What is ideal weight?

I think this is a question that many people ask themselves but to be more specific going beyond BMI does this actually vary between individuals. 

I am 5.8 , weigh 148 pounds and have a bmi of about 22.5 but i am just very average and havent got a clue what I should aim for. 148 sounds a lot and my weight fluctuates a lot and i haven been a bit on the heavy side but never obese and never slim. i have already lost like 10 pounds but I am not satisfied with my body yet and want to make more improvements.  Does anyone else have this problem, and what do you aim for, increasing muscle, working out more? So i am beginning to wonder if there is such thing as an ideal weight or do we just have to be satisfied at some point with what we have? 

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By Lisa JC

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A Deadly Form of Diabetes That Doctors Sometimes Miss

Common signs of type 1 diabetes often resemble symptoms of other illnesses

By Serena Gordon

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, June 19 (HealthDay News) -- Addie Parker was a happy 4-year-old who appeared to have the flu. But within hours she was in a coma.

Tragically, her parents weren't familiar with the signs of type 1 diabetes -- extreme fatigue, thirst and sweet-smelling breath, among others -- in time to save their little girl. Soon after she was diagnosed, Addie's brain hemorrhaged. She died six days later, about a month shy of her fifth birthday.

Experts say a lack of awareness of the signs of type 1 diabetes is all too common. Just this month, a Wisconsin toddler died apparently because of undiagnosed type 1 diabetes.

"Addie had flu symptoms," recalled her mother, Micki Parker, who works in the operating room at a nearby hospital but was unfamiliar with type 1 diabetes.

"By the next morning, she was throwing up every hour," Parker said. Addie didn't have a fever, but later that day, she couldn't get up from the bathroom floor because she was so dizzy.

Eventually, the Parkers learned that Addie's blood sugar level was 543 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) -- more than four times higher than normal, according to the American Diabetes Association.

Most people have heard of type 2 diabetes, but type 1 diabetes is far less common. It can strike at any age -- even though it used to be known as juvenile diabetes -- and it always requires treatment with injected insulin or insulin delivered through a pump. People with type 1 diabetes don't produce insulin, a hormone needed to convert the food you eat into fuel for the body. Without insulin, glucose (blood sugar) rises to unhealthy levels.

Untreated, type 1 diabetes causes serious complications and even death. But it's often mistaken for other illnesses -- even by doctors.

"There's an underawareness of type 1 diabetes in the public, and in the healthcare system," said Dr. Richard Insel, chief scientific officer for JDRF (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). "Missed diagnoses even occur in emergency rooms; people don't always think of it."

Every day, about 80 Americans are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and the total number rose 23 percent between 2000 and 2009 in children under 20. Currently, about 3 million Americans -- most of them adults -- are living with type 1 diabetes, according to the JDRF.

One of them is 20-year-old Amanda Di Lella, who was 13 when she knew something was seriously wrong.

"I was losing weight, but I was always hungry. I was always tired. My symptoms weren't extreme at first, but they quickly got worse," she said. "I went from being tired to not being able to get out of bed, from being thirsty to drinking 10 bottles of water in the middle of the night. I had lost 15 pounds, and only weighed 75 pounds when I begged my mother to take me to the doctor."

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Health Tip: Signs of Periodontal Disease

(HealthDay News) -- Gum disease, also called periodontal disease, is an infection of the tissues that surround the teeth. Potential risk factors include poor dental hygiene, smoking or chewing tobacco, and your family history of the disease.

The American Dental Association says potential warning signs of periodontal disease include:

Gums that bleed easily, or are swollen, red or tender.Gums that are receding from the teeth.Frequent bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth.Loosening or separating of permanent teeth.A change in the way teeth align when you bite.A change in the way dentures fit.

-- Diana Kohnle
Copyright © 2013 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

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'Gut Reaction' May Predict Cardiovascular Risk

Higher levels of stomach substance called TMAO linked to heart attack, stroke, study suggests

By Steven Reinberg

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, April 24 (HealthDay News) -- A blood test that assesses levels of a compound produced in the stomach appears to be a strong indicator of whether there will be heart trouble down the road, researchers report.

The higher the levels of the compound -- called trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) -- the greater the risk for cardiovascular problems, said the Cleveland Clinic team. Eventually, TMAO could be a target to help prevent or reduce the risk of heart problems, the researchers suggested.

"A new blood test measuring something in the blood that is generated by the bacteria in our gut actually predicted in a strong and powerful way the future risk of heart attack, stroke and death," said lead researcher Dr. Stanley Hazen, from the Clinic's Lerner Research Institute.

Measuring TMAO predicted heart risk better than other blood tests or the usual risk factors, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking, he noted.

