THE EFFECTS
OF BODY COMPOSITION ON HEALTH
America is in a
state of health emergency. More than 60% of the US adult population is
overweight and over 25% are considered
obese. One out of four children
and adolescents are now considered overweight or obese and are quickly
headed for a lifetime of chronic disease. We are fatter than ever and
the numbers continue to rise at a dreadfully high rate! Even more
alarming is the fact that approximately 20% of overweight Americans may
not realize they need to lose excess body fat - because they physically
"appear" to be of normal weight. Despite looking thin and having a
normal weight, they have altered or have an unhealthy body composition.
What is unhealthy body composition? Generally speaking, it refers to
carrying too much fat in comparison to lean tissue (e.g. muscle). It is
clear that achieving healthy body composition is critically important to
experiencing the joy that optimal health can bring.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNHEALTHY BODY COMPOSITION
Unhealthy body
composition and excess body weight often lead to obesity, which is
associated with serious health consequences including:
Heart disease
Stroke
High blood
pressure High cholesterol
Metabolic
syndrome Diabetes
Back pain
Respiratory problems
Certain types of
cancer Kidney disorders
Estrogen-related
problems Gallbladder disorders
Excess
fatigue Osteoarthritis
Sleep apnea
Urinary incontinence
Metabolic syndrome
(also known as syndrome X or insulin resistance syndrome) affects
approximately 46% of Americans, and is characterized by high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood insulin and glucose levels.
People with metabolic syndrome are at greater risk of developing heart
disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. As a rule, a
waist circumference greater than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for
women significantly increases the risk of metabolic syndrome.
Even hormone
balance can be affected by unhealthy body composition, because estrogen
can be produced in fat tissue. An increase in fat to muscle mass could
therefore lead to an imbalance in estrogen. Estrogen imbalance has been
associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), uterine fibroid tumors,
fibrocystic or painful breasts, cervical dysplasia, endometriosis,
systemic lupus erythematosis and breast, uterine, and ovarian cancers.
BODY
COMPOSITION IS MORE THAN JUST YOUR WEIGHT
Body weight alone
(what the scale says) is not a definitive assessment of body
composition. Even after losing weight, you might still be considered
over fat. This occurs when the weight you lose comes predominantly from
muscle and not from fat - producing unhealthy body composition. Having
excess fat on the inside but looking normal on the outside may result in
disease risks that are similar to those who appear overtly overweight.
Where fat accumulates also impacts the degree of risk. Excess fat that
is concentrated near the waist - a condition generally referred to as
central adiposity or an "apple" shape - greatly increases the risk of
disease. Just because you look thin doesn't mean you are healthy!
Several simple,
non-invasive methods are available that can estimate body composition.
These include waist-to-hip ratio, skin-fold thickness, and bioelectrical
impedance analysis (BIA).
FACTORS THAT
LEAD TO UNHEALTHY BODY COMPOSITION
There
is no single cause of unhealthy body composition. Excessive fat
accumulation can result from an imbalance between the calories you take
in and the calories you burn; lack of physical activity; lifestyle
influences such as a high-fat, high-sugar diet; overeating; excess
alcohol intake; chronic use of corticosteroids; hormone imbalance; and
other metabolic factors.
ACHIEVING
A HEALTH BODY COMPOSITION
A health body
composition program helps a person lose weight and look thinner by
targeting fat and preserving muscle. This is in contrast to an unhealthy
body composition program, which may help a person lose weight, but can
result in muscle loss without as much fat loss. By preserving lean
muscle mass, a healthy body composition program reduces the risk of
disease and may decrease the likelihood that fat will return after the
program is complete. This is because a higher ratio of muscle-to-fat may
increase the body's metabolic rate, enabling your body to more
effectively burn calories each day.
A traditional
approach to improving body composition includes exercise and reduced
calorie intake, but nutritional supplementation may also offer
additional, significant benefits. For example, one study comparing a
doctor-supervised, nutritional-based body composition program to a
popular, over-the-counter diet drink showed dramatically different
results. Patients on the doctor-supervised program achieved 11 pounds of
weight loss from fat and they actually increased their muscle mass. The
patients on the over-the-counter diet drink lost the majority of their
weight from muscle rather than body fat - despite being prescribed the
same foods and exercise routine as those on the doctor-supervised
program.
In my
books
and
Cd’s
you will learn how to achieve proper body composition by learning
how to incorporates proper nutrition and exercise to achieve fat loss
and preserve muscle. It is comprehensive, yet tailored to meet your
individual needs.
You have the power
to shape your body for better health. Take the first step to achieving
your goals today.
