eBlogs

Everyone has heard it at some point in time or the other. CHOLESTEROL - The word sends a shiver down the spine of some people! Cholesterol and the other lipids discussed below are part of the lipid profile. When your doctor orders for a lipid profile you need to go on an empty stomach and give a blood sample.

Cholesterol is important in the manufacture of hormones, Vitamin D and other important substances in the body. However too much of Cholesterol can be a problem as it tends to clog the arteries in the body, more so the coronary arteries. Cholesterol being a fat cannot mix with blood and needs substances called as Lipoproteins to carry it around in the blood.

Obesity is one of the diseases of the affluent world. It is indeed a silent killer. Obesity has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, strokes and hypertension. Obesity has been called as a pandemic as it tends to affect millions of individuals across the globe.

Are you obese? Are you overweight? What are these terms? How does one find out?

A simple calculation can tell us what type of pattern we fit into. This is called as the BMI or the Body Mass Index. This ratio is got by dividing your weight in Kilos by your height in meters squared. For example if you weigh 90 kilos and your height is 1.8 meters, then your BMI is 90/(1.8)(1.8) = 27.78 Kg/Sg.m.

<17.9: Underweight.
18 - 24.9: Normal.
25 - 29.9: Overweight.
30 - 34.9: Grade I obesity.