Almost 50% of adults in the UK alone are overweight to some extent and every year that figure increases, so what can we do to get healthier and fitter?

What is the body made up of?

Our bodies are made up of tissues which include muscles, bones, internal organs and body fat. It is the correct balance of these organs in the body which is important for health.

Sometimes a person can have the correct weight to height ration but they are carrying around too much body fat, we all need a certain amount of fat in our bodies to help to protect organs but too much fat isn’t good, especially if you work out or are sports orientated.

The best way to find out your body’s composition is to measure the percentage of fat, your health club or gym will have equipment that can measure using callipers the thickness of your skin fold at various points on your body which determines how much fat you have.

What is the ideal percentage of body fat?

Your body needs some stored fat for certain functions; the ideal percentage of fat for a male athlete would be in the range of 6 and 15 percent. A female athlete would have an ideal body fat percentage of between 12 and 18 percent.

For most people it isn’t just a matter of how much body fat but more importantly where this body fat is distributed. In general people are considered to have two shapes, pear shaped where excess body fat is stored around the hips and apple shaped where excess body fat is stored mainly around the stomach. People who are apple shaped are thought to be more at risk of heart disease and other medical problems.

Other measurements used in weight management

There are several methods that can be used to help determine if you are over weight or not.

Height and weight table – These tables take into account your weight, height and body frame and whether you are a small, medium or large build. This is a relatively easy way of determining your weight but you need to know your frame size and it can be very easy to guess wrongly about that. Doing so will lead you to believing your weight is perfectly within the normal range when this might not be so.

Body mass index – This type of measurement will normally be used in health clubs and by dieticians and your Doctor; calculations are made by dividing your weight in kilograms by how tall you are in metres squared. Doctors and health experts have studied the body mass index and linked it to the increased risk of diseases such as heart disease.

Theses studies showed that if your body weight falls within the guidelines then you will have no increased health risks, a body mass index of between 26 and 30 increases your risk of heart disease as you are considered to be overweight. A Doctor will class you in the category of obesity if your body mass index is 30 or over and the risk of heart and other diseases greatly increases.

Tips for losing body fat

• Don’t rush it, aim to lose no more than one or two pounds per week
• Eat a well balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and foods from the essential four food groups
• Try and reduce the amount of calories eaten by 500 per day
• Reduce the amount of fat you eat in your diet
• Exercise daily as this will help to burn up the calories you take in

Gaining weight in adulthood is a common thing but as long as we keep eating healthy and exercising this can be controlled and kept to a minimum, too much weight gain during middle age however increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease along with leaving us feeling lethargic.

Studies have shown that for every two pounds we gain the risk of developing diabetes over the next ten years rose by 20%. Not only does the risk of diseases such as these occurring but also too much weight gain can put a strain on the joints, the knees in particular.

Weight gain also increases the risk of several types of cancer including colon and breast cancer, a weight gain of more than 45 pounds during middle age can increase the risk of breast cancer in women by 20%.

The importance of having a healthy nutritional diet cannot be stressed enough as this is the only way of preventing unwanted weight gain in middle age and so preventing the risk of disease.

This can be achieved by reducing slightly the amount of calories you have per day, this reduction can be as little as 100 calories per day.

Daily nutritional needs

To get all the nutrients we need every day to keep our bodies healthy then it is recommended that we eat different types of foods from 4 food groups, these are categorised into the following

• Bread, cereals and potatoes – This group consists of bread, potatoes, breakfast cereals, pasta, rice and noodles and is sometimes called the starchy carbohydrates group.
• Fruit and vegetables – Fresh, frozen, tinned or dried fruit and vegetables all count in this food group as does vegetable juices or fruit juices.
• Milk and dairy products – this category includes milk, margarine, butter and cheese .
• Meat and fish – This category includes fresh lean meat, fish, chicken and eggs, it is important to remember that some of these products can be high in fat so trim off all outside fat and remove the skin from chicken.

There is a fifth food group which consists of foods containing fat and sugar; these should be eaten sparingly as part of a healthy diet but should never replace foods from the essential four groups. There are 8 top tips we should follow for leading a healthy diet, these are:

• Base your main meals on starchy foods
• Eat lots of fruit and vegetables
• Eat more fish
• Cut down on sugary foods and foods containing saturated fat
• Try to eat less than 6g of salt per day
• Get regular exercise
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day
• Remember breakfast is the main meal of the day.