Your body weight is influenced by the energy intake from food and the energy spent by physical activity. There are three typical ranges of body weight: underweight, healthy, and overweight. These three levels have different implications for your heart health.
Heart Health If You Are Overweight
If you are prone to fat around your midsection, you have a greater chance of developing fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Basically, even if you are not overweight, you may still be at an increased risk for heart disease based on the size of your waist. Here are some heart problems that overweight or wide-waisted individuals may experience:
- Coronary Heart Disease
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Heart rate irregularities
Heart Health If You Are Underweight
If you are underweight, your body weight is below the healthy weight for your age and height. It can be defined as a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5. Being underweight does not mean that you are healthy. If you are below weight for your height and age, you could be missing essential vitamins, minerals and other key nutrients. This can put you at risk for nutritional deficiencies and other problems such as anemia or heart rate abnormalities.
The Heathy Range
You are within healthy range if your weight is in proportion to your height. The appropriate way to find your healthy range is by using a weight – height chart or by calculating your Body Mass Index [BMI]. If you are a healthy weight, eat right, and exercise regularly, you will have less risk of developing heart disease.
Dr. Ciuffo and the Minimally Invasive and Bloodless Heart Surgery Program
Dr. Ciuffo is dedicated to making sure your heart is healthy. If you have any questions or concerns about your heart health and how you can improve it, feel free to contact us at (330) 588-4676 or visit our contact page online.
