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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 2016)
8 B SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2016 TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH BMI not a total picture of health DEAR DR. ROACH: About seven years ago, my blood pressure was high, and I was overweight and in a stressful job. I quit the job, my blood pressure went down, and I lost over 40 pounds. I have kept the weight off all these years. I work part time, standing on my feet about 25 hours a week. My doctor has been happy with me. At my last appointment, I was told my BMI is too high and that I am obese. Where did this “BMI” come from? I am 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weigh 194 pounds. I am a large- framed woman (I delivered 12- pound babies through NATURAL childbirth!). Now I feel like I should forget it and go back to eating what I want, when I want! — P.S. ANSWER: BMI, the body mass index, is a way of determining obe- SALOME’S STARS ARIES (March 21 to April 19) A gra- cious Lamb can learn more about a problem-filled situation than one who is openly suspicious of what could be hap- pening. A friend might offer some well- directed advice. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Getting adjusted to an unexpected change might be difficult for the Bovine who prefers things to go according to plan. But help could come from a most welcome source. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) This could be a good time to get a head start on those career-related plans. The soon- er you check out the pluses and minus- es, the sooner you can act on your infor- mation. CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A per- sonal situation you thought would no sity by standardizing weight for people of different heights. It is equal to weight (in kilograms) divided by height (in meters) squared. BMI predicts the develop- ment of Type 2 diabetes, heart dis- ease and even overall mortality rates moderately well. It is certainly not a perfect measurement. Someone whose BMI is obese (over 30) might have very little body fat; he or she might be very muscular or have larger bones than another person of the same height. Some physicians measure waist circumference, since that looks at abdominal fat, and research shows that using both measurements gives a more complete picture of health. Personally, I congratulate you for getting and keeping off 40 pounds, and think you made a wise invest- ment in your health by finding a less-stressful job. Your BMI is 31, just in the “obese” range. However, women of your BMI but whose waist circumference is less than 31.5 inches (80cm) have a much lower risk of medical complications later. By the way, having babies that large does indicate an increased risk for Type 2 diabetes later in life. Your doctor hopefully is checking you periodically. Getting regular exer- cise and eating a good diet reduces your risk for Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, so please don’t get frustrated by this single, incomplete measure of your health. DEAR DR. ROACH: Last night I washed my face with soap and water. I toweled dry and saw blood dripping from the side of my nose. I figured I must have scrubbed too hard and opened a pore. This pore bled and bled for over an hour before I used styptic powder. That stopped the bleeding instantly. Now I’m afraid to wash that area, as it may start bleeding again. I’m 61. I don’t take any medication except a baby aspirin every night, and Aleve when my arthritis kicks up. Is this common? — J.R. ANSWER: No, that isn’t com- mon. It makes me concerned that the pore you think is bleeding actually may be a subtle or early skin condi- tion predisposed to bleeding. The ones I am most concerned about are basal cell and squamous cell can- cers. See a dermatologist and get it examined. Aspirin and naproxen (Aleve) do make bleeding more likely, but I still think you should get it looked at. longer present a problem suddenly could produce some surprises. Try to sort things out with the help of trusted colleagues. LEO (July 23 to August 22) An upcoming move holds both anticipation and anxiety for Leos and Leonas who have some big decisions to make. Advice is plentiful, but it’s up to you to decide which way you want to go. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Someone from a previous project could provide valuable guidance on how to handle a current problem, espe- cially where it might involve a legal matter. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A business situation presents some unexpected complications. But rather than try to handle them all at once, it would be best to deal with them one at a time. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) You just might get what you want, despite the odds against it. In any event, be sure to thank all those people involved who believed in you and went to bat for you. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Before you even hint at an accusation, remember that you’ll have to prove what you say. So be sure you have what you need to back up your comments. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A romantic situation takes an unexpected turn that favors some Sea Goats, but causes others to reassess how they’ve been handling the relation- ship. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A surprise turn of events could unsettle the Water Bearer. But it also might help open up an entirely dif- ferent way of working out an important matter. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A smoothly running operation could bump up against an obstacle. This is where your ability to assess situations and make adjustments can restore things to normal. Siuslaw N ews ! AD IT DAY E R TO www. the siuslawnews.com E -E DITION • S PORTS • T OP S TORIES • O BITUARIES • W EATHER • F ORUMS • B LOGS