High Blood Pressure | Obesity | Fitness & Excersise | Choosing Health
Healthy Eating | Energy | Fat | Fibre | Carbohydrates | Protein | Salt
High Blood Pressure
What is blood pressure?
Blood pressure is the force that the blood puts on the heart and arteries as it travels around the body. It is measured using two readings, the systolic pressure which measures the force as the heart beats to push the blood through the arteries and the diastolic pressure which measures the pressure on the heart between beats. High blood pressure is when the force of the blood moving around the body increases and puts a strain on the heart and arteries.
What Are The Symptoms Of High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure can cause headaches, dizziness, ringing in the ears and problems with eyesight, but many people have no symptoms at all so it is important for everyone to get their blood pressure checked every few years.
Who Gets High Blood Pressure?
Anyone can get high blood pressure but adults over 40, particularly men, are more likely to suffer from it.
What Is the Treatment?
People with high blood pressure usually have to change the way they live. It is important to give up smoking, drink less alcohol and eat less salt and salty foods. People who are overweight should try to lose weight. It is also important to take regular exercise and reduce stress. These lifestyle changes also help prevent people getting high blood pressure. Patients may need treatment with medication to lower their blood pressure.
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Obesity - Weighing Up the Risks
Obesity rates in the UK have tripled in the last 25 years and look set to rise, seriously affecting the health of many, costing the NHS and UK economy over £3 million a year.
What Is Obesity?
Obesity is when a person is overweight or if they have too much body fat for their height and sex. It is now estimated that one in five men and a quarter of women in the UK are obese and this figure is increasing rapidly.
It is possible to work out if you are obese by checking your Body Mass Index (BMI) which is a good estimate on how much of your body is made up of fat.
Obesity the facts
- Obesity causes over 30.000 deaths a year in England
- It can reduce your life expectancy by up to nine years
- Obesity related deaths are second only to death from smoking
- It is not just an adult problem; the number of obese children has tripled in the last 20 years. Childhood obesity is a strong indicator of adult obesity and serious health risks later in life
- In the UK around 25% of men and women are obese and 43% of men and 33% of women are overweight
Your BMI is a measurement based on height and weight and is worked out by taking your weight in kilograms and dividing it by the square of your height in metres. Your GP or practice nurse can work it out for you or you can use the special calculator on the NHS Direct website.
What Causes Obesity
For most people obesity is caused by eating more calories that the body needs so that the body stores the extra calories as fat. High sugar and fat levels in many fast foods and increasing portion sizes are partly to blame for this.
But although most cases of obesity are caused by eating too many calories it can also be caused by other factors. Current lifestyles mean that many of us exercise less. Increasingly we use cars and modern gadgets and this combined with less physically demanding jobs means that we often do not do enough physical activity.
Some medicines and medical conditions can also cause weight gain although this is a cause of less than 1% of cases of obesity. Genes may also play a part in some cases and some people may have faulty signals to the brain which control appetite and the feeling of fullness but these are also rare.
Children of obese parents are also more likely to be overweight but this may be partly due to learning bad eating habits from their parents.
Am I Overweight Because My Metabolism Is Slow?
Most people who are overweight actually have a normal or high metabolic rate because they use more energy to carry the extra weight. But some people have an under-active thyroid which slows metabolism and cause weight gain. If you have any concerns your GP can do a blood test to check your thyroid.
Why Should I Lose Weight?
First of all - do you need to lose weight?
Knowing your BMI can let you know if you are a healthy weight or not.
You need to have the motivation to lose weight. Some people do not feel that being overweight or obese is a problem and do not want to lose weight. Although this is a personal choice obesity can cause many other health problems as it increases the risk of:
- Diabetics
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Liver disease and cirrhosis
- Infertility
- Complications during pregnancy
- Stroke
- Cancer, mainly in the oesophagus (gullet) and pancreas
If you are obese or overweight losing even a small amount of weight can lower these risks to your health.
How Can I Lose Weight?
The best way to lose weight is to eat a healthier diet, do more exercise and take advice from a health professional. The safest way to do so is slowly and steadily losing about one to two pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram each week).
Pills and surgical options may be available to help to lose weight but the first step is increased exercise and eating less. Cut out the snacks and get moving. You will feel better for it and it will reduce your health risks.
Most areas have local services that are designed to help people lose weight and lead a healthier life. Your GP or practice nurse will be able to advise you about the services in your area.
