Before you set yourself a weight loss goal, it is a good idea to find out what kind of shape you are in.These days there is more to working out your ideal weight than just standing on the scales, which only tell part of the story .It takes just a few minutes to discover how healthy your weight and shape are and also to decide what you want to aim for.

Do you have a weight problem and, if so, how much do you need to lose to reach the weight range that is healthy for you? Here are some easy ways to find out the facts about your figure.

The Scientific Approach

Most of us have several different ways of keeping an eye on our weight: for instance, we notice when a favorite pair of trousers feels too tight, or when we don’t like what we see in the mirror or on the bathroom scales.To assess what your weight really says about your health and wellbeing though, it pays to take a more scientific approach.

If you have been in denial about your weight for years, the tought of finding out the cold facts might be daunting, but it might not be as bad as you think.Many people have a fixed idea about what their weight ’should be’, and often it’s based on the slim figure they had as teenager or on their wedding day, which might not be comfortable or realistic for them now.And if the truth about your weight does come as an unpleasent shock, turn that feeling into a motivational boost.Now that you are about to start a healthy weight loss campaign, you need never see that figure on the scales again.

Body Mass Index

A simple weight-and-height comprasion used to be the favoured method of assessing whether someone was overweight or not.Today health professionals prefer to use the Body Mass Index (BMI), a figure that represents your weight per square metre.

BMI is based on the assumption that the difference between people who are the same height, but different weights, generally reflects how much fat they have on their bodies.So for assessing health status.BMI is a more accurate measurement than weight versus height alone, as it takes body composition into account.

What your BMI means

The World Health Organization (WHO) has established that a BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9 is ‘normal’, by which it means that someone whose BMI is within this range has the least risk of developing weight-related health problems.

A BMI of 25-30 is considered ‘overweight’ with an increased risk of developing weight-related illnesses, such as certain cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabets.The higher your BMI above this level , the more risk to your health increases and the more you will benefit by losing weight: losing just five to 10 per cent of your body weight and keeping it off can make a difference, so it’s well worth aiming for.

Waist Management

Your waist management is another important indicator fo whether you are in healthy shape or not.This is because research has shown that where we carry any excess weight on the body is just as crucial to our overall health as how much extra we might have.

It appears that too much fat around the stomach, seen as an apple shape or ‘beer belly’, plays a damaging role in increasing the body’s resistance to insulin, which in turn can lead to an increased risk of type 2 diabets and heart disease.

Someone who is an apple shape will have a greater risk of health problems than someone of the same weight who carries their weight around the hips, thighs and bottom ( the classic ‘pear’ shape)

Measure Your Waist

To Measure your waist, keep the tape measure flat and hold it firmly but now too tightly against your skin.The place to measure is the midpoint between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the hip bone, about 2,5 cm (1 in) above the nave!

Cellulite is the non-medical name for the lumpy fat that gives skin an ‘orange peel’ or ‘cottage cheese’ appearance and slightly swollen texture. It usually affects the thighs and bottom and is mainly a problem for women rather than men. It can worsen with age and can affect slim as well as overweight people.

What causes cellulite? Various theories exist about what causes cellulite and why it might be different from other types of fat; most common explanations put the blame on a build-up of toxins, a nutritional deficiency or a poorly functioning lymphatic system. For this reason, anti-cellulite diets are often quite similar to detox or diuretic diets, with the emphasis on cleansing the system.

Exercise helps. As cellulite is body fat, most people who are affected find that it improves when they lose weight. Exercise can also be helpful in toning the muscles and defining the shape of the affected areas, so that the texture of the skin looks smoother. However, it may be difficult to eliminate cellulite entirely since it is caused by structural change in the collagen fibres that separate fat cells into clusters, which occurs as the body ages. When weight loss shrinks the fat cells, the dimpled effect will be less visible but the collagen structure remains.

For this reason, it is unlikely that a special anti-cellulite diet will be any more effective than a conventional healthy weight-loss diet in reducing dimpled fat. Cutting down on salt may help as too much salt promotes water retention, which could contribute to the mild swelling seen beneath the skin where cellulite is present.

An anti-cellulite diet is likely to be low in calories, which will reduce overall energy intake and will produce weight loss. There is little evidence that a special diet will be more effective than any other in reducing cellulite. Extreme diets of any kind are generally harder to stick to and les: likely to succeed in the long term.