INSIDE

Weight loss at the turn of a new year is as old as Proverbs. 

What is new, however, is the method to the madness.

More health conditions to consider.

An ocean of information to navigate.

Nonsurgical (and surgical) procedures to take you there.

Fast.

And, by the way, what the hell is BMI?  

To B(MI) or not to B(MI)?

“For me, the focus is on treating the individual, keeping them healthy, preventing obesity and helping the patients lose weight,” said Terry Mahotière Ellman, medical director of WellU Medical Weight Loss center in White Plains. “Some have underlying obesity-related diseases, such as hypertension or diabetes. My goal is to help them come off the medication, and part of that is losing the weight.”

The doctor broke down the particulars of diet and weight loss for me, beginning with that semi-scary acronym – your BMI.

Think of the “body mass index” as a general barometer by which to determine whether you’re in the clear or need to hit the gym.

“BMI is kind of a quick and dirty way for clinicians to assess your risk for obesity-related conditions like diabetes, cancer and metabolic syndrome,” Ellman said. “But there are some limitations to BMI. It doesn’t take into consideration gender or information about fat mass.”

For instance, you might be an athlete with lots of dense muscle tissue.

But the BMI test doesn’t differentiate between fat mass and lean body mass, so you may end up classified as overweight or obese when you pump iron and eat your veggies.  That means you, Alex Rodriguez and former President George W. Bush.

Ethnicity matters, too. Studies indicate that Asians have a greater percentage of body fat.

“They actually are at a higher risk for obesity-related conditions at lower BMI, so a BMI of 22 is not healthy for them, whereas it may be healthy for a Caucasian,” Ellman said. “The same is true for blacks. You have to be careful of how you interpret BMI.”

The sweet enemy

The next leg of your journey to weight loss is proper dieting.

“Carbs have gotten a bad rap,” Ellman said. “Not all carbs are bad. The carbs you want to stay away from are highly processed foods, like cakes, pies, cookies. You want to pick foods that are nutrient-dense. Salmon has a lot of Vitamin D, is low in fat and gives you polyunsaturated fats that your body can’t make.”