Pinch It!
Pinch it!
With the New Year off to a brand new beginning, it is a great time to start over… set new lifestyle goals, break bad habits and reslove to become healthier!
The most common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight and begin an exercise program. If either of these are your resolution, then here’s a little bit more information for you to see if and why you should get that new start to becoming healthier, losing the unwanted weight, changing your current health status.
Surprise, if you pinched an inch or more then it is likely that you are overweight. Can you believe that you are supposed to have less than an inch to pinch there! If you are like most people, the older or the more stressed we get, the more we have to pinch.
Weight is a serious issue. Excess weight is a problem facing an estimated 97 million adults in the United States. Currently, about one-fifth of all U.S. adults are believed to be considerably overweight. There are more “obese” people in the U.S. today than ever according to several medical journals and the American Dietetic Association.
We should be clear about what is meant by ‘obese’ and ‘overweight’. You are said to be obese if your body weight exceeds 20% more than the average desirable weight for a person of your height and is defined in terms of an excess of body fat. Overweight describes people whose weight is 10% greater than the average desirable weight.
As we all know, being overweight or obese can affect our mood, emotional well-being, and personal and family relationships. But what you don’t know is that our brain and neurotransmitter/hormone supply affect food intake, appetite regulation, and energy balance. Neurotransmitters and hormones can be measured, and with this information, your doctor can recommend the best program for you.
If you can “pinching an inch”, start a physical fitness program, start eating a better diet, do a detox or cleansing program.
There is no Fountain of Youth and there are no ruby red slippers to click to give you rock hard abs and look perfect in the little black dress. It takes commitment to change, motivation and a plan!
Life is the most precious gift we own. Don’t wait for cancer or a heart attack to drastically spark an epiphany to change your current health status. Do everything you can do now to be here, on this planted as long as you can with the quality of life you desire!
In good health and Happy New Year,
Dr. Heather
I have been practicing alongside my husband, Dr. Ralph S. Cardin, for the past 12 years and have worked in the health care environment for over 25 years. Besides being a passionate practitioner, I am a proud mother of four beautiful boys. I am active in my church and my children’s school and enjoy cooking and exercising.
