Test Your BMI 
Are You Obese? Obesity is a word we hear bandied about these days. How do we know if we are obese or just overweight? Obesity, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 to 29.8. To test your own BMI, divide your weight in kilograms (2.2 lbs. equals one kilogram)by your height in meters (39.37 US inches equals one meter) squared. 

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Question of the Week

Question: 
Carbonated Beverages: Boon or Bust to Dieters?

I have heard that dietitians recommend cutting out carbonated drinks of all types when trying to reduce body fat. I don't quite understand how a one-calorie carbonated beverage (diet soft drink, for example,) could lead to weight gain. After all, it's all about balancing calories taken in versus calories expended. How does one calorie transform into any amount of body fat?

Answer: 
Your question is a good one. You are right in that the basic premise of weight loss is balancing the intake of calories with the output. Calories ingested that are not used by the body are stored as fat. It seems simple enough. But, as we all know, if it were that simple, nobody would be overweight or underweight. Many factors enter into weight loss, including the psychological, the biochemical and genetic.

Psychologically, some diet gurus feel that the desire for sweet-tasting food and drink can be overcome by abstinence of such. Using naturally sweet foods such as fruits tends to help overcome the desire for manufactured sweets, after a time. By using artificially sweetened soft drinks, you are perpetuating your desire for manufactured sweets such as processed bakery foods, according to some dietitians. 

Carbonated drinks can be bloating. Bloat adds to the desire to overeat. Carbonation also can upset the digestive tract as well as deplete calcium from the bones. Diet drinks are also empty calories. They have no nutrients. Dietitians would rather you drink fruit juices that are nutrient dense and add to your overall nutritional health.

Regardless of the above, if diet drinks help you achieve your goal in losing weight, we feel they are not harmful, in a broad sense. In balance, it's far better to drink a diet drink than eat a cupcake or drink a non-diet carbonated drink that normally contains 16 teaspoons of sugar. As in all good things, moderation is the key. 

Check our Health & Fitness Home Page for more health tips on exercise and weight loss and just plain healthy living. And let us know how you're doing. Good luck.


The HFT Staff

NOTE: If you would like to see your question featured here, please submit to: questions@health-fitness-tips.com

Product of the Week

Kathy Smith's Latin Rhythm Workout 

Kathy Smith--the diva of fitness has a knack for staying on top of the cultural curve. Great music provided by a live band at the Conga Room in Los Angeles, and a lot of infectious energy from Smith and her core group of fellow dancers. The tape includes a very brief warm-up, and then segments that essentially teach steps like the cha-cha, the samba, and the merengue, followed by a few minutes of cool-down. This is a unique and enjoyable video.

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