Archive for September, 2014
Body Mass Index: What is it Good For? By Our September Student Pharmacist, Eric Oh.
A two-time consensus All-American at San Diego State University, Marshall Faulk, was selected by the Indianapolis Colts as the second overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. Playing professionally for the NFL’s St. Louis Rams, Faulk is one of only three NFL players (Marcus Allen and Tiki Barber being the others) to reach at least 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards. He is also the only one to amass 12,000 yards rushing and 6,000 yards receiving. Faulk was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
So would Marshall Faulk be considered fat or fit? Let’s take a look at his “BMI” to find out.
What is BMI?
We have all heard of it. BMI or Body Mass Index is a simple measure that uses your height and weight to give an estimate of your body volume and/or density. The bigger the Body Mass Index (BMI) value, the “rounder” you are. The smaller the BMI value, the “thinner” you are.
BMI is a simple equation that is used to assess how much an individual’s body weight departs from what is “normal” or desirable for a person of a particular height.
In fact, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration use BMI to advocate healthy weights.
Here is a chart to derive your BMI (click on the chart to enlarge it and make it easier to read):
As you can see from this chart, if someone has a BMI ≥30, they are considered to be “obese.” Two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese. The rate of obesity has increased dramatically in the past 50 years.
Life insurance companies use BMI to determine insurance rates or even deny coverage because there is a strong correlation between obesity and the following morbidity factors:
- heart disease
- diabetes
- sleep apnea
- certain types of cancer
- high blood pressure
- cancer
- reduced life expectancy
There are other factors involved in the relationship between obesity and these morbidity factors.
Today, I would like to tell you about BMI and its usefulness and limitations in relation to health and longevity.
I am about 5’10” and 210 pounds (BMI = 30.1), which is about what many football running backs measure during their active years. Marshall Faulk also fits that stature. So yes, Marshall Faulk and I have the exact same body.
OOOHHH (Just kidding)!!
Even though, Marshall Faulk and I do NOT have the same body, we have the same BMI. Who else has a BMI around 30? Let’s look at a couple of world-class athletes.
Leisel Jones is a recently retired Australian Olympic gold medalist swimmer whose Olympic career spanned through four Olympics between 2000-2012. She is regarded as one of the greatest breastroke swimmers ever and won a silver medal in the 4×100 medley relay.
Sir Matthew Clive Pinsent (pictured below) is an English rower who won ten world championship gold medals and four consecutive Olympic gold medals. At 6’5” and 250 pounds, his BMI is also about 30.
Both sports require tremendous amounts of lung capacity, stamina, and strength. No one would consider either Leisel Jones or Sir Matthew Clive Pinsent to be NOT physically nor cardiovascularly fit even with their BMIs around 30.
So what is the big deal about being “overweight” or “obese”?
Let’s take a look at some football players.
The heaviest football players are offensive linemen and defensive backs. Linemen average about 300-350 pounds in weight, placing them well in the “obese category.”
Sumo wrestlers are clearly “fat.”
However, while Sumo wrestlers are actively competing, their blood tests show excellent levels of cholesterol, sugar, blood pressure, etc. (as is the case for the football linemen). Despite their big bellies, they have very little visceral fat (the fat around the organs), which is thought to be a risk for cardiovascular diseases.
Once they retire, Sumo wrestlers still eat the same carbohydrate-heavy diet. With their excess weight and non-viscera fat while NOT exercising, their health statistics dramatically change to dangerous levels.
The case is the same for the football lineman. More so than other positions, linemen suffer from the morbidity factors listed above and die at a younger age than the other team positions.
Let’s face it. Most of us do not exercise as much as these professional athletes no matter what we weigh. And that’s perfectly fine. It has been shown that moderate amounts of exercise, with no or little weight loss, gives big improvements in health.
For example, 150 minutes of exercise a week, plus a 2-5% reduction in weight, reduced obese people’s risk for diabetes by more than 50%.
So that would be 30 minutes of exercise, five times a week, and about 4-10 pounds of weight loss for someone like me, which is pretty feasible. Also, the aforementioned large athletes who exercise after retirement remain healthy.
Take Home Message:
What I would like for you remember from this post is that you can be overweight or obese, yet be physically healthy and fit and at no greater risk of heart disease or cancer than “normal” weight people. The key is being “metabolically fit,” meaning no high blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar, and exercising. One of the main problems of being overweight is the lack of exercise and a healthy diet associated with it. The heavier you are, the more difficult it is to exercise. It’s more difficult to stay motivated, there are cyclical effects of depression and “comfort foods,” and some people actually have a genetic predisposition to weight gain.
Whether it be media, or other forms of social pressure, many of us desire to look leaner. But the “ideal” body size, as portrayed by the media, is often unhealthy or unattainable. So let’s focus on exercise, not weight loss or body fat loss.
