Overweight

If your weight is causing you problems, you're not alone. Nearly 60% of Canadian adults are overweight or obese, causing growing concern for this important risk factor associated with heart disease and stroke.

Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, you can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke while controlling for other health problems like hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes.

But in our hectic lives, it is not always easy to find time to eat well and be active. To help you get started, we have prepared a plan in three easy steps:

1. Make your self
2. Eat healthily
3. Be physically active

Read our tips to help you, your children and you, maintain a healthy weight.


1. Make your self

Waist size

Men with a waist circumference greater than 102 cm (40 inches) and women whose waist circumference exceeds 88 cm (35 inches) are more likely to suffer from health problems like heart disease, the hypertension or diabetes. For persons of Chinese or South Asian, the risks are high even for a smaller waist circumference: 90 cm (35 inches) for men and 80 cm (32 inches) for women.

BMI

To determine if you are in the range of healthy weight, you might want to consult the tool called Body Mass Index (or BMI). The BMI is the ratio between the size and weight and can involve a range of more weight to a healthy weight rather than a single ideal. Find out whether your weight makes you prone to diseases associated with obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and strokes.

2. Eat healthily

In terms of food, the secret lies in the variety. Try a variety of nutritious foods that can prevent disease and who have good taste. To create balanced meals with reasonable portions, follow the Food Guide to Healthy Eating.


3. Be physically active

There are several important reasons to incorporate physical activity into your life. This is an excellent way to maintain a healthy weight, reduce high blood pressure, reduce cholesterol, manage stress and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. The heart and Stroke Foundation recommends that Canadians integrate work into their daily lives. Just 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week is sufficient.

Consult Canada's Physical Activity Guides to Healthy Active Living.

Tips for keeping a healthy weight:

* Eat a healthy diet and physical activity
* Lose weight gradually. Achieving a healthy weight is a long-term commitment
* Avoid fad diets
* Adopt a diet containing less saturated and trans fats and more vegetables and fruits, complex carbohydrates and foods high in fiber
* Use less fat for cooking. Cook your food in the oven, grilled, steamed, water or on the barbecue
* Check the size of your portions. Divide your plate into four sections. Fill in the three quarters of grain and vegetables and the remaining quarter with meat or meat substitutes
* If you tend to compensate with food, identify the source of your stress and learn new ways to cope

For more information on cholesterol, please read our brochure Your health, your weight: simple steps to make healthier choices.