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 Frankly
speaking, today's girls and women who are genuinely concerned about maintaining
their normal weight, first and foremost think about it from the aesthetic point
of view, while totally neglecting the health factor. Though it's true that excess
fat on the tummy, hips and buttocks contributes to low self-esteem, the effect
of extra weight on health is even more important. It has long been proven that
obesity is not so much a cosmetic problem (especially since men often fall for
the sensual Rubens-style curves) as a medical condition. Moreover, it is not an
individual but a national problem.
So, why excess
body fat is bad from the medical viewpoint? First of all, due to excess weight the
pressure on the cardiovascular system increases. It is known that tiny fat particles
circulating in the blood as cholesterol of the so-called low-density
lipoprotein category can damage the interior walls of the blood vessels and accumulate
over time. Gradually, pathological changes in the vessels become more pronounced
which results in the deteriorated vessel functionality and obstructed blood
flow. This is the pattern of the well-known atherosclerosis (arterial
lipidosis). In addition, excess fat gradually replaces the normal tissue fibers
of the heart muscle which leads to the thrush breast (fatty degeneration of the
myocardium) and, consequently, to the depression of cardiac activity.
At the same
time, obesity affects virtually all systems of the human body. For instance,
all portions of the small intestine increase in size, functional failures in
the hepatobiliary (liver-bile) system occur, spine problems arise due to displacement
of the gravity center, the risk of life-threatening respiratory functions (respiratory
arrest during sleep) also increases, not to mention the fact that obesity
dramatically increases the risk of infertility in women. As we can see, these
reasons are more than sufficient to make one maintain normal (or even better, perfect)
body weight.
Perfect
body weight varies from person to person. This obscure concept should never be confused
with the «optimal body weight», because the latter usually refers to the weight
which is determined by a variety of arithmetic calculations or formulas. Today,
it is obvious that the optimal body weight, as determined by mathematical calculations,
and perfect body weight from the medical point of view are two different things.
See for yourself: none of the existing formulas for determining perfect body
weight takes into account all possible factors contributing to the body weight.
Therefore, they can serve only as the rough estimate of a healthy weight, but
they cannot be taken as a «template» to strictly adhere to. Currently, one of
the most popular and precise mathematical calculations to determine the perfect
body weight is Quetelet index (or the Body Mass Index (BMI)). BMI is defined as
the individual's body weight in kilograms divided by the square of his or her
weight in meters. Normally, the obtained factor (BMI) for women should vary
from nineteen to twenty five units.
But even this formula does not take into
account the woman's age, or the features of her body structure (whether she is asthenic,
normosthenic or hypersthenic type), or any other individual aspects (e.g.
nature of physical activity a woman engages into: girls who are actively
involved in sports, not to mention professional athletes, will always be a
little heavier due to more developed muscle mass). Moreover, none of the existing
formulas takes into account such widespread phenomenon as hyper- or hypometabolism,
although the metabolism rate has a very significant effect on the body weight.
It is obvious that these subtle nuances cannot be covered in a single
mathematical formula, hence the conclusion: the perfect body weight is the
weight which is best for a specific individual. Nobody knows your own body
better than you do. If you're under- or overweight according to Quetelet index,
but you are active, full of life and you feel OK, and you have never been prone
to obesity (though you have never been on a diet in your life), then you should
not attempt to reach that doubtful «normal» body weight.
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