Five to ten percent
If you knew that losing even a small amount of weight could improve your health, and lower your risk of developing certain diseases, would you consider doing it?
Experts agree that it’s true. Experts say it’s true, with nearly one third of Americans being affected by obesity and 72 million Americans living in the United States.Your Weight Matters” is an attempt to do something different, without making anyone mad, when it comes to drawing attention on how vulnerable these individuals are to diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea.
“The point is to prompt a conversation about weight between patients and their healthcare providers,”Joe Nadglowski is the president and chief executive officer of the Obesity Action Coalition, which created the campaign. “Right now, unfortunately such regular conversations rarely occur.”
In particular, the OAC encourages individuals to weigh themselves and to complete the Campaign Challenge. This involves making an online promise to talk to their healthcare provider. The campaign’s website (www.YourWeightMatters.org) makes the first part of that easy by including a calculator for measuring body mass index, or BMI, which is found by dividing your weight by your height squared.
This number will place you in one of four categories used by healthcare professionals when assessing your weight. “normal,” “overweight,” “obesity,” “severe obesity”A detailed description is included to help you understand the implications of each.
Apart from all this, what are you really getting by signing the pledge?
First, you will receive a complimentary toolkit that contains useful information about nutrition, emotional issues and weight loss options.
Second, and perhaps the most exciting part of this whole process, considering how scary it can be to have your first conversation with a healthcare provider. Here are some questions you might ask during your appointment.
