15 Dec 2020

Benefits of Exercise

Summary We have all heard it many times before – regular exercise is good for you, and it can help you lose weight. But if you are like many Americans, you are busy, you have a sedentary job, and you haven’t yet changed your exercise habits. The good news is that it’s never too late to start. You can start slowly and find ways to fit more physical activity into your life. To get the most benefit, you should try to get the recommended amount of exercise for your age. If you can do it, the payoff is that you will feel better, help prevent or control many diseases, and likely even live longer. What are the health benefits of exercise? Regular exercise and physical activity may Help you control your weight. Along with diet, exercise plays an important role in controlling your weight and preventing obesity. To maintain your weight, the calories you eat, and drink must equal the energy you burn. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat and drink.   Reduce your risk of heart diseases. Exercise strengthens your heart and improves your circulation. The increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in…

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2 Dec 2020

Obesity and Overweight

Obesity and Overweight Overweight and obesity mean that a person is in a weight range, given his or her height, that can cause health problems. Obesity causes even greater health risks than being overweight. The NICHD is one of many federal agencies and NIH Institutes working to understand overweight and obesity. The NICHD supports and conducts research on the causes of excess weight, how to prevent and treat obesity, and related topics, including conditions caused by obesity. What are obesity, overweight, and body composition? Body composition is a term that describes how much of a person’s body is made up of bone, fat, water, and other substances. “Overweight” and “obesity” both mean that a person is at an unhealthy weight. An obese person has too much body fat. An overweight person weighs too much, but the extra weight may come from muscle, bone, body water, and/or fat.1 Health care providers often use body mass index (BMI) to determine if a person is overweight or obese. Adults who have a BMI between 25 and 29.9 are generally considered overweight. Adults who have a BMI of 30 or higher are considered obese.2 A child’s weight status is determined using a special chart that…

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2 Dec 2020

Diabetes

Diabetes Diabetes is a condition in which the body’s levels of blood sugar and the hormone insulin are out of balance. It is one of the most common diseases in the United States, and its numbers are constantly rising. Common Name Diabetes Medical or Scientific Names Diabetes mellitus (pronounced mell-EH-tiss) Gestational diabetes mellitus Diabetes: Condition Information What is diabetes? Diabetes is a disease of metabolism, which is the way your body uses food for energy and growth.1 In particular, it’s related to one of the food nutrients that supply energy, called carbohydrates.2 Normally, your stomach and intestines digest the carbohydrates in your food into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is your body’s main source of energy. After digestion, the glucose moves into your blood to give your body energy. To get the glucose out of your blood and into the cells of your body, your pancreas makes a hormone called insulin. If you have diabetes, either your body doesn’t make enough insulin, or your cells can’t use it the way they should. Instead, the glucose builds up in your blood, causing diabetes, otherwise known as high blood sugar. Diabetes is generally divided into three categories: Type 1—Also known as juvenile diabetes, type 1…

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