In many cases, attempts to diet to lose weight do not lead to sustained weight loss in the long term, leading to yo-yo dieting, which wreaks havoc on your body. Instead, I encourage you to exercise.
We can ALL be healthy and happy, at every size, through exercising.
Lovejoy’s Ad for September 29 to October 5.
This week, we wanted to make sure everyone saw the Lovejoy’s ad for September 29 to October 5. Check out the “Your Choice…Pick Any 5 Packages for $19.99.” Pick any 5 packages that are specially labeled with the “Pick 5 Value Pack” stickers and get all 5 packages for $19.99. Make sure to look for the sticker when you are in the store!
For more information on Lovejoy’s IGA, visit their web site HERE.
Remember, we hope you will shop locally and support locally owned businesses here in our community!
Click on each of the pages of the ad to enlarge them. When they show up on a separate page, click again to make the pages even bigger. You can also print them out and take them with you when you go shopping!
8th Annual 4 Mile Run/Walk is September 27.
The Eighth Annual 4 Mile Run/Walk and Kid Fun Runs, held each year by UPCO, the Uptown Plain City Organization, will fall on Saturday, September 27 this year. The main race will begin at 8 am with a Kid Fun Race starting at 9 am for those 14 years and younger. The Kid Fun Race includes both a 440 yard and a one mile race. The registration is $2 for the 440 and $5 for the one mile. Both of these races stay within Pastime Park and all participants receive a Fun Run Award.
Registration the day of the race is $30 and will begin at 7 am, ending promptly at 7:45 am. The Kid Fun Run Registration will end at 8:45 am. To register in advance and get a discounted rate ($25), go HERE.
There will be awards for the top finishers, as well as awards for age categories. For more information on all awards and event details, go HERE.
All proceeds from the run/walk will go for the charitable efforts of UPCO.
For additional information on the run/walk, go HERE.
To Like the Run/Walk on Facebook, go HERE.
Know Your Pharmacists, Know Your Medicines. By Our September Student Pharmacist, Eric Oh.
As my time here at Plain City Druggist draws to a close, I would like to thank everyone who made this month of September one of the most rewarding that I have ever had. Everyone here has been absolutely wonderful. They took time out of their tasks to answer my incessant queries and I want to acknowledge this. Why are they so special? What makes a pharmacy tick and serve its patients with competence and care?
September 25th is World Pharmacist Day which recognizes the value of the work of pharmacists to the world. Being a pharmacist is a crucial job with much responsibility in all settings all over the world. Pharmacists have a significant role in assessing medication management in patients and in referring patients to physicians, as they are often the first (sometimes only) point-of-contact for patients with health inquiries. Pharmacists serve rural communities, metropolitan areas, and have many specializations that require their in-depth knowledge for the best possible patient care.
October is just around the corner. October is American Pharmacists Month. October is a time to recognize pharmacists for the vital contributions they make to health care in the United States through improved medication use and advanced patient care. Pharmacists are experts in helping patients get the most out of today’s complicated medications. They are an integral member of the healthcare team and are directly involved in patient care. Pharmacists advise patients and healthcare providers on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications. They have the knowledge to save patients money on prescriptions by informing them of options. Pharmacists have a passion for the profession and a strong commitment to patient safety.
A pharmacy can NOT be run without an excellent staff, which Plain City Druggist employs. The employees here are ALL caring, diligent, and utterly competent. They work tirelessly for the patients and strive to assist them in the best manner possible. Recognizing this, October 28, 2014 has been recognized as National Pharmacy Technician Day.
I invite you to come in and talk to your pharmacy staff. Please let them know that you appreciate their efforts. Become engaged with everyone at Plain City Druggist and take an active part in your healthcare. Get involved with YOUR medicine and ask questions.
Farewell! I encourage you to get to KNOW YOUR PHARMACIST, KNOW YOUR MEDICINE.
Thanks for having me!
Eric Oh
Pictured in this blog are your Plain City Druggist pharmacists: Alan, Trudi, Bob, Kevin, and Charles.
Got Un-Needed Drugs? Turn in Expired and No Longer Used Medicines on Saturday, September 27.
The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will take place on Saturday, September 27 from 10 am to 2 pm. During this yearly event, you can turn in old or no longer used medicines for proper disposal. We know that many of you may have medications that have expired or that you don’t take any more and this is a perfect way to make sure they are destroyed so that no one gets hurt.
To find out more about the Take-Back Day, visit the web site HERE.
To find a disposal location near you, go HERE and put in your zip code or county and city.
You can turn in medications in Madison County:
1. Madison County Sheriff Operation Center, 222 Garfield Street, London.
In Union County, you can turn in medications at:
1. Union County Sheriff’s Office, 221 West Fifth Street, Marysville.
Another close location is at the Hilliard Police Department, 5171 Northwest Parkway in Hilliard.