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Weight Gain = Poor Quality of Life
Weight Gain = Poor Quality of Life
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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
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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
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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
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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
About The Author
----------------
Michael Lewis has been collecting 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
www.ageforce.com
