Bonitas Member Magazine Issue 1. 2020 | Page 11

THE BIG Underweight less than 18.5 Your healthy target weight 18.5 – 24.9 Overweight 25 – 29.9 Obese 30 or greater Diabetes Your body breaks down food into glucose, which gets absorbed for energy. When this process struggles to take place, glucose builds up in the blood. This extra sugar in your bloodstream is a sign of diabetes and can harm every organ in your body, and also damage nerves and blood vessels. Know your numbers Your healthy target = Up to 5.6 mmol/L Levels of 5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L point to prediabetes Anything above 7 mmol/L falls into the diabetic range Your blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and blood sugar numbers are crucial indicators of your overall health and unlike family history, ethnicity and gender – which cannot be changed – these factors can be altered by the choices you make every day. Check the healthy ranges below to see if you’re on track with your current healthy lifestyle habits. Cholesterol Blood pressure Blood pressure is the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries. If it is too high, it puts extra strain on your arteries (and your heart) and if it’s not treated, hypertension can cause kidney failure, eye problems, heart disease, a heart attack and stroke. Range Cholesterol is a soft, fatty substance in the blood which helps your body make important vitamins, hormones and bile for digestion. But too much cholesterol can lead to a build-up inside your blood vessels. These blockages can limit blood flow and cause a heart attack or, if located in the brain, a stroke. Healthy target 120/80 to 129/84 Your healthy target: Now that you know what your numbers should be, why not get them checked by having a wellness test done. If you know your numbers you can manage your health better and reduce the costs of your healthcare. Total cholesterol – Lower than 5 mmol/L LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol – Lower than 3 mmol/L HDL ‘good’ cholesterol – Greater than 1.2 mmol/L Upper end of normal 130/85 to 139/89 Mild hypertension 140/90 to 159/99 Moderate hypertension 160/100 to 179/109 Severe hypertension More than 180/110 Triglycerides – Should be under 1.7 mmol/L Weight and BMI Your Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation can help you determine if you are overweight or obese. Excess body fat increases your risk for a wide range of health problems. Calculate yours by: • • Dividing your weight in kilograms (kg) by your height in metres (m) Then dividing the answer by your height again to get your BMI. Bonitas offers all members an annual wellness screening which includes the big four tests. The screening is paid for from risk, so it won’t impact a your savings or day-to-day benefits. We strongly urge our members to make use of the benefit and take control of their health. Page 10