What You Need To Know About: Healthy Weight
Shannon Paul
| 2 min read
This is the fourth entry in a six part series brought to you by Healthy Blue LivingSM, a highly successful health care plan that rewards people who commit to making better health choices by focusing on six high-impact measures of health. Healthy Blue Living is celebrating its Fifth Anniversary by inviting YOU to make a pledge and tell us what you will do over the next five years to improve your health.
We all know there’s a relationship between healthy weight and overall health, but many people think of weight in a cosmetic sense. What looks “healthy” in a magazine doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with physical health, and education about keeping a healthy weight is important. Here’s what you need to know:
What’s The Difference between “Overweight” and “Obesity?”
“Overweight” is about having extra body weight from muscle, bone, fat, and/or water, where “obesity” is having a high amount of extra body fat. Body mass index (BMI) is a useful measure of both overweight and obesity. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2007–08, the overall prevalence of overweight and obesity for adults was 68 percent. For an example of healthy weight loss, read Kevin Johnson’s weight loss story.
Healthy Blue Living Connection
Members need to work toward a BMI of 30 or less to earn Healthy Blue Living’s enhanced benefit level with lower out-of-pockets costs. If a member has a body mass index of 30 or more, they need to enroll and actively participate in a Blue Care Network-sponsored weight management program throughout the year until their BMI falls below 30.
What Contributes To A Healthy Weight?
Many factors can contribute to a person’s weight. These factors include environment, family history and genetics, metabolism (the way your body changes food and oxygen into energy), and behavior or habits.
Weight Management Resources
Achieving a healthy lifestyle can be challenging. That’s why Blue Care Network offers a number of valuable resources to help its members reach their wellness goals. BCN offers two weight management programs to choose from, Weight Watchers® or our Walkingspree pedometer-based walking program with online reporting. These two programs are free to Healthy Blue Living and Healthy Blue Living RewardsSM members with a BMI of 30 or more to help them get their weight under control.
Medical information used in this blog post came from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
Photo credit: TexasHealthAthlete.com
