
How Do You Know If You're Overweight?

Part of your primary care involves monitoring your weight and keeping it within a healthy range. But how do you know what it should be?
At MyNP Professionals in Brown Deer, WI, Dr. Rosalyn McFarland leads our team in helping you obtain and maintain optimal health, so you can live a thriving, long life. We understand that your weight plays a big role in your overall health, which is why we watch it closely throughout your yearly visits.
Let’s first look at the health risks caused by being overweight.
Dangers of being overweight or obese
If you’re overweight or obese, the list of health risks is lengthy. It includes:
- Hypertension
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Sleep apnea
- Gallbladder disease
- Unhealthy cholesterol levels
- Osteoarthritis
- Depression
- Body pain
To avoid these diseases or serious health conditions, knowing what you should weigh can help you take steps to getting your weight where it should be.
Consider these factors
Our team doesn’t determine your weight with a one-size-fits-all calculation. Instead, we consider several factors that help identify the ideal weight range for you.
One way to learn what you should weigh involves using a calculator to find out your body mass index (BMI). The tool calculates your height and weight to estimate your body fat.
The normal range is between 18.5 and 24.9. Anything below that range means you’re underweight. Anything between 25 and 29.9 means you’re overweight, and any number above 30 classifies you as obese.
However, we can’t rely on your BMI alone. Sometimes we have to consider your height, sex, and frame. For example, if you’re an older adult, you store fat differently than a young person, which can change the number of your ideal weight. We also look at your muscle mass, which can make you weigh more.
Our professional team takes into account what makes your body unique, so we can determine the healthiest weight range for you. Rather than following a standard chart that tells you what you should weigh based on average numbers, allow Dr. McFarland and our team to give you a comprehensive evaluation.
Additional options
Although changing your diet can help you lose unwanted fat, sometimes your problem areas just won’t go away. Once you reach a healthy weight, you can still have stubborn pockets of fat that you might want to eliminate.
Our team can talk to you about a variety of techniques to further contribute to the reduction of fat and helping you get the body you want.
To learn more about weight management, contact our team today to schedule a personal consultation. Give us a call, or request your appointment online.
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