Golden Goalies: Thick and Thin

Bea Loozer

Let’s give credit to Carol White for being the biggest loser of the last half year. She made the decision to take charge of her weight and demonstrated that she can be successful at improving her health. And our other Carol was queen of the month, based on weight loss.

Almost everyone in Golden Goalies is determined to lose weight or maintain their weight loss. It was interesting, therefore, when we spontaneously broke into applause when Vivien reported she had gained weight. You see, she is underweight so losing would not be a good thing, and Golden Goalies are dedicated to improving health.

This month we heard a relevant news story related to weight and longevity, specifically in those who are very senior. Based on a significant longitudinal study, it seems that being normal weight or a bit overweight, not obese, results in longer life. Being too thin, not so good.

That news did not surprise me. Many years ago I heard that people who live the longest are those who weigh about 10 percent over what they weighed at high school graduation. I suspect that statement wasn’t based on a study as good as the one released in May, but it seems that my source was on to something. I know what I weighed in high school and I’ve done the math to see what a good maintenance weight would be. I’m keeping that number as my maintenance goal. It puts me in the normal range for body mass index (BMI). If you don’t know what your BMI is, look it up on the internet or come to Golden Goalies.

Join us this Saturday morning for our regular meeting. I’ll have my iPhone handy for access to the BMI calculator on the internet just in case.

Weigh-in is between 7:00-7:45 in the Mirror Room of Sun Lakes Country Club. The meeting starts after weigh-in next door in the Friendship Room. Contact Rita at 895-2559 for more information.