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The BMI or Mass Index gives us an indication of how much fat a person has in relation to their weight and height. It helps to determine weather a person is underweight, normal, overweight or obese. Even though it does not provide us with a distinction between the fat and the non fat components of the overall body mass (muscle to fat ratio), it is still the most practical method to evaluate one’s degree of risk associated with obesity.

Your BMI is , if your BMI is less than 18.5, based on your height, you are considered to be underweight. You should speak to your doctor or health professional to help determine the possible causes, as well as for the best advice on weight gain.

Your BMI is , if your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, based on your height, you are considered to have a healthy weight. A healthy/ normal body weight is one that would lower your risk of nutrition-related diseases.

Your BMI is , if your BMI is between 25 and 29.9, based on your height, you are considered to be overweight. In this group, there is a growing risk to develop chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol.

Your BMI is , if your BMI is 30 or more, based on your height, you are considered to be obese. At this point, there is a moderate to high risk of developing chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes and cholesterol.

Your BMI is , if your BMI is 40 or more, based on your height, you are considered Morbidly Obese. Suffering Morbid Obesity puts you at a very high risk of developing chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiac arrest, arthritis and other life threatening illnesses.

It is very important to put life measures in place to reduce your weight and as such improve your health. The best way is usually to combine a healthy diet with regular physical exercise. You should speak to your doctor, health care professional, and dietician, to determine the best suited way for you to lose weight.

How To Aviod Overeating?

Have you ever eaten a meal made up of meat, vegetables and potatoes or cassava and felt like your ‘belly’ was full after only a few spoonfuls and that just one more bite would make you feel totally and uncomfortably stuffed? Or what about when you have eaten a meal not made up of much  and you took a while before you felt hungry again? That feeling of fullness and satisfaction during or after eating a meal is called satiety. It is a natural internal signal that gives you an indication that ‘enough is enough’.

One of the ways to a healthy eating pattern is to heed this feeling and stop eating at that point. Children and even babies have this natural cue and so parents or caregivers have the opportunity from day one to influence them to obey these natural cues that will help them reduce their risk of developing an unhealthy pattern of overeating.

Research has shown that eating larger portions over time could very well account for the growth in the number of overweight or obese people in today’s society. David Levitsky, Professor of Nutritional Sciences and Psychology at Cornell, conducted a study reported in The Journal of Nutrition, 2004. Levitsky noticed that the more food that was served to college students (who volunteered to be in the study), the more they ate! The report stated that the serving larger and larger portions by restaurants could be directly related to and be a major cause for the increase in the number of overweight and obese people.

Do not despair, however, as like everything else you can teach your body new values and you can unlearn behaviours. It starts with obeying your body’s cues, understanding the signal that you are ‘full’ and putting an immediate halt to your eating at that point. As you become more and more attuned to your body’s responses while eating, you’ll notice that you are actually full before you even start ‘feeling’ full. That’s because your brain takes a couple seconds to catch up with your stomach!
 
Here’s what to do to feel full longer, delay hunger pangs and avoid overeating:
•    Eat the recommended portion sizes – start small and aim for variety.
•    Have four to five small meals throughout the day rather than three large ones. Keep the portion sizes of these meals consistent.
•    Take special care to monitor your portion/serving sizes on Sundays and special occasions when you are more likely to go overboard.
•    Split large portions sizes with friends or save to have later during the day as a meal or snack.
•    Request ‘doggie bags’ or ‘take home’ packaging when eating out. Do not get into the habit of eating all that is set before you because you are ‘paying’ for the meal.
•    Select foods with higher levels of protein, complex carbohydrates, dietary fibre and water e.g. meats, ground provisions, whole grain cereals and vegetables.
•    Limit foods high in fats and simple sugars e.g. fried pies, donuts, pastries because your body will break them down faster and you will feel hungry sooner.
•    Identify the time during the meal when you are comfortably full and then stop eating. This will prevent your stomach from stretching to accommodate the extra food. In time it will also result in you having a smaller stomach.
•    Eat and chew slowly. A trick to help you slow down is to put-down the eating utensils during the meal. It will give your brain enough time to get the signal that your stomach is full. In addition, it ensures the proper breakdown and digestion of food.
•    Maximise the meal experience, indulge in conversation or just simply savour every bite.

For more information contact Nestlé Consumer Services at 800 NEST.