Fitness, Metabolism, Obesity, Weight Loss

BMI alone will no longer be treated as the go-to measure for weight management – an UW obesity expert explains

Ultimately, BMI cannot provide doctors with precise information about the portion of body weight composed of body fat, nor can it tell us how that fat is distributed in the body. But this distribution is important because research has shown that fat stored around the internal organs has significantly higher health risks than that distributed in the extremities

Diet, Fitness, Nutrition, Weight Loss

It’s time to bust the ‘calories in, calories out’ weight-loss myth

One reason the simple “calories in, calories out” formula is not so simple is our bodies don’t consume every calorie the same way. What’s shown in your calorie counter is not what’s actually absorbed in your body. Different calorie sources also have different effects on our hormones, brain response and energy expenditure, changing how we respond to and manage our food intake.

Fitness, Mental Health, Weight Loss, Women's Health

Eating disorders are deadly: What are they, who’s at risk, and what can be done about it

Adolescence is also when eating disorders have the greatest negative effects on health. Five per cent of the general population in North America will suffer from an eating disorder in their lifetime, but few people seek treatment. The prevalence of eating disorders and struggles to access help highlight the need to increase awareness and decrease stigma.

Aging, Fitness, Seniors, Social Determinants of Health

Being ‘Socially Frail’ Comes With Health Risks for Older Adults

Social frailty is a corollary to physical frailty, a set of vulnerabilities (including weakness, exhaustion, unintentional weight loss, slowness, and low physical activity) shown to increase the risk of falls, disability, hospitalization, poor surgical outcomes, admission to a nursing home, and earlier death in older adults.Essentially, people who are physically frail have less physiological strength and a reduced biological ability to bounce back from illness or injury.