Weight Gain = Poor Quality of Life
by Michael
Lewis
zone3
Gaining up to 20 pounds over four years can significantly decrease
quality of life, according to a study in the Dec. 8 issue of the Journal
of the American Medical Association.
The study asked over 40,000 women to rate their ability to perform
simple tasks, their experience with bodily pain, and their overall
vitality during the study period to determine how weight gain or loss
affects quality of life.
Weight Gain Increased Feelings Of Bodily Pain
The study found that a weight gain of 5-20 pounds resulted in decreased
physical functioning and lower overall feelings of vitality. Weight gain
also increased feelings of bodily pain.
"We asked simple questions about lifting and carrying groceries,
climbing flights of stairs, and their experience with a range of basic
functions of daily life," Harvard University assistant professor of
medicine Ichiro Kawachi, MD, tells WebMD. The women were asked 36
questions that rated their abilities on a scale from 0 to 100.
"We found that weight gain was among the strongest predictors of
declining physical function, stronger than current smoking," says Kawachi,
who co-authored the study along with a team of Harvard researchers. "We
also found that even with women who started out at a normal range of
weight, a moderate gain of 5-19 pounds was still associated with a decline
in functioning and energy level."
The study also found that while weight gain and loss were associated
with the worst and best quality of life scores, it found that among women
who maintained their weight, quality of life remained high.
"The message of even maintaining weight is a very important preventive
goal," says awachi. "If you can prevent adding a couple of pounds a year,
it would translate into a health gain in terms of function, as well as the
known risk factors for cardiovascular and related health."
Being Overweight Increases Risks Of Health Disorders
Physicians know that being overweight increases the risks of heart
disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes among other disorders.
The study cites national statistics showing that over the past 15
years, the average weight of Americans has increased by nearly eight
pounds.
Of the patients involved in the study, close to 40% of the women gained
between 5 and 20 pounds, approximately 40% maintained their weight, and
just over 15% lost between 5 and 20 pounds. The women ranged in age from
47 to 71, with an average age of 58, and were followed for four years.
Franca Alphin, director of the Duke University Diet & Fitness
Center, says learning to maintain weight is as important as taking it off.
"The majority of people know how to lose weight but not maintain weight
loss," says Alphin. "The challenge to someone losing weight is to maintain
weight, and the challenge for people with normal weight is to maintain
it." She says part of the center's weight-loss program is defined periods
of weigh maintenance. "When someone reaches their goal weight, typically
other issues in their lives that have been on hold come back, and food can
be reinstated as a crutch, so maintaining weight becomes more important."
The Bottom Line In Dieting Is Calories
Alphin advises a daily diet of 1,200-1,500 calories and an ultimate
exercise goal of 30 minutes three or four days per week. "The bottom line
in dieting is calories. You have to be aware of portions and over
consumption regardless of what foods you choose to eat."
Source: WebMD
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Lewis has been collecting http://www.healthfitnessworld.com/articles and information on Weight
Loss and HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and related health benefits. He has
created and edits numerous web sites about this subject. Michael is
a staff writer for http://www.ageforce.com/
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