Body weight varies from person to person. It plays a role in quality of life in many ways and can be hazardous to health if it is too low or too high.
What is body weight?
Body weight describes the physical mass of a person. The unit of measurement used for this in Germany is kilograms. The body weight describes the physical mass of a human being. The unit of measurement used in Germany is the kilogram. Body weight can be checked using commercially available personal scales. Due to eating habits or illnesses, people can sometimes be significantly overweight or underweight. Among other things, the so-called normal weight serves as a rough guide for measuring deviations. This is calculated from the individual’s height in centimeters minus 100. Accordingly, the normal weight of a person 180 centimeters tall would be 80 kilograms. A comparison of the actual body weight with the ideal weight or body mass index (BMI) is also frequently made. The body mass index describes the ratio of body weight to height and allows conclusions to be drawn about the body fat percentage. The BMI is determined taking into account the body weight divided by the body height squared. For the calculation of the ideal weight, the specification of the sex, the body height and the BMI, which means normal weight for this sex, are required. When calculating the lower range of ideal weight, a BMI value for men of 20 and for women of 19 is required. When calculating the upper range of ideal weight, a BMI value of 24 for women and 25 for men is needed. The concept of BMI is not without controversy.
Function and task
A normal body weight forms an important prerequisite for maintaining health balance. In addition to the usual guidance and measurement methods for determining the personally appropriate body weight, the feel-good weight also plays a role. This is not determined by the measurable weight in relation to the body size, but by felt values and the assessment of the person concerned. One indication of an individually acceptable feel-good weight is the person’s ability to maintain the weight unproblematically in the long term. Approximately every second German citizen already no longer meets this desirable condition and is overweight. The prognosiss point to a further increase. Statistically, the proportion of overweight people increases with age. Most overweight is found in the male age group of 60 to 69 years. Among women, the highest percentage is in the age group of 70 years to 79 years. The distribution of body fat is also significant and differs in most women and men. In men, the so-called abdominal fat is formed more quickly. On the other hand, the increase of body fat in the area of buttocks and thighs takes place primarily in women. The importance of body weight is also strongly reflected, for example, in the economic sphere. Countless diet offers and fitness studios are dedicated to this topic. Possible causes for an increase in body weight include:
- A diet too rich in fat and sugar
- Insufficient exercise
- Diseases
- Taking medication such as cortisone
- Hormonal changes in the context of menopause
- Genetic influences
- Prolonged stress
- Insufficient sleep prevents the release of appetite suppressing hormones
- Pregnancy
Appropriate consumption of calories and fat in the diet and adequate exercise serve to maintain or restore a healthy body weight.
Diseases and ailments
Especially in Western industrialized countries, the problem of obesity, which is dangerous to health, has formed in recent decades. In addition, health impairments exist, mostly in women, due to an exaggerated reduction in diet up to anorexia. The health effects of being overweight over a long period of time can be manifold. They can affect numerous metabolic functions, the musculoskeletal system and cardiovascular function. It also increases the risk of cancer. General performance, vitality and well-being are noticeably reduced.One consequence of considerable, long-term overweight is painful back pain and joint problems. In addition to the discomfort for the person affected, there is sometimes also the threat of losing one’s job. Diabetes, high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure can also result from being overweight for a long time. Severe overweight often also has serious psychological effects. It can come to drive disturbances, bad mood as well as a loss of the self-esteem or depressions. Fatal consequences for overweight people can also result from diets in which important nutrients are not consumed over a longer period of time. In addition, dietary supplements are sometimes offered on a non-natural basis, which can be hazardous to health because the processing in the body does not work in the same way.
