We are FAT!!!!
The new Canadian Community Health survey by Statistics Canada shows 54.6 per cent of people living in Waterloo Region are overweight or obese. The national average is 48.5.
Overweight is defined as having a body mass index of over 25. Obese is having a body mass index of more than 30.
We’re fat! Sorry I didn’t sugar coat that statement but by the looks of those numbers, we get enough sugar!
I’m going to be honest and say I am in the other 45.4 per cent. You could argue I don’t understand what I’m talking about but I do have a frame of reference. When I was younger, I had a BMI of 30.
I made all the excuses from saying I was big boned to blaming it on a slow metabolism. I was lying to myself. I was fat because I was lazy and ate too much.
There’s a lot of talk in the media these days about body mass index, but there’s another number that doesn’t get as much attention as it should: Basal Metabolic Rate.
Calculating your BMR is not an exact science, but there’s a few websites you can Google that will give you an idea of what your BMR is. I can tell you, it will be an eye opener.
Your BMR is how many calories you need in a day if you do nothing. Most people guess their’s is about 2000. WRONG! That’s an average and takes into account people who are physically active and have a fair bit of muscle to maintain. Muscle takes more calories that fat to maintain when at rest.
My BMR is a pitiful 1400. That’s all I’m allowed in a day. That will keep me at my current BMI of 21. Anymore and I gain weight. Any less and I lose weight. Of course physical activity increases the number of calories you can have, but be honest, how may kilometres are you running in a day?
Now if you need to lose weight, here’s another number to keep in mind: 500. That’s the daily calorie deficit commonly believed to be needed to burn one pound a week.
I challenge you to calculate your BMI and your BMR tonight and see how you measure up to today’s survey results.
Kate