Body Weight

Sept. 11, 2025 | Body weight is the total mass of your body. Keeping track of your weight is one way to check for changes in your health, but it can’t tell you the whole story. That’s because your weight includes muscle, bone, fat, and water. It’s important to recognize that everyday factors can play a role in your body weight. Healthy eating, for example, does not mean that you have to follow a very strict diet or eat only a few specific types of food. It doesn’t mean that you can never eat your favorite food. You can eat a variety of foods, including less healthy favorites. But it’s important not to eat too much of those foods or have them too often. Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for a healthy body weight. It has many benefits. It can improve your overall health and fitness and reduce your risk for many chronic diseases. Your stress level, your sleep habits and your age are other things to consider when evaluating your body weight.

Sept. 11, 2025 | A healthy weight is more than just a number on the scale. It’s about feeling good, having energy, and lowering your risk of disease. Your health care professional can help you determine a healthy body weight based on several factors. Your body mass index, or BMI, is a measure of how much you weigh compared to how tall you are. The higher your BMI, the higher your risk for certain diseases. BMI does not distinguish between fat, muscle, and bone mass. It also may overestimate body fat in athletes or those with a muscular build, or underestimate body fat in older persons or others who have lost muscle. If most of your body fat is around your belly rather than your hips, you may be at a higher risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Your health care professional will also consider your risk factors for diseases and health conditions, such as having high cholesterol, in determining your healthy body weight.

Sept. 11, 2025 | Body mass index, or BMI, is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. It’s a calculated measure of a person’s body weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters. Your BMI is just one piece of the puzzle. BMI does not distinguish between fat, muscle, and bone mass. These all influence a person’s weight. BMI does not indicate what types of fat people have or where in the body people carry fat. Your physician will consider whether your BMI is too high or too low for you. The higher your BMI, the higher your risk for certain diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. A person with a BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight, with a normal BMI ranging from 18.5 to 24.9. Those with a BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 fall into the overweight category, with anyone having a BMI of 30 or higher considered obese.

Sept. 11, 2025 | Did you know that a reasonable and safe weight loss is one to two pounds per week? Experts at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute have found that while it may take as long as six months to lose five to 10 percent of your body weight, it will make it easier to keep off the weight. Most people gain and lose a little weight from day to day, but these changes tend to stay within a five-pound range. However, if you’ve lost more than that without trying, there might be something else going on. You should talk to a health care professional if you lose or gain weight for no apparent reason. A sudden, unexpected change in weight can be a sign of a medical problem. Unexplained weight gains can be caused by certain medications, thyroid problems, heart failure, kidney disease or liver disease. Some medications can also cause a sudden weight loss, as can cancer, digestive disorders and certain infectious diseases.

Sept. 11, 2025 | Maintaining a healthy body weight can improve your energy, sleep, and overall wellbeing. That’s why it’s a good idea to talk to your health care professional about what a healthy weight would be for you. If they recommend that you gain or lose weight, they might refer you to a dietician for support. A dietician is a professional who has special training to help you learn the best way to eat. Good nutrition and exercise can help in losing weight. Even a small change in weight can lower your risk of developing certain diseases. Eating extra calories within a well-balanced diet and treating any underlying medical problems can help you gain weight. Changing the way you approach weight loss can help you be more successful at weight management. Focus on your health, not just the number on the scale. With daily healthy habits and self-compassion, you can support lasting improvements in your overall wellbeing.