Dieting Your Way to Good Health

Sometimes we don’t look at overweight when it comes to our efforts to eliminate certain conditions. We either don’t know there is a connection between these conditions and our weight or don’t want to accept it. It’s time each of us took a stand and began to accept that our weight has an effect on many different conditions and illnesses that affect our bodies.

Back Pain

One of the most common complaints for women regardless of their weight is back pain. If you have ever had a baby, you more than likely suffer from back pain. It may be because of injections you had during delivery or constantly picking up your children when they were little, but there are few women who can say they do not have problems with back pain. On the other hand, if you are carrying too much weight, you have a better chance of developing back pain regardless of whether you have had children or not. Excess weight puts a strain on your back, and the result is back pain. Depending on the amount of extra weight you are carrying, the pain may be minor and intermittent or severe and constant. In severe cases just standing over the stove cooking dinner can be uncomfortable.

Leg Pain and/or Sciatica

Leg pain with or without sciatica can also occur in people who are carrying an excessive amount of weight. It makes it difficult to walk, stoop, bend or other things that are necessary just to attend to daily chores. If the problem is severe, it can even make enjoyment of life’s little pleasures unbearable.

Arthritis

Though other factors also contribute to the severity and development of arthritis, there is no doubt that excess weight is a contributing factor. The excess friction in the joints that is directly caused by arthritis is certainly worsened when the sufferer is carrying more weight than is necessary for their height and bone structure.

Heart Conditions

Excess weight also causes problems with the heart because of the excessive amount of work it must do to pump blood. For those who are already genetically prone to heart disease, it’s important to maintain a healthy weight throughout your life. Keeping your heart healthy is one of the best ways to maintain health throughout your body. Without a healthy heart, the rest of your body cannot function properly.

Maintain a Healthy Weight to Stay in Good Health

If you want to remain healthy, it’s important to begin with a healthy weight. That doesn’t mean you have to be skinny, but you should not carry weight any more than ten per cent over the highest weight range in your height category. For example, if the weight range for your height is 125-140, you should weigh a maximum of 154. Or course, this also depends on the composition of your body because for some people even ten per cent above their recommended weight may be too much.

Choosing a Healthy Weight

Many of us look at the weight ranges that are published for our heights and want to adhere to those while others may think they are off base in either direction. You need to choose what makes you look and feel healthy rather than what some weight chart recommends. Of course, you also must be realistic-if your height calls for a minimum of 120, don’t attempt to hold your weight at 100. You will not only look unhealthy, you will feel unhealthy as well.

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Linda Farington writes weight loss, diet plan, health, beauty and general well-being articles for the Lose Weight Reviews website at http://www.loseweightreviews.com