Are you one of the many millions of people who look in the mirror daily and say to themselves “I have got to lose that excess weight”? Nearly all of us have done this at one time or another and in most instances you really do need to lose a bit of weight. This is not however always the case and so just how do you know whether you really do need to get rid of those extra pounds?
One great problem with weight gain is that it tends to creep up on you when you are not paying attention and this is being seen particularly in countries like North America where obesity is now classified an epidemic. Because your weight frequently rises slowly over a period of time, you normally simply do not notice the increase in terms of changes to your looks and are only conscious of it when you jump on the bathroom scales. As a result, it is good practice to get yourself into the habit of weighing yourself regularly (about once a month is normally sufficient) and when you find that it is rising noticeably then it is time to lose some weight.
There are differences of opinion about exactly what constitutes obesity but for our purposes here if your weight has increased by in excess of about thirty pounds then you are probably heading towards obesity and a myriad of health problems that are associated with it.
Another sign that you need to lose weight is when a friend tells you that you are putting on weight. Now you may well take offense if a friend informs you that you need to lose some weight but bear in mind that they probably found it difficult to find the courage to tell you and are also almost certainly showing a very real concern for your health and not passing comment on your looks.
Another sign that you have gained too much weight is when you start to have difficulty with easy tasks like climbing the stairs or running to catch a bus and discover that you are getting out of breath. This will not necessarily be a consequence of carrying too much weight and could be caused by other health problems, however you would be surprised at just how often the cause is indeed weight. Your body is starting to ring its alarm bells and these should not be ignored.
One last and very common, but frequently dismissed, sign of weight gain is simply discovering that your clothes no longer fit like they used to. A somewhat tight waistband following Christmas is usual for a lot of us but when it continues to get tighter and you find yourself buying larger and larger sizes each time you go shopping then the time has come to diet before your expanding waist stretches not only your clothes but also your credit card.
These are of course just some examples of the many indicators that you are overweight and need to take steps to correct the situation. Excessive weight has a habit of creeping up on you slowly and it is all too easy simply not to notice it at all. However the secret to feeling and looking good is quite simple – know your ideal weight and jump on the bathroom scales every now and again to ensure that you are not putting on too much weight.
Obesity, and particularly teenage obesity, nowadays is a rising problem and one which can result in serious medical complications. It is also a good idea therefore to learn how to calculate BMI which is the medical indicator for obesity.
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