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
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