Wait, Weight?

People can be separated into 5 different catagories:

Underweight
Normal Weight
Overweight
Obese
Morbidly Obese

( texasmama12 , Body weight and BMI)

The above picture can give you a good idea of what these each would look like on a person of the same height and what the weight range would be, as well as the BMI or body mass index. People who fall under the first catagory, the underweight, face the problem of not having enough nutrients or stored energy within their body. This is a good indication of something wrong, such as an eating disorder or a medical problem, although there are times when this is not always true, being underweight, especially severely underweight can cause severe and adverse health problems that can lead to death. The larger a person gets beyond a normal weight, the higher the risk for just as severe and adverse health problems as those who are severely underweight. It is estimated that today in America about 68% of the population is overweight or obese, and about 35% of those fall into the obese category (Sizer & Whitney, 2014). Those in these categories face many obesity related diseases, such as:
▪ Diabetes.
▪ Heart disease.
▪ Hypertension (high blood pressure).
▪ Gallbladder stones.
▪ Nonalcoholic fatty liver leading to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and cancer.
▪ Other cancers.
▪ Stroke.
(Sizer & Whitney, 2014)
Also, it is estimated that about 70% of those in these categories have at least one of these disease, and some have more than one (Sizer & Whitney, 2014)

A healthy diet could help those who are underweight to increase their weight in a healthy manner, as well as helping those who are overweight to lose weight in an equally healthy manner. The nutritional needs of those within these categories may be different, but they all require nutrient dense diets rich in macro and micro-nutrients in balanced amounts without excess fat, sugar, sodium and other unnecessary components that can be found in foods yet are not good for a person no matter what category they fall under. With this diet change, a person who wishes to change the category their body is in should also partake in an appropriate physical activity, as this will help to build strong muscles and a strong cardiovascular system.

If a person is currently at a normal weight, eating enough nutrient dense food and partaking in appropriate physical activity will keep them from falling into the underweight category, while avoiding overeating, especially foods and beverages that are full of empty calories, excess sugars and fats, will help to keep them from gaining the unwanted weight and fat that would push them into the overweight and higher categories.

References

Drasin, R. (Producer). (2010, April 09). Healthy weight [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lifestyle-for-healthy-weight-loss.htm

 Sizer, F., & Whitney, E. (2014). Nutrition - concepts and controversies. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. 

texasmama12 (Producer). (2012, Aug 13). Body weight and BMI [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://healthylifestyle-2012.blogspot.com/2012/08/prevention-of-underweight-overweight.html