Weight Loss & Obesity Affects Life Expectancy

We hear it all the timelose weight for your health. Few people however, realize the extent to which this is critical to their physical well-being and ultimately their life expectancy.

In January 2003, the journal of the American Medical Association featured a study finding that obesity appears to lessen life expectancy, especially among young adults. The study showed an obese 20-year-old white male, (5'10")178cm and weighing (288 pounds) 130kg was estimated to lose 13 years of his life as a result of obesity.

It is now well research that a Western diet that leads to obesity may actually act to stimulate the growth of cancer cells. It is never too late to improve your health through healthful eating and adopting a more health-giving lifestyle. Here are simple steps to follow which can make an immediate improvement to your health and vitality.

1. Check to see if you are overweight or obese.
To find out your BMI you need to divide your weight (measured in kilos) by your height (measured in metres) squared. If the result is greater than 25, your health may be improved by losing weight.

2. Match your diet to your bodys requirements.
If you eat and drink more calories than your body requires you will put on weight. learn to control calories and portion sizes, make recipes leaner, and eat infrequently from fast food restaurants. Also learn how to snack with healthful choices.

3. Colour your diet with a large variety of colorful, cancer-fighting fruit and vegetables.
There are seven different color ranges of both fruit and vegetables and by choosing between 5 to 9 daily serves from a wide range of fruit and vegetables, we are extending our consumption of cancer (and other disease) fighting nutrients.

4. Eat lean protein with every meal.
Protein provides a powerful signal to the brain providing a longer sense of fullness. The right source of protein is essential to controlling your hunger with fewer calories and necessary to maintain your lean muscle mass. Choices of protein should be flavored soy shakes with fruit; the white meat of chicken and turkey, seafood such as shrimps, prawns scallops and lobster and ocean fish or vegetarians may prefer soy based meat substitutes.

5. Rev up your metabolism with activity.
If you want to enjoy a lifetime of well being, exercise is a key ingredient. Thirty minutes activity each day that takes as much effort as a brisk walk is recommended for adults. Children should be active for an hour each day.

6. Get support to ensure you develop a healthful eating plan and reach your goal weight.
A study, Effects of Internet Behavioral Counseling on weight Loss in Adults at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes shows that participants who had the support of weight loss coaching lost more weight than those who didnt. The study concluded that the support of a weight loss coach can significantly improve weight loss results.

Being overweight or obese has been identified next to smoking, as the most preventable major risk to developing cancer. Even small weight losses have been shown to have beneficial health effects. So its never to late to start and you can never be too young or too old to be concerned about your health and do something about achieving a more healthy weight.

(c) Copyright by Kim Beardsmore

Kim Beardsmore is a weight loss consultant whose business operates across 60 countries. Tons of recipes, articles, resources, free newsletter and more to help you lose weight and keep it off forever. Estimate your healthy body weight or receive a free weight loss consultation at http://www.weight-loss-health.com.au

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A Relaxing Way of Schooling

yoga, which is more than 5,000 years old Indian tradition, has become immensely popular in the United States of America. Americans have discovered the art of relaxation through yoga.

Since its popularity is soaring by the day, a number of yoga schools have mushroomed all over the USA to provide the advantages of yoga to the millions of Americans.

A number of yoga classes are conducted through adult education programs and at various yoga centers located in different states. You can get information about yoga centers on the internet. There are many private yoga teachers who conduct classes to give you personal attention.

Though you may be very keen to do yoga exercises the key is enrolling in a right yoga class which has an expert yoga instructor who will look into your personal needs. It is also important that you must know your limitations and goals.

Though the advantages and disadvantages of yoga are well known, very little is known about the yoga instructors. Therefore, before plunging in to yoga classes you have to find the right yoga instructor for it is his/her handling the yoga exercise(s) that either benefits you or may harm you in the long run.

There are a number of important aspects that you should look for in a yoga instructor. The instructor should at first glance identify whether you are doing the right yoga pose and if not he/she should be able to modify or correct the pose. He/she should warn the students which yoga exercise should be done and not to be done depending upon your physical and mental condition. yoga exercises which are uncomfortable and causing excruciating pain to you should never be done. An instructor should encourage the students to know their limitations and advise remedial measures for improving them.

It is extremely important that you check the credentials of the instructor over and over again, as a wrong choice may cause you more harm in doing yoga exercises which the instructor himself may not know. Look for a qualified yoga instructor.

You should find out the number of students in your yoga classes that you are going to select. A class with less than 30 students is preferable so that the instructor can give you personalized attention. You may join a class on experimental basis to gauge the expertise of the yoga instructor before deciding on the choice of yoga exercises.

There are different types of yoga classes and if you are a beginner in yoga you must look for a beginners class. Do not ever start with advance yoga classes. You should also look for the type of yoga classes that are being conducted which are suitable for stretching and relaxation.

You need to know where you want to take yoga classes. If you are looking for fitness through yoga then you can join a yoga class held at a fitness facility. If you are looking to be a yoga expert yourself then you should look for a place which is solely dedicated to yoga classes only and possibly teaches the "higher" or mental yogas.

If you are having any physical handicap or respiratory problem it is advisable to get yourself medically examined. Even if you are not having any disability, medical check up is advisable before undertaking any yoga classes.

Cathy Taylor is a marketing consultant with over 26 years experience. She can be reached at Creative Communications: creativecommunications@cox.net or by visiting http://www.everythingmenopause.com and http://www.howtoconquermenopause.com and http://www.everythingandropause.com

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