< Go Back  How to Assess Your Risk for Chronic Disease  It?s
good to step back now and then and ask yourself: Are my habits
reducing or increasing my health risks? Is there more I could be
doing to reduce my risk for diabetes, cancer, or heart disease?
The following answers can help you fine-tune your lifestyle to
promote optimum health.  How much should you weigh?  If you are
overweight, losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your current
weight can help you increase your lifespan and lower your risk
for obesity-related diseases such as high blood pressure, high
blood cholesterol, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. It will
also help you to feel better in general.  If you are
underweight, you could be malnourished and at high risk for
infections, osteoporosis, anorexia, or other diseases.  To know
where you stand, begin with your body mass index (BMI). Visit
the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's website, plug in
your height and weight, and the site will calculate your BMI.
For adults:    • A BMI b