Weight Loss - Body Mass Index (BMI)

In simple terms, obesity is caused when the body stores excessive calories. Obesity in civilized countries is reaching epidemic proportions. What is worrying is that the children too are now more obese than ever before in the history of man kind!

Weight loss depends on the amount of calorie intake. Calories are used by the body to perform its day-to-day functions. However, when the calories taken in is greater than the energy burnt, then the excess calories are stored as fat. The most common reasons for excessive consumption of calories are:

• Psychological
• Emotional
• Lack of knowledge
• Habit

There are a number of VERY dangerous diet plans used to target weight loss. A dangerous, or misleading, diet is one which provides "rapid" result. Remember, in order for a diet to be effective and safe, your body needs time to adjust to the change in your lifestyle. This is because rapid dieting will almost always have health consequences, and in fact research has also shown that as soon as your body adjusts to the diet, you will start to put on weight at even a higher rate than before.

For legal reasons we are unable to actually name dangerous or misleading weight loss diets, however, the following is a list which should help you identify these diets for yourself.

• Any diet that cuts out any essential food groups (Specially carbohydrates!)
• Any diet that promises or guarantees fast result
• Any diet that involves you drinking only liquid food.
• Any diet that involves you buying processed and ready made "food substitutes".

The food you eat is the single most important factor in your weight loss program. Weight loss is only achieved through a healthy diet.

Exercise is vital not only to a safe weight loss plan, but, is also crucial to the general operation and well being of the human body.

Measuring the Body Fat is a much more accurate way of measuring how your weight loss program is going than using a bathroom scale. The bathroom scales are highly misleading!

Swimming is a VERY effective and safe way of burning calories. Its one of the safest ways of exercising as you do not put any excessive force on the joints.

Walking is one of the safest form of exercise as you burn those calories without excessive wear and tear on the joints.

Pilates and Yoga are important to any weight loss program as they both encourage good body posture and alignment.