Professor Discovers New Way To Calculate Body's 'Maximum Weight Limit'

Most of us are familiar with the term, Body Mass Index, or BMI, as an index to determine healthy body weight. But, calculating BMI involves a complex formula: weight in pounds is multiplied by 703, and then divided by height in inches squared. Charts or online calculators are then used to show a "healthy weight range" given an individual's height that corresponds to the "healthy range BMI." For example, a BMI chart indicates that a healthy range BMI of 19 to 24 translates to a "healthy weight range" of 120 to 150 pounds for a 5-foot, 6-inch individual.

If this sounds way too complicated to you, you're not alone. George Fernandez, a professor of applied statistics and director of the Center for Research Design and Analysis at the University of Nevada, Reno, set out to give people a simpler way of calculating their healthy weight, and one that wouldn't require charts or online calculators. In addition, he doesn't think the "range" approach sticks in individuals' minds.

"We need a "Maximum Weight Limit, or MWL," he says, "one number that we know we can't go over, just like a speed limit."

So, using SAS software and statistical procedures, he discovered a much simpler way of calculating a Maximum Weight Limit, which closely corresponds to weight recommendations listed on BMI charts. But, you don't need to calculate or know your BMI, nor do you need a chart or online calculator to figure out your Maximum Weight Limit.

"It's a very simple calculation that most of us can do in our heads," he says.

For men and women, there is a baseline height and weight. For men, the baseline is 5-feet, 9-inches tall and a Maximum Weight Limit of 175 pounds, meaning that a 5-foot, 9-inch tall man should weigh no more than 175 pounds. For women, the baseline is 5-feet tall and a Maximum Weight Limit of 125 pounds.

"These are nice round numbers that people can easily remember: 5-feet, 9-inches tall, 175 pounds for man; and 5-feet tall, 125 pounds for a woman," says Fernandez.

From that starting point, you simply calculate how much taller or shorter you are, in inches. Then, if you are man, you add or subtract 5 pounds for every inch you are taller or shorter than 5 feet, 9 inches. So, if you are 5-feet, 11-inches tall, you are 2 inches taller than the baseline of 5 feet, 9 inches. You add 5 pounds for each of those 2 inches, 10 pounds, to the baseline Maximum Weight Limit of 175. So, your Maximum Weight Limit is 185 (175 pounds plus 10 pounds). Women add or subtract 4.5 pounds for each inch they differ from the baseline height of 5-feet tall.

These Maximum Weight Limits correspond very closely to BMIs of 25.5 for men and 24.5 for women. A BMI of 18.5 to 25 BMI is diagnosed as the "healthy range." Fernandez used a slightly lower BMI base for women and a slightly higher one for men because, on average, women have less muscle mass than men. Although some have debated using BMI as a means for calculating healthy weight because it does not take into account factors such as muscle mass, for example, it has been shown to work as a basis for calculating a healthy weight for more than 90 percent of the population and is the most universally used index in weight management programs.

"Now people can calculate their own Maximum Weight Limit, based on the BMI index, but without any calculators or charts," Fernandez says. "And, all they have to remember is that one number, 185 pounds for example, which is easier for most people than retaining a weight range, such as 155 to 185 pounds."

Fernandez also says that this simple formula could be very useful in medically underserved areas of the world, and for individuals without access to technology and charts.

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'Office of The Future' Environment Study

Mayo Clinic endocrinologist Dr. James Levine has continued his research in environment-changing innovations with a six-month study of a real-life office that was re-engineered to increase daily physical activity or NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis).

The study began in late 2007 and ended in 2008 at SALO, LLC, a Minneapolis-based financial staffing firm. Of the 45 employee volunteers involved in the scientific study, 18 were studied for weight loss and other changes, according to an announcement of the study.

Re-engineering included:

• Removing chairs and traditional desk seating
• Introducing walking tracks
• Educating and encouraging staff to conduct walking meetings
• Replacing traditional phones with mobile sets
• Adding desks attached to treadmills
• Introducing games in the workplace
• Providing high-tech activity monitors
• Advising staff about nutrition

Results:

• The 18 individuals lost a total of 156 pounds, 143 of that in body fat.
• Individuals lost an average of 8.8 pounds -- 90 percent of that was fat.
• Triglycerides decreased by an average of 37 percent.
• The nine participants who had expressed a desire to lose weight lost an average of 15.4 pounds.

