Island Fitness (206)842-5720 | Bringing Strength, Flexibility & Balance to Bainbridge Island

FITNESS TIPS : Remember Your Ancestry
What's your ideal body shape and size? Pull out the family photo album.

Topic: Healthy Habits
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Pictures of your parents or you between the ages of 18 and 21 (when your metabolism operated at its prime) can help clue you in to what your size and shape should look like in order to ward off weight-related illness. Have you strayed too far from the family tree? Here's how to get back to your "factory settings."

The closer your weight is to when you were 18 (for women) or 21 (for men), the better for your health. That's assuming you weren't already struggling with weight issues at that age. If so, check out pictures of your parents or grandparents at that age. Most people gain weight between the ages of 21 and 60, and being overweight or obese significantly ups your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.
But weight gain isn't the only problem. Has your shape changed since you were younger? Starting as a pencil or a pear and growing into an apple isn't good. Fat around your middle is associated with health risks, even if you're at a normal weight.

SOURCES: YOU: On a Diet. Roizen, M. F., Oz, M. C., New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006.

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