Healthy eating and regular exercise promote a healthy body mass index (BMI), an individual's weight-to-height ratio.
There is more to being fit than eating right and working out - like having a healthy body mass index (BMI).
Can-Fit-Pro Kathy Phillips and the Durham College Wellness Matters program recently hosted three BMI clinics for Durham College employees in an effort to assist faculty and staff with staying healthy. The clinics took place on Thursday, May 31 at the Whitby campus and Tuesday, June 5 and Monday, June 18 at the Oshawa campus.
More than 40 people attended the 20-minute appointments where participants had their weight and height measured to obtain their BMI and their waist and hips measured for their waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). They also learned if their BMI and WHR were healthy or if their results represented an increased health risk.
In addition, participants received various resources including a food diary log, an activity/aerobic log, a healthy weight tool kit and more. Philips also discussed healthy eating and nutrition habits that can help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Kelly Bailey, manager of Employee Development and Wellness, said there was a great turnout with all of the appointments filled. In fact, so many people were interested in the clinic, that a third one was held to accommodate those on a wait-list. The results are confidential but Phillips indicated participants were healthy.
Why measure BMI? According to Health Canada's guidelines for body weight classification in adults, most adults with a high BMI (overweight or obese) have a high percentage of body fat. Extra body fat is associated with increased risk of health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, gallbladder disease and some forms of cancer. A low BMI is associated with osteoporosis, malnutrition and eating disorders. The risk of developing weight-related health problems increases the further one's BMI falls outside the normal weight category. It is important to note that sudden or considerable weight gain or loss may also indicate health risk, even if this occurs within a normal weight BMI category.
The Wellness Matters program, made available by Human Resources, is committed to providing opportunities to enhance the health and wellness of employees. Along with providing BMI clinics, the program hosts healthy cooking demonstrations, indoor walking groups and a Weight Watchers at Work program, provides healthy recipes, offers a bi-monthly newsletter and more.