Do I Need to Lose Weight?
Contents
Several different measurements are used by healthcare professionals to check whether you are at a healthy weight.
Waist measurement
It is not just living with overweight or obesity that can increase your risk of health problems, but where you carry that weight on your body.
If you store a lot of your weight around your stomach, fat can build up around vital organs such as the liver and pancreas, affecting how well they work.
The deep fat that is stored around your middle is known as ‘visceral’ fat and it is linked to high blood fat levels, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Visceral fat in your liver will cause it to pump out too much fat and sugar into the blood. This increases your risk of health problems like coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
What is a healthy waist size?
This depends on your sex and your ethnicity. For a healthy waist measurement you should aim to be less than:
You may find the video below useful when measuring your waist:
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is within a healthy range. BMI is calculated as your weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of your height (in metres):
To work out your own BMI, visit the NHS website and use their online calculator.
Healthy BMI range for high-risk ethnicities (e.g. South Asian, African-Caribbean) is slightly lower. The classifications for BMI are as follows:
Other considerations
There are some other factors that need to be considered when using BMI as a measurement. Muscle is much denser than fat so someone that has a lot of muscle can find themselves classified as overweight or obese, even though they are a healthy weight.
BMI is not a suitable measurement if you:
- Have an eating disorder
- Are pregnant
- Are under 18 years old
Calorie requirements
Age, gender, physical activity levels and weight goal (maintenance, weight loss or gain) all affect how many calories you need.
Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
It's important to note that the calorie allowances above are just a general guide and do not give an individual guide.
For an accurate measure of how many calories you need per day, taking into account your age, sex, levels of activity and individual measurements to maintain your current bodyweight you can work out your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).
Working out your TDEE is an incredibly useful tool for weight management and weight loss. You can use an online calculator to do this.
Calorie deficit
A calorie deficit occurs when you consume fewer calories than your body uses in a day. In response, your body must find other sources of energy to meet its needs.
It does this by tapping into its energy reserves, which are primarily stored in the form of body fat. Over time, a sustained calorie deficit can lead to weight loss as the body uses its fat stores for energy. You can create a calorie deficit by eating less food, burning more calories, or a combination of both.
Knowing your TDEE also means that you can easily calculate how many calories you need to eat to lose weight or gain weight.
For weight loss:
Useful resources
More information and support to help with weight management can be found by clicking on the following links:
The NHS has developed a free 12-week weight-loss guide that combines advice on healthy eating and physical activity.
The British Heart Foundation has produced a detailed information leaflet to support weight loss.
