Director, Emergency Services, Bikur Cholim Hospital
I just lectured to the N'shei in Ramot and I had a wonderful
time. I forgot one point that I promised to answer: When is a
person considered fat?
There are many ways to answer this question but here are some
guidelines. If your BMI (Body Mass Index) is high you need to
lose weight. This can be calculated by your physician.
(Editor's Note: The formula is: (Weight-in-pounds x 704.5)
divided by Height-in-inches squared.) He also has other
tools.
Here are some other easier ways of calculating. If you can
pinch an inch of skin anywhere on your body, you need to lose
some weight. If you have high blood pressure or pre-
diabetes, you need to lose weight.
Here is a basic calculation: for a female, give yourself 100
pounds for the first five feet of height and 5 more pounds
for every inch over five feet. This will be your ideal
weight. If you are a male, you get 106 pounds for the first
five feet and then six pounds for every inch over five
feet.
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Vegetarians must be careful to eat some animal products such
as milk or cheese to get enough vitamin B12. You can now get
this vitamin in pill form, but if it is lacking, anemia can
result. An article I was sent said that vegetarians are less
heavy. Perhaps true, but you can be a vegetarian and live on
cupcakes (but not for long).
An article said that Vitamin E does not prevent heart attack
and stroke. Truth is, we have known about vitamin E for a
long time and we have yet to find any benefits to
supplementation. Is it dangerous? I am unaware of any dangers
in taking too much of it, but anything in excess is not a
good idea.
In Ramot, I mentioned an old fashion remedy for mosquitoes
that I think would still work. As mosquitoes surround light
fixtures, flypaper should be effective, but I have not seen
it used. One suggestion I saw said that thiamine causes the
skin to exude an odor that mosquitoes dislike, and garlic may
as well.
The best prevention is to make sure that there are no sources
of still water in the area where mosquitoes breed. Write me
in care of the Yated.
A message from GlaxoSmithKline, sponsor of this
column. Lamictal can take a difficult seizure patient and
give him a chance at a normal life. This medication works
where others have failed, and is safe. It gives such patients
a new lease on life, in my experience.