"This is a potentially new target we can go after to prevent heart disease," Hazen said.

In a preclinical study, the researchers found that dietary choline -- found in egg yolks -- is metabolized into TMAO. Carnitine, found in red meat, is another potential source of the compound. According to Hazen, TMAO changes how cholesterol is metabolized. "It's not changing the cholesterol in your blood, it's changing how the cholesterol is being managed," he said.

More specifically, TMAO helps cholesterol attach to blood vessels. It also makes it harder for the liver and the intestines to get rid of cholesterol, he explained.

"This new blood test may help identify people who are most in need of getting preventive cardiology help," Hazen said.

Because TMAO levels seem related to diet -- those who eat the most meat have the highest levels -- Hazen said the test could help people tailor their diets to reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems.

Eating a heart-healthy diet that is low in fats, dairy and sugar -- as recommended by the American Heart Association -- tends to reduce TMAO, Hazen said. Vegetarians have the lowest levels of TMAO, he noted.

In this study, published in the April 25 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Hazen's team collected data on TMAO levels from more than 4,000 patients and followed them for three years on average.

As TMAO levels increased so did the risk for heart attack, stroke or heart disease, the investigators found. Those with the highest levels of TMAO had 2.5 times the risk for these outcomes compared to those with the lowest levels of TMAO, the study authors reported.

Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a spokesman for the American Heart Association and professor of cardiovascular medicine and science at the University of California, Los Angeles, said that "there has been increasing interest in the role that intestinal microbial metabolism can play in metabolic and cardiovascular diseases."

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Gaining Weight Not Losing It

I'm looking for a little insight. I've always been a bigger guy, more muscular and very little extra weight. I got in a relationship, well paying job, and started a family. Next thing I know, I'm 314 lbs. I seen a picture of myself taken by friends, and I was embarrassed. At that time I knew it was time for me to start losing weight. 

I cut out the fast food, non healthy snacks, and sodas. Though, sometimes I give into temptation, I most certainly watch my portions. For the most part I've replaced my diet with more veggies, fiber, and less calorie foods/drinks.

Within the first week I lost 16 lbs and was down to 298. I felt great in so many ways, knowing my hard work was paying off with 6 days of exercise and the right foodsI knew that it wasn't always going to be that easy. But, I didn't give up. I've been working out in the gym not for 6 weeks, and I'm back up to 306. My girlfriend, says it looks like I've put on some extra muscle, and my arms and shoulders are looking more firm.

When I work out, I only do a little bit of strength (basic weight lifting, rowing) but mostly cardio (stationary bike, treadmill, elliptical for over an hour 5-6 days a week), stretches, and other small work outs like jumping jacks. When I can I take the stairs instead of the elevator. Looking at me no one can guess I way what I do. I just need some advice on what to do different, and what I'm doing wrong. I will be consulting a physician soon, but for now I wonder if there is someone out there that can help me.

My apologies in advance if this Topic is placed in the wrong area, and if it's a bit lengthy. Any advice and help would be very appreciated. Thanks in advance.

-Tre

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Kids' Concussion Recovery Varies by Symptom Severity: Study

Identifying which factors lead to longer recoveries may improve treatment

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, April 25 (HealthDay News) -- Children with more severe concussion symptoms take longer to recover from their head injury than those with milder symptoms, a new study finds.

Most children recover from sports-related concussions within a few days, but some continue to have symptoms for a month or longer. The reasons for this have been unclear. The authors of this study sought to identify risk factors that might be associated with longer recovery times.

The researchers analyzed data from 182 children who were seen at a sports concussion clinic within three weeks of their injury. The patients completed the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS), which uses a 0-6 scale to assess the severity of 22 symptoms. The higher the number, the more severe the symptoms.

The investigators found that the total score on the PCSS was independently associated with the length of time that patients had concussion symptoms. The higher the score, the more likely a child would have symptoms for longer than 28 days, according to the study published April 25 in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Identifying risk factors for prolonged recovery from concussion will enable doctors to provide the best treatment for patients, said the researchers from Boston Children's Hospital and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Some of the symptoms included on the PCSS questionnaire include headache, vomiting, balance problems, sleeping more or less than usual, sensitivity to light or noise, fatigue, numbness, problems with memory or concentration, and visual problems.

"Parents, physicians and caregivers of athletes who suffer from a high-degree of symptoms after a sports-related concussion should start preparing for the possibility of a prolonged recovery," study author Dr. William Meehan said in a journal news release.

Some previous studies found that younger patients and those with memory loss had longer recovery times after suffering a concussion. But this study did not find that age or amnesia are risk factors for prolonged recovery time, the investigators pointed out in the news release.

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