ASK THE DOCTOR
Q My kids are a bit overweight and I’m trying to limit processed food but I find food labels confusing. How do I decipher food labels to find the healthiest foods. F.D., WA Focus on a wide variety of fresh, unprocessed foods including vegetables and fruit and lean protein sources. Remove soft drinks and juices from the house and offer water only for drinking.
Your GP can refer you to a dietitian for coaching on how to read food labels on packaged foods. Encourage regular physical activity.
Q How useful is BMI for knowing your correct weight? I feel like it doesn’t take into account differences in body shape. Is there a better way to know what a healthy weight is? K.Y., QLD Body Mass Index (BMI) is a useful tool for assessing weight if you are in the heathy range for your height, but it is less accurate in some groups such as bodybuilders, highperformance athletes and some ethnic groups. Your waist measurement can also help your health practitioner to assess your risk of certain health problems that are related to being overweight. For women, your risk is increased at 80cm or more and greatly increased at 88 cm or more.
Q Are there any dietary supplements that can help to reduce my risk of developing high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease? D.D., NSW There are supplements that can help lower cholesterol. These include psyllium, flaxseed, green tea, niacin, and soy protein. Elevated cholesterol is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A healthy diet and regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure and not smoking are important risk-reducing measures.
Q If someone suffers a heart attack, are they more likely to have another in the future? And how soon after heart surgery should someone start exercising again? R.M., NSW If you’ve had one heart attack, your risk of another is higher. Aggressive risk-factor reduction is essential. Most people start carefully planned cardiac rehabilitation before they leave hospital, and on discharge they are given a gentle, graded exercise program to continue.
Q I am over 60 and have brown skin. Recently I’ve been getting white patches on my face. Please let me know the reason and how to avoid getting them. R.A., SA This may be a condition called vitiligo where areas of skin become depigmented due to loss of melanin-producing cells. It’s more obvious in people with darker skin because of the contrast. Vitiligo is thought to be an autoimmune disease and can be associated with other autoimmune diseases.