Everyone is Losing Weight, Should You Join the Club?

Everyone is Losing Weight, Should You Join the Club?

Written by Accredited Practising Dietitian (Australia), Ms. Doris Lau

Body slimming is very popular in among modern people. The Hong Kong Department of Health statistics shows that in 2016-2017 academic year, almost 20% of students are overweight. Because of the mass media marketing about the gimmicks of body slimming, people of all ages want to slim-up. How do know if someone is overweight?

Rather than merely watching your weight, medically there are 3 indicators for body weight (only for 18 years old or above):

1. The Body Mass Index, BMI

It is calculated by:

If your BMI is between 18.5-22.9 then your are healthy. A BMI greater than 23 indicates that one is overweight and that greater than 25 indicates obesity!

BMI range (Asian Standards)	Status	Risk of getting chronic diseases
below 18.5	Underweight	Higher
from 18.5 to 22.9	Normal	Lower
from 23 to 24.9	Overweight	Higher
from 25 to 29.9	Obese Class I	High risk
from 30 to 34.9	Obese Class II	Very high risk

2. Waist circumference

Waist circumference can predict the risk of having central obesity. The ideal waistline measurement for Chinese men is less then 90cm (35.5 inches); and for Chinese women is less than 80 cm (31.5 inches).

3. Body fat percentage

Fat is mainly stored under the skin (subcutaneous) and around the organs (visceral). Body fat analyzers can be used in measuring body fat percentage

	Standard	Mildly obese	Obese	Severely obese
Male	14-23%	23-30%	30-35%	35% or above
">Female	17-27%	30-35%	35-40%	40% or above

Hence, a holistic assessment does not merely focus on the body weight. Consideration of BMI, waist circumference, and body fat percentage are needed to assess the body shape for the design of an effective weight management plan. And only a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise can combat obesity successfully.

資料來源：《營養師話你知 100不可不知健康營養真相》
Translated by: Gabriel Pun, Accredited Practising Dietitian (Australia)