A Healthy Body Weight Is the Cornerstone for Good Health

As you work toward your health goals this year, it is imperative to understand a healthy body weight and nutritious diet are key components to improving your quality and quantity of life. Maintaining a healthy weight is one of Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper’s 8 Steps to Get Cooperized™ .

Take a minute to stop and consider why Cooper Aerobics continues to advocate this vital step in your health journey. A healthy weight is the basis for good health. Being healthy, getting healthy and living a healthy lifestyle are all part of a cycle—and that cycle starts with a healthy body weight.

“Everything goes back to weight,” says Michele Kettles, MD, MSPH, Preventive Medicine Physician and Chief Medical Officer, Cooper Clinic . “Certain diseases are exquisitely sensitive to lifestyle.”

Maintaining a healthy body weight can help drastically reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, cancer and premature death.

If you want to take control over your health, you need to focus on reaching your ideal body weight through diet and exercise. “The question of whether or not you can be healthy and overweight is a much-debated topic,” says Kenneth Cooper, MD, MPH , Founder and Chairman of Cooper Aerobics . The truth is a healthy diet and regular exercise go hand in hand. “You’ve got to be lean and fit to get the maximum benefits, such as improved cardiovascular health,” adds Dr. Cooper. “People who are extremely overweight or obese do need to make the effort to drop pounds in order to be healthy.” It is important to remember to focus on regular exercise too—not just the number on the scale.

Exercise alone is not the way to lose weight. Cooper Clinic stresses the importance of exercise, emotional balance and diet in maintaining good health.

“Watching your diet and regular exercise—those are the key things that you can really control yourself,” says Dr. Kettles. “Changing your lifestyle is important. This is not about going on a diet, this is just about how you are going to change your lifestyle every day in sustainable ways.”

Your body gives you warning signs when your health is not where it should be at. First, your blood glucose levels might be a bit higher than normal. Your blood pressure may be slightly elevated or you have increased cholesterol levels.

A registered dietitian nutritionist can help you develop a nutrition plan tailored to your specific needs. Whether you have a high LDL cholesterol or your blood pressure is elevated, a healthy nutrition plan can help you achieve your goals without resorting to dangerous or drastic measures.

Cooper Clinic helps thousands of people each year improve their overall health by improving their diet and nutritional knowledge. We know when it comes to nutrition, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest fads and trends, lost in the maze of myths. But healthy nutrition is achievable without resorting to drastic or dangerous measures. Our goal is to get you fit for life.