Another key finding -- no productivity was lost due to the new environment. In fact, company officials say revenue rose nearly 10 percent during the first three months of the study, and the company recorded its highest-ever monthly revenue in January 2008 -- the study's midpoint.

Conclusion:

This "office of the future" is a functional environment that can also enhance weight loss and maintain health.

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Find Out More About Lap Band

You've probably heard about the Lap band procedure for major weight loss, but maybe you haven't gotten much more information about it.

The Lap Band is a minimally invasive -- the least invasive -- surgical weight-loss option because it uses laparoscopic techniques that use tiny incisions rather than a large incision. The procedure can be performed as an outpatient (day-stay) procedure.

The procedure reduces stomach capacity, restricting the amount of food that can be consumed at one time. The band is locked securely in a ring around the stomach, creating a small stomach pouch that can hold a smaller amount of food so food storage in the stomach is reduced.

Journey Lite performs the Lap Band procedure and they pride themselves on expertise in caring for all the physical and emotional needs of the seriously overweight patient.

Visit the Journey Lite website to learn more. Please remember to discuss any weight loss options with your personal physician first.

This was a sponsored post.

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Is Fear of Weight Gain Keeping Many Women From Trying to Quit Smoking?

Is a fear of getting fatter partly to blame for the fact that nearly one in five American women still smokes, and many don’t try to quit?

Although there are many possible reasons for the stubborn persistence of smoking, fear of weight gain is high on the list for many women, says a University of Michigan Health System researcher who has devoted much of her career to studying this issue.

Several years ago, she and her team reported that 75 percent of all women smokers say they would be unwilling to gain more than five pounds if they were to quit smoking, and nearly half said they would not tolerate any weight gain. In fact, many women started smoking in the first place because they thought it might help them stay slim.

Now, new U-M research findings published in the October issue of Addictive Behaviors show that women who smoke tend to be further from their ideal body image, and more prone to dieting and bingeing, than those who don’t smoke.

Cigarettes are well known to suppress appetite and weight, says Cindy Pomerleau, director of the U-M Nicotine Research Laboratory. “So it’s hardly surprising that women who have trouble managing their weight or are dissatisfied with their bodies are drawn to smoking,” she says.

In another recent study, published in August, the U-M team found that overweight women smokers who were overweight as children were far more likely to have started smoking in their early teens than women whose weight problems started later in life. They also had worse withdrawal symptoms when they tried to quit.

Once they make a serious attempt to quit, evidence suggests that most weight-concerned smokers can be just as successful in kicking the habit as others.

“The problem here is getting women who are concerned about their weight to be willing to try to make a quit attempt,” says Pomerleau, “and then helping them gain a sense of control over their weight.”

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Eat Seafood, See Weight Loss, Fish Advocates Say

Recent news reports confirm that obesity rates continued to climb in over 30 states in 2006, so it might be surprising to learn that there are some foods Americans need to eat more of. Currently only 20 percent of the general population and 18 percent of pregnant moms are eating two weekly servings of seafood as recommended by experts, including the American Heart Association (AHA) and American Dietetic Association (ADA). More people might dive in to seafood if they knew that in addition to being low in fat and high in protein, fish contains other components that may boost weight loss.

A study published recently in the International Journal of Obesity finds that in young adult men, a low-calorie diet that includes fish results in slightly more weight loss than a similar low-calorie diet without fish. The study is part of SEAFOODplus, a large multicenter project sponsored by the European Union to explore the benefits of seafood. Researchers think seafood can enhance weight loss because of the omega-3 fatty acids, which may decrease growth of fat cells, and special fish proteins, which may reduce body fat mass.

"Seafood is a smart choice not only for a fit lifestyle, but a busy schedule. Many people don't know that seafood is quick and easy to prepare and that it is also inexpensive. There are many new products on the market like flavored canned and pouched tuna, flash frozen shrimp that cooks up in minutes and pre-marinated fresh tilapia fillets that come ready to throw on
the grill," says Jennifer Wilmes, nutritionist with The National Fisheries Institute. The institute is an advocate for the fish industry.

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