New York Times | Health & Wellness

BMI is Misleading

28exer600.1 300x175 BMI is Misleading The number calculated from your weight and height to create your body mass index, or BMI, is used by doctors to determine if you’re at a healthy weight. However, even though the number is accurate, exactly what it measures is up for debate.

The problem with using BMI as a measuring tool to see if you’re overweight, normal or underweight is that it doesn’t distinguish between fatty and lean tissue. Therefore, it’s misleading and can cause doctors to misdiagnose a condition such as an eating disorder or obesity.

“The B.M.I. tables are excellent for identifying obesity and body fat in large populations, but they are far less reliable for determining fatness in individuals,” explained Dr. Carl Lavie, a cardiologist at the Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans to The New York Times.

To calculate your BMI, simply divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. Example: Weight = 68 kg, Height = 165 cm (1.65 m) Calculation:68 ÷ (1.65)2 = 24.98

If you fall below an 18.5 you’re said to be underweight, from 18.5 to 24.9 is normal, 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight and a BMI of 30 and above indicates obesity. When calculating your BMI keep in mind that it isn’t a perfect measurement.

Lose Weight by Taking Mass Transit

MCX0507FETURBAN004 med 230x300 Lose Weight by Taking Mass Transit After reading this research I wondered if I’d be overweight if I lived in the suburbs. As a NYer, I’m a frequent subway rider, but enjoy walking wherever humanly possibly as long as the weather allows. Of course I knew it had to be good for me, but I may be keeping off more weight than I thought.

A study was done on people who rode the Charlotte, N.C. rail by John M. MacDonald, a behavioral scientist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania that proved mass transit has an impact on BMI. Residents who normally drove to work took the rail or bus and walked an average of 1.2 miles over their commute to and from work each day. After six months, their weight dropped resulting in 1.18 BMI points.

In other words, if you’re 5 foot 5 inches and weigh 150 pounds, this is a 6.45 pound weight loss, The New York Times reported. If you don’t live in a city where mass transit is an option, don’t fret – every little bit counts. Try walking to your local convenient store or walking around the park several times a week.

Relaxation Drinks On the Rise

Noticed 1 articleInline Relaxation Drinks On the Rise A new nighttime trend is on the rise that’s predicted to generate $500 million in sales revenue this year – relaxation drinks. With the increased popularity and success of energy drinks like RedBull, the demand for the opposite type of beverage seems to be just as popular.

According to the New York Times, there are more than 350 types of relaxation drinks on the market currently. With names like iChill, UnWind and Dream Water, they claim to relieve anxiety, irritability, improve concentration and even prevent jet lag.

Before you go running to your local grocery store to get your relaxation fixation, be aware that like their energy-boosting counterparts, these drinks aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). So before you reach for a can of manufactured relaxation, try unwinding by unplugging and not watching TV, not logging on your computer or and not getting on the phone for at least half an hour before you’re ready to hit the pillow. If that doesn’t work, try drinking a glass of warm milk – an oldie but goodie!

Marriage and Health: Must We Choose Between Love and Health?

wedding rings 300x198 Marriage and Health: Must We Choose Between Love and Health? Studies in the past have linked the bond of marriage to the health and wellness of individuals, but today things aren’t that simple. With a divorce rate in the US of about 60%, studies are showing that people who have never been married are in general happier and healthier than those who have been through divorce.

A recent New York Times article goes into details of studies present and past and discusses the “marriage advantage.” Is marriage an advantage any more? For about less than half of the US population I guess it is, but is walking down the aisle and getting the ring worth the health and emotional risks that may go along with it later on?

No one wants to think their marriage may end, but these days, it seems that fairy tales are very few and far between. Does the question become for love or health? Hopefully not.