There are no more accurate representations than numbers. Numbers as raw data qualify how many of any certain thing exists, and when combined with other things they give us an accurate total of all of the group of things as a whole. This is basic and as accurate as is possible; 1 pound, for instance, is still 1 pound whether calculating feathers or bowling balls. Combine the previous example and the result, the sum, will always be 2 pounds.

In most situations, however, the question quickly becomes two pounds of what? From a health perspective, most use the number revealed by the scale as a measurement of health. If the scale reveals a number larger than what we are told to expect, then our health is considered to be poor; the opposite is true as well, because if the scale reveals a number closer to or below that expectation then we assume that out health has improved. This type of measurement is only accurate in generalities, however, because it is not individualized enough to be a true and universally accurate measurement.

And that type of calculation does not take into consideration (especially from a human perspective) that weight is different from volume. One pound of fat and 1 pound of muscle are still 1 pound each.

The difference, however, is that 1 pound of fat takes up much more space than 1 pound of muscle. So simply looking at numbers on a scale fails to give us more than a reference. And when this is combined with a poor understanding of what is in our food, we might eat normally and still gain weight. This is also compounded when we apply the measurement dynamic to calories, but 1,200 calories of predominantly fat content does not have the same value as 1,200 more-balanced calories.

Being overweight is a condition that many Americans share in todays world. Being overweight, or obese, leads to certain other often preventable health issues as well, such as Type 2 Diabetes and high cholesterol. Losing weight through a healthy lifestyle including diet and exercise can often mitigate these conditions or remove them entirely. Far too often, however, people rely upon medicines to treat these and other conditions rather than taking a proactive approach to their health. The difficulty, of course, is that there is a learning curve when determining what is and what is not healthy that most find difficult to overcome.

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To Your Health (Charles Romans): By the numbers - The Independent