Keeping the Weight Off
If you have lost weight, well done! But the hard work is not over. Sticking to a healthy diet and regular exercise is a lifetime commitment and you should not underestimate the ongoing support that you may need. Local support groups may be helpful and your GP or practice nurse will be able to help you find one.
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Fitness and Exercise - Everyday Sport
It only takes 30 minutes of exercise a day to become fitter, healthier and happier. The Everyday Sport website offers advice on setting targets and how easy it is to fit sport into your life. There is a listing of Everyday Sport activities taking place all over the country so you can find out what is happening next year and how you can get involved.
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Choosing Health
'Choosing health, making healthier choices easier' is a White Paper by the Department of Health published in November 2004 which sets out the key principles for supporting the public to make healthier and more informed choices in regards to their health. The NHS provides information and practical support to get people motivated and improve emotional wellbeing and access to services so that healthy choices are easier to make.
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Healthy Eating
People today are more aware of what they eat and food labels aim to help everyone make the right choices. But they can often make things even more complicated with different terms and symbols.
It is the NHS's role to help patients understand more about the food they eat and how it can affect their health. It is important for the population to know what they are eating. This way we can make sure we eat enough of the things that are good for us and not too much of those that are not as good. One way to do this is by keeping an eye on the labels on the food that we buy.
Most food labels give the nutritional breakdown of the food and will show the amount of each of the following in 100g (grams) or 100ml (mililitres) of the food
- energy (kj and kcal)
- protein (g)
- carbohydrate (g)
- fat (g)
Labels often include other things such as fibre and salt. Sometimes you will also see amounts per recommended serving, but this must be shown in addition to the 100g or 100ml breakdown.
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Energy
What is it?
This figure shows the amount of energy that the food will give you when you eat it. It is measured either in calories (kcal) or joules (kj)
How much can I have?
It recommended that the average man has 2,500 kcal a day while the average woman has 2,000 kcal. Eating too many calories will make you put on weight and not eating enough will make you lose weight.
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Fat
What is it?
Fat is an important part of our diet but it is essential that we avoid having too much. Some food labels bread their figures for fat down into saturates, monounsaturates and polyunsaturates are both types of unsaturated fat. These don't raise blood cholesterol in the same way as saturated fats and provide us with the essential fatty acids that the body needs. Most people know that we should be cutting down on fat. But it is even more important to try to replace the saturated fat we eat with unsaturated fat.
How much can I have?
A maximum of 95g per day of which up to 20g can be saturated fat.
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Fibre
Where is it?
Fibre (sometimes known as roughage) helps prevent constipation, piles and bowel problems. Good sources of fibre include some breakfast cereals, all types of beans, mixed unsalted nuts, wholemeal bread and fruit and vegetables.
How much can I have?
You should try to eat at least 20g of fibre each day.
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Carbohydrates
What are they ?
There are two types of carbohydrates that the body turns into energy: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates are often on food labels as 'Carbohydrates (of which sugars)' this includes added sugars and the natural sugars found in foods such as fruit and milk. Complex carbohydrates are also called starchy foods and these include bread, cereals, rice, pasta, maize meal, yams and potatoes. Try to choose wholegrain varieties whenever you can. We should get most of our energy from complex carbohydrates rather than those containing sugar. Sometimes you will see a total figure for carbohydrate in food labels. This includes the carbohydrates from starchy foods and from simple carbohydrates.
How much can I have?
There is no recommended amount in grams of carbohydrate to have each day; however it is advisable to have some starchy food at each meal.
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Protein
Where is it?
The body needs protein to grow and repair itself. Most adults in the UK today get more than enough protein for their needs. Meat, poultry, fish, milk and diary foods: eggs, beans, lentils and nuts are all rich in protein.
How much can I have?
It is recommended that we have 70g protein a day. Not getting enough over a long period may lead to overall poor health. While eating too much may eventually cause liver and kidney damage.
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Salt
Where is it?
Salt is often listed on food labels. The amount of salt (g) = sodium (g) x 2.5. Eating too much salt can raise blood pressure and since three quarters of the salt we eat comes from processed food such as breakfast cereals, soups, sauces, bread, biscuits and ready meals. It is good to check food labels so you can compare products. Lots of people think they don't eat salt, especially if they don’t add it to food. But don't be so sure keep an eye on your intake of salt as it can be hidden in may processed foods.
How much can I have?
Adults should have no more than about 2.5mg of sodium a day which is about 6g of salt. On average people actually have about 9.5g of salt a day.
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