Mothers of New Babies and Toddlers

Healthy Weights

Identifying your healthy weight

Most of us carry much more body fat than we need for good health. This extra body fat increases our risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

The risk factors for becoming overweight include:

less than 15 minutes of physical activity each day
snacking on high calorie foods like cookies, chips, and candy
eating meals at irregular times and snacking too often throughout the day;
skipping breakfast
watching two or more hours of television daily
sitting for more than several hours each day (doing desk work or driving)
eating fast food meals more than once a week
drinking sugary drinks daily such as soda pop, fruit drinks, and fruit juices.

What is a healthy weight?

A healthy weight is a weight that you can achieve and maintain with a healthy lifestyle.
A healthy weight is a weight that you can easily maintain.
A healthy weight depends upon healthy eating and active living.
A healthy body weight is the weight at which you feel healthy and fit, and where your immune and reproductive systems work well. It does not require an eating disorder to maintain a healthy body weight!

By being active and by eating smart, you will naturally achieve a healthier weight and body composition.