Overweight and obesity are serious health problems for Latino families. For instance, about 3 in 4 Mexican-American women are overweight or obese. Mexican-American women make up the largest portion of Latinas in the United States. Another problem is that nearly 6 in 10 Latinas are not physically active, making it harder to keep a healthy weight.
Being overweight or obese increases your risk for:
Obesity or overweight is measured with a body mass index (BMI). The taller you are, the more weight you can carry. And shorter people can't carry as much weight. So, the BMI shows the relationship of weight to height. For instance, if you are 5 feet 4 inches tall and weigh 145 pounds, your BMI is 25. But if you are 5 feet 4 inches tall and weigh 174 pounds, your BMI is 30. Women with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered overweight. Women with a BMI of 30 or more are considered obese. All people 18 years or older who have a BMI of 25 or more are at risk of early death and disability from being overweight or obese. These health risks increase as the BMI rises.
If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can lower your risk of many health problems. And physical activity is one key part of weight loss and keeping a healthy weight. Health benefits are gained by doing the following each week:
Aerobic activity that includes:
2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or
1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity or
A combination of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity and
Muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days of the week
This physical activity should be in addition to your routine activities of daily living, such as cleaning or spending a few minutes walking from the parking lot to your office. If weight loss is your goal, you may need to spend more time doing aerobic activity to see the effects.
Eating healthy meals that focus on portion control also plays a role in weight loss and keeping a healthy weight. If you need to lose weight, ask your doctor to help you with a weight-loss plan that includes healthy meal planning and physical activity.
El sobrepeso, la obesidad y la pérdida de peso hoja de datos - Este página explica qué es la obesidad y las causas que pueden contribuir a la obesidad. Incluye estadísticas sobre cúantas mujeres son obesas en los Estados Unidos, problemas de salud que son asociados a la obesidad, y cómo una se puede mejorar su salud.
Calculate Your Body Mass Index - The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women. Enter your weight and height to find your BMI. The BMI tables will help you determine whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.
http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
Calcule su índice de masa corporal (IMC) - Esta página contiene una calculadora que mide su índice de masa corporal. Este resultado le indica si usted tiene sobrepeso o si es considerado obeso.
Do You Know the Health Risks of Being Overweight? - The more overweight you are, the more likely you are to have health problems. Weight loss can help improve the harmful effects of being overweight. This fact sheet explains how to find out if you are overweight, how extra body weight can add to health risks, and how to safely lose weight.
Weight Loss for Life - This publication talks about ways to lose weight and keep it off for life. It emphasizes a mix of healthy diet and exercise and covers different weight-loss programs to help individuals decide what's best for their needs.
A federal government website managed by the
Office on Women's Health
in the
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health
at the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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