancer or other medical problems.

Listeriosis is a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium called Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria monocytogenes can be found in soil and water, and in a variety of raw foods.

• Raw unpasteurized and pasteurized milk, high fat and other dairy products like butter and cream.
• Cheeses – particularly soft ripened and unripened varieties – examples: feta, Brie, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, queso blanco fresco, cottage and ricotta cheese.
• Ice cream
• Raw fruits and vegetables
• Fermented raw-meat sausages
• Raw and cooked poultry
• Raw meats (all types)
• Raw and smoked fish and seafood – examples: smoked finfish and mollusks.
• Cooked crustaceans – examples: shrimp and crab

Listeria is killed by pasteurization and cooking, but, in certain ready-to-eat foods, such as hot dogs and deli meats, contamination may occur after cooking by the manufacture but before packaging.

Important!! Listeria monocytogenes can survive at refrigerated temperatures.

Anyone can get listeriosis, but it is especially harmful to pregnant women, their fetuses, newborns, older adults, and adults with weakened immune systems.

Listeriosis can be passed to an unborn baby through the placenta even if the mother is not showing signs of illness. This can lead to:

• Premature delivery
• Miscarriage
• Spontaneous abortion
• Stillbirth
• Serious health problems for the newborn, even death

Reduce Your Risk

• Avoid raw (unpasteurized) milk and raw milk products.
• Eat precooked and ready-to-eat foods as soon as you can, and don’t eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, deli meats, or leftovers unless they are reheated to steaming hot.
• Don’t get fluid from hot dog packages on other foods, utensils, and food preparation surfaces.
• Wash hands after handling hot dogs, luncheon meats, deli meats, and uncooked foods.
• Don’t eat refrigerated pâté or meat spreads. It is safe to eat canned or shelf-stable pâté and meat spreads
• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Avoid meat and seafood cooked rare.
• Do not eat refrigerated smoked seafood unless it is an ingredient in a cooked dish such as a casserole. Examples: salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, and mackerel which are most often labeled as “nova-style,” “lox,” “kippered,” “smoked,” or “jerky.” It is safe to eat canned fish such as salmon and tuna or shelf-stable smoked seafood.

Symptoms of Listeriosis

• Fever
• Chills
• Muscle aches
• Diarrhea
• Upset stomach

If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms may include:

• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Loss of balance
• Convulsions

Also, more severe complications can occur. Check with your doctor if you have these symptoms. A blood test will show if you have listeriosis.

Treatment
Antibiotics are given to treat listeriosis.

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy!!

You don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from regular physical activity. Even modest amounts of physical activity can improve your health. Start with small, specific goals, such as walking 10 minutes a day, 3 days a week, and build up slowly from there.

What Does Regular Physical Activity Do???

• Increases your chances of living longer!!
• Helps you control your weight.
• Reduces your risks for cardiovascular disease.
• Reduces your risks for type 2 diabetes.
• Reduces your risks for metabolic syndrome – a group of risk factors linked to overweight and obesity.
• Reduces your risks for some cancers.
• Strengthens your bones and muscles.
• Improves your mental health and mood.
• Improves your ability to do daily activities.
• Prevent falls among older adults.

Try these activities to add more movement to your daily life:

• Take the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Make sure that the stairs are well lit.
• Get off the bus one stop early if you are in an area safe for walking.
• Park your car farther away from the entrances to stores, movie theaters, or your home.
• Take a short walk around the block with your family, friends, or coworkers.
• In bad weather, walk around in a mall.
• Rake the leaves or wash your car.
• Visit museums, the zoo, or an aquarium. You and your family can walk for hours and not realize it.
• Take a walk after dinner instead of watching TV.

As you become more fit, slowly increase your pace, the length of time you are active, and how often you are active.

Remember to:

Start slowly - Your body needs time to get used to your new activity.

Warm up - Warm-ups get your body ready for action.

• Shrug your shoulders,
• Tap your toes,
• Swing your arms,
  OR
• March in place

You should spend a few minutes warming up for any physical activity, even walking. Walk slowly for the first few minutes.

Cool down - Slow down little by little. If you have been walking fast, walk slowly or stretch for a few minutes to cool down. Cooling down may protect your heart, relax your muscles, and keep you from getting hurt.

Check with your doctor before starting a vigorous physical activity program if you are a man over the age of 40, a woman over the age of 50, or if you have any chronic health problems.

A person with anorexia, also called anorexia nervosa, has an intense fear of gaining weight, thinks about food a lot, and limits the amount of food they eat. With anorexia, you don’t get the energy from foods that you need, so your body slows down. Anorexia affects your whole body and your health in many ways.

