Adults who use wheelchairs face certain challenges when it comes to losing weight. That's because they tend to use fewer calories through physical activity. But if you're a wheelchair user and you are overweight, you can make changes to achieve a healthy weight.
Many of us in England eat more calories than we need, and don't do enough physical activity. Over time, this leads to weight gain. That's why around two-thirds of adults in England are overweight or obese.If you're a wheelchair user, you're at particular risk of weight gain, partly because wheelchair users tend not to use the large muscles in their legs, and so use less energy in day-to-day life.
Being overweight or obese puts you at higher risk of a range of serious health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers.
Checking your weight
Body mass index (BMI) is commonly used as a measure of whether someone is a healthy weight for their height.But BMI is not a suitable measure if you have underlying health conditions that may affect your height or weight, for example if you have a growth disorder.
If you are uncertain about your weight, talk to your GP. They will be able to provide advice on whether BMI is a suitable measure for you, and whether you are currently a healthy weight.
Your GP can also help if you are not able to weigh yourself.
Why you are overweight
Helen Bond is a dietitian with experience of working with wheelchair users.She says that wheelchair users can find it difficult to gauge how many calories they need to eat. This means they can eat more than they need, resulting in weight gain.
"Wheelchair users are in a very different situation from other adults when it comes to how many calories they need," she says. "This can be hard to adapt to.
"If you are new to using a wheelchair, you might eat as you did before, but you are using less energy through physical activity, and so you begin to put on weight. If you live with other adults who need more calories than you, you may eat as much as them, and again this will result in weight gain.
"Wheelchair users can also lose muscle in their legs over time. When we have less muscle, we need fewer calories to maintain our bodyweight."
Losing weight in a wheelchair
The key to losing weight the healthy way is to adjust your diet and level of physical activity.To lose weight, you need regularly to use more energy than you consume in food and drink. You can do this by a combination of eating fewer calories and being more active. However, if your ability to move around is severely restricted by your condition, then dieting will be the main way that you can lose weight.
Aim to lose between 1lb (0.5kg) and 2lb (1kg) a week until you reach your target weight. A healthy, balanced diet and regular physical activity will help you to maintain a healthy weight in the long-term.
Ask your GP if there is a community weight management service available near you. The service aims to help people:
- lose weight and keep it off
- limit further weight gain
- get into a regular eating pattern
- achieve a balanced diet
- become more physically active
- reduce overeating and portion sizes
- learn new long-term lifestyle skills
Change your diet
The average man needs around 2,500 calories a day to maintain his bodyweight. The average woman needs around 2,000 calories a day.If you are a wheelchair user, it's likely you'll need less than these guideline amounts.
A GP or dietitian can help you to work out your daily calorie needs.
While adjusting your diet so that you eat fewer calories, it's important to ensure that you eat healthily and get all the nutrition you need.
"A balanced diet for wheelchair users is the same as it is for other adults," says Helen Bond. "You just need to adjust the amount of calories you eat, to take into account the fact that you are likely to be moving around less."
A healthy balanced diet means eating:
- plenty of fruit and vegetables - aim to eat at least five varied portions every day
- plenty of starchy foods, such as brown bread, wholegrain pasta and potatoes
- some milk and dairy foods
- some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
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