Do you know that your gender can affect your weight status? This is so true. Women tend to have more percentage body fat than men. Also, the places women store fat are different from the places where men store fat, and contraceptives can play in role in causing weight gain.
More so, research suggests that some women may gain weight during pregnancy and might not be able to return to the original weight after delivery. Nonetheless, weight gain during pregnancy is a normal thing. It comprises the weight of the baby, the weight of the placenta, increased breast tissues, maternal fat stores, amniotic fluid, etc. *Thus, weight loss after delivery should be done with caution. It should be gradual and guided. Also, a woman who is either pregnant or lactating will need more food than a woman who is not.
For Children and adolescents, normal weight is not measured using the Body Mass Index. The ranges of underweight, normal, overweight, and obesity are not appropriate for children. For example, a BMI of 18 is normal for a 16-year-old and this is considered as underweight for the adult population.
Different researches have been done to define what weight is normal for children and adolescents because they are still growing actively. So, we have charts like BMI for age, weight for age, and weight for height charts that we use for children and adolescents so that your slim 14-year-old brother/ sister/ son might have the correct weight for his/ her age and height. These are some of the things we consider when parents come to us for either weight gain or weight loss in children or adolescents. Some nutrients are very important that we prioritize when monitoring the growth of children.
Elderly people ( 60 years and above) should be slightly overweight to have some form of cushion against falls and fat stores that can help them not to become underweight when they lose weight during an illness. A decline in strength can lead to a decrease in physical activity that makes them gain weight
Did you know that some conditions like thyroid disease can lead to uncontrollable weight gain? Also, weight management in this kind of condition is different. Additionally, when people are diabetic (type 2) or hypertensive, they are also overweight or obese. Thus, weight loss usually becomes an important aspect of managing their condition and this has to be done with caution, considering the signs and symptoms they have due to their underlying condition(s)
Interestingly, exercise is very important in weight control. That’s why we don’t counsel people without incorporating an exercise plan…we follow WHO recommendations and standards.
Exercise is important to us because we know that it helps to keep your bones, heart, lungs, and other organs healthy. It also helps to increase the rate at which your body uses energy even after you are done with an exercise session, especially for those who want to lose weight. Exercise also helps to reduce the composition of fat in the body and increase muscle, which is a good thing.
Our clerking session will help us to know how to incorporate the diet and exercise plan into your daily schedule.