• You can’t think right.
• You are sad, moody and irritable.
• You have a bad memory.
• You can faint.
• You have changes in brain chemistry.
• Your hair gets thin and brittle.
• You have low blood pressure.
• You have a slow heart rate.
• Your heart can flutter – heat palpitations.
• You can have heart failure.
• You can have blood problems and anemia.
• Your muscles are weak.
• Your can have swollen joints, bone loss, and fractures.
• You can get osteoporosis.
• You can get kidney stones.
• Your kidneys can fail.
• Your body fluids can be low on potassium, magnesium, and sodium.
• You have constipation, and bloating.
• Your periods stop.
• You stop growing.
• You have trouble getting pregnant.
• If you are pregnant, you have a higher risk for miscarriage, or deliver your baby by C-section, or your baby can have a low birthweight, and you can have post partum depression after your baby is born.

You Can Get Help
Eating disorders can cause serious problems. Getting help early is important!! Treatment involves monitoring, mental health therapy, nutritional counseling and sometimes medicines. Make an appointment to talk with your doctor.

Also called: Folacin, Folate, Pteroylglutamic acid, and Vitamin B9.

Folic acid and folate mean the same thing. Folic acid is a manmade form of folate.

We all need the B vitamin folic acid everyday. Our bodies use it to make healthy new cells daily for hair, nails, skin, and other parts of our body, and it also helps keep our blood healthy.

Some Food Sources of Folate

• Cooked dry beans and peas
• Deep green leaves like spinach and mustard greens
• Oranges and orange juice
• Whole grains
• Some cereals have 100 percent of the daily value of folic acid in each serving

Especially Important!!
Most women don’t get all of the folic acid they need through food alone. It is very important for women who can get pregnant to make sure they get 400 micrograms (400 mcg) of folic acid every day, starting at least one month before getting pregnant. If a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, it can help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine – anencephaly and spina bifida – by 50 to 70 percent.

Two easy ways to get enough folic acid each day are:

• Take a multivitamin everyday that contains 400 micrograms (400 mcg) of folic acid. Or you can take a small pill (supplement) that has only folic acid in it each day.

OR

• Eat a bowl of breakfast cereal that has 100% of the daily value of folic acid every day. Not every cereal has this amount. Check the label on the side of the box, and look for one that has “100%” next to folic acid.

Anencephaly Pronounced an-en-SEF-uh-lee
Anencephaly happens when most or all of the brain does not develop. Babies with this problem die before or shortly after birth.

Spina Bifida Pronounced spy·nuh bif-i-duh
Spina bifida is the most common birth defect in the United States. It is a type of neural tube defect (NTD). The neural tube is a narrow channel that folds and closes during the third and fourth weeks of pregnancy to form the brain and spinal cord. Spina bifida happens if the portion of the neural tube that forms the spinal cord does not close completely during the first month of pregnancy. As a result, the nerves that control leg movements and other functions don’t work. Children with spina bifida often have lifelong disabilities, and they may need many surgeries.

Remember:
For folic acid to help prevent major birth defects, a woman needs to start taking folic acid at least one month before she becomes pregnant and while she is pregnant.

Why You Need Calcium
Everyone needs calcium every day to keep their bones strong and less likely to break, and this is especially important for girls and women. Most women do not get enough calcium daily. The body cannot produce calcium, it must be absorbed through food.

Calcium is a mineral needed by the body for:

• Strong bones
• Strong healthy teeth
• Proper function of the heart
• Muscle contraction
• Blood vessel expansion and contraction
• Secretion of hormones and enzymes
• Transmitting impulses throughout the nervous system
• Calcium helps prevent osteoporosis later in life (weak bones and bone loss)

Daily Recommended Calcium Intake mg = milligrams

• Birth to 6 months – 210 mg
• 7 to 12 months – 270 mg
• 1 to 3 years – 500 mg
• 4 to 8 years – 800 mg
• 9 to 18 years – 1,300 mg
• 19 to 50 years – 1,000 mg
• 50+ years – 1,200 mg

Calcium is found in some foods, added to others, available as a dietary supplement, and present in some medicines, such as antacids for heartburn. Vitamin D also plays an important role in healthy bone development. Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium – this is why milk is fortified with vitamin D.

Example:
3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk = 900 mg of calcium
Plus additional servings of calcium-rich foods = 400 mg of calcium
Total = 1,300 mg of calcium everyday

Good Sources of Calcium Include

• Rhubarb, frozen, cooked, 1 cup 348 mg
• Sardines, with bone, 3 oz. 325 mg
• Spinach, frozen, cooked, 1 cup 291 mg
• Salmon, canned, with bone, 3 oz. 181 mg
• Low fat or nonfat milk, cheese, and yogurt
• Dark green leafy vegetables such as bok choy and broccoli
• Calcium fortified foods such as orange juice, cereal, bread, soy beverages, and tofu products
• Nuts such as almonds

1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men over the age of 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis.
Some people don’t even know they have osteoporosis until they break a bone.
Make sure you are getting enough calcium everyday!!