Healthy eating
It has become something of a cliche to say that you are what you eat, but this old-fashioned principle still holds true. Good health goes with good nutrition and that means eating a balanced diet that gives us the energy, vitamins and minerals to keep our bodies ticking over. A good diet also affects our ability to fight off infection and to repair everyday wear and tear to our bodies, including our muscles and joints.
A lack of understanding about nutrition and a poor diet can contribute to obesity, particularly for those whose lifestyle is mostly sedentary. Being obese or overweight is about more than appearances – it is strongly linked to an increased risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease. After smoking, obesity is the largest risk factor for chronic disease in Western countries.
What’s a healthy weight?
All of us are built differently, and to some extent our weight is predetermined by our genes, as well as our diet and levels of activity. But even for those who do not have a naturally slender frame, there are limits to how much you should aim to weigh to stay healthy and to lessen your risk of longer term health problems.
This is general advice for adults only: it does not apply to children, pregnant women, older people or anyone with a long-term health condition. To work out if you need to lose weight, you can use this link to calculate your BMI.
These are the weight ranges, set by the World Health Organisation:
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less than 18.4, you are underweight for your height
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between 18.5 and 24.9, you are an ideal weight for your height
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between 25 and 29.9, you are over the ideal weight for your height
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between 30 and 39.9, you are obese
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over 40, you are very obese
Remember these figures are just a guide – if you are concerned about your weight, you can speak to someone at your local health centre for advice.
Balancing your diet
Our bodies are complex, and we need enough fuel and nutrients to carry out a huge variety of functions everyday – from manufacturing new blood cells to regulating your body temperature. Good nutrition is vital for your health.
The experts who drafted the “European Code Against Cancer” advise that we should all aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. Studies have shown that eating fruit and vegetables can have a protective effect against a variety of cancers. You should eat more vegetables than fruit and ensure that you vary your intake to get the maximum benefit.
Increasing the number of starchy foods like pasta, rice and potatoes and cutting down on fat and sugar in your diet is also important for good health. You can also change the way that you cook food, for example, grilling meat or fish instead of frying it, and steaming your vegetables instead of boiling them.
Further information
You may find the following sites helpful: