Question: When it comes to fat loss and ultimately your health what would you say is the best measurement/check/value over and above the rest that determines the make up of a person and their ability to lose weight and their overall heath. e.g blood glucose levels, one or more hormones, BMI, % bodyfat.

I saw a recent article on this but can’t now find it. It could have been on your website but I don’t know for a fact.

Thanks

Mike

Answer: I like this question, Mike, because you didn’t just mention body composition as a sign of good health but the value of blood levels and hormones.

I hear a lot of people say “Well, I’m overweight but my levels are good so I don’t see a problem.” OR some people say that they’re healthy just because they’re “skinny”. Who is right, what are the factors?

Here are three things that I take into account when determining where you land on a healthy scale. Think of it as a Health “Credit Score” if you will:

1-Blood Work-

You can be as lean as all but if your hormones and levels are all out of whack that isn’t exactly the picture of health. Have you ever seen footage of starving people in other countries? I don’t think they really care about the BMI chart, do you? That doesn’t mean that this is a ticket to be obese. I’m just saying being skinny isn’t a ticket to the good life either.

Every 6 months you should get a full check up and blood work done. I’m not just talking about the standard cholesterol test either. There is so much a GOOD blood check up can tell you about where you are with your health. Male or Female get a full sexual hormone panel, thyroid, electrolytes, lipids, glucose - the works. Look at everything and if you don’t know what it means then there are plenty of online resources that can help explain it. I have to say, the Metabolic Repair is a good place to tune up on that.

2-Joint/Bone Health-

Animals aren’t the only species whose lives are cut short by bad bone and joint health. The frustrating thing is that the majority of bone and joint problems are completely preventable. And a lot of them are reversible or highly treatable with a little effort and focus on proper training and nutrition.

This is where being leaner and carrying less body fat does play a huge role: for every 10 pounds overweight (starting above 20% men, 25% women) that is added stress to the body and in particular, the joints. The more added weight stress means more pain, more physical stress, less function, and the start of bigger problems.

A good place to look at taking your movement to that next level is Mike Robertson and Eric Cressey’s Magnificent Mobility. It’s a nice, simple start. And if you’re wanting to take it further then let me know. I may not have more recommendations, but I find a video makes things easier for a lot of people.

3-Strength-

Now I am not talking about the ability to bench press a VW Bug. Still, having physical weakness usually means that you either aren’t working hard enough to keep your body functioning on a optimal level or that something is wrong, physically-speaking.

How many sick people do you know who can get in a lot of workout? Why do we think it’s so amazing that Armstrong achieves what he does recovering from the illness he has? Because in sickness we are weak.

Also this isn’t just physical strength, mental strength counts as well. Strength of the mind, feeling happy and good, and having a positive outlook affects our performance. All these things stand for being healthy and happy.

I would recommend Mark Ripptoe’s Starting Strength if you’re really wanting to get serious on a lifting front, but remember strong doesn’t always have to be lifting weights, but it’s just good education anyway.

So that is my top three. If you nail all of these then you’re in pretty good shape. If not then get started!