Many thin or average weight women have an unhealthy body. They are busy and don't believe they need to "diet" or exercise. Women content with their dress size ask, "Why worry?" Poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle cause health problems regardless of body mass index or what the scale says.

Dangers of a Sedentary Lifestyle

A study from the University of Hong Kong showed that a sedentary lifestyle causes more deaths than smoking. The risk of terminal cancer in women increased 28% due to lack of physical activity. Dying from respiratory ailments was 75% more likely. Fatal heart disease increased by 28%. WrongDiagnosis.com lists sixteen different conditions with inactivity as a risk factor.

Exercise can decrease and even reverse the negative effects of couch potato syndrome. Bodies were meant to be used. Moving muscles, ligaments, and limbs brings oxygen to tissues and organs. This increases flexibility and circulates lymph fluids. Toxins are removed, literally sweated out. Be sure you get at least thirty minutes a day of cardiovascular or aerobic exercise.

Dangers of Neglecting Diet

WrongDiagnosis.com lists a whopping 37 medical conditions that site poor diet as a risk factor. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies affect virtually all organs, including the mental functions of the brain. A diet of fast food or junk food takes its toll. High fat diets are linked to heart disease. Excess sodium correlates with an increase in stomach cancer and cataract extraction. Too much sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease and ovarian cancer. Poor nutrition adversely affects dopamine and serotonin levels contributing to sleeping and mood issues. Eat well to be well.

BMI

Body mass index is calculated by your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters. BMI does not take into account muscle mass, bone structure, body fat percentage, or gender. The guidelines are as follows:

Underweight = less than 18.5

Normal weight = 18.5-24.9

Overweight = 25-29.9

Obesity = BMI of 30-35

Morbidly Obese = 35 or greater

In a 2006 study by Mayo Clinic individuals were classed by BMI. The severely underweight and morbidly obese suffered the most, while the overweight and obese actually had the lowest rates of disease and death.

Body Fat Percentage

Other than weight and body mass index, consider your body fat percentage. Women need about twelve percent body weight as essential fat stores to ensure proper hormonal function and protect internal organs. (For men this number is three percent.) To measure your body fat an immersion method called hydrostatic weighing is most accurate. Several home methods, scales and calipers, are also available. Body fat percentage guidelines are as follows:

Women up to 30 years old = 14-21%

Women 30-50 years old = 15-23%

Women over 50 = 16-25%

Men up to 30 years old = 9-15%

Men 30-50 years old = 11-17%

Men over 50 = 12-19%

Waist Measurement

Another key indicator of health is waist measurement, even more precisely, your waist to hip ratio. A ratio of .85 or less is considered healthy with .7 being considered ideal. A waist measurement of 99 centimeters or greater (39 inches) doubles a woman's risk of death from heart disease.

Look beyond the mirror, the scale, and even your BMI. It's possible to be "skinny fat." Everyone needs to pay proper attention to diet and exercise, even those at an ideal weight or body mass. To reduce your risk of disease eat a wide variety of healthy foods and get plenty of exercise.

Learn more about this author, Terra L. Fletcher.
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