Category: Overweight and Obesity

Exercise History: The Health and Fitness of Henry VIII

August 31, 2021

At 18 Henry VIII was fit and athletic. At 44 he was badly injured while jousting. After that, his health headed south. Morbid obesity caused many of his health problems.

HEALTH CONDITIONS

After the age of 44, King Henry suffered complications from compulsive eating disorder, excessive drinking, chronic constipation, insomnia, migraines, chronic painful ulcers on both legs, excessive bellyfat, slow wound healing, perpetual weight gain, overeating disorder, morbid obesity, persistent stomach aches, muscular deterioration due to inactivity, and was unable to walk without assistance.

FITNESS ACTIVITIES

Henry VIII enjoyed exercise until he suffered an accident while participating in jousting, at the age of 44. After this, he couldn’t participate in his favorite activities due to chronic pain from his injuries, which his doctors were unable to treat. The king gained weight, and in turn, the excess weight restricted his ability to participate in physical activity, resulting in increased poor health.

ACCIDENTS

When King Henry was 44, he was trapped under his horse, after falling off during jousting. Both wore heavy armor. Henry was unconscious for 2 hours.

INJURIES

King Henry suffered a facial injury near his eye while jousting. His opponent’s wooden lance landed a few inches from his eye, and most likely his migraines were related to this accident.

WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE

King Henry’s waist circumference as a young man was 18 inches. In later years it was 52 inches.

CHEST MEASUREMENT

The king’s chest measurement in later years was 53 inches.

TOTAL BODY WEIGHT and HEIGHT

King Henry’s estimated weight at death was 300 to 400 pounds His height was 6 feet and 2 inches.

PSYCHOLOGICAL OUTLOOK

King Henry suffered chronic pain, and his overall temperament, post-accident was unpleasant. As his health worsened he was usually in a bad mood, and often unpredictable.

CAUSE OF DEATH

Opinions vary on King Henry’s cause of death. Some of them are renal and liver failure. Carrying around excess bodyfat strained and stressed his heart, circulation, and lungs. Excessive eating and drinking clogged up his liver. He most likely had hardening and clogging of the arteries from lack of exercise. I would venture to guess, that the essential cause of his death was heart failure, as an outcome of morbid obesity.

AGE AT DEATH

Henry VIII was 55 years old when he died.

Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 24 years experience teaching exercise in New York City. Visit the About page to read her bio.. to read her bio4

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Obesity In The Military

May 9, 2021

Recent News Articles Discuss The Effects Of Obesity On The U.S. Military

“Just about every aspect of our society actively contributes to the obesity epidemic”,obesity expert James Hill, PhD, Director of the Center For Human Nutrition, at the University of Colorado

NEWSWEEK.COM – 1/11/18: America Is So Out Of Shape And Fat, It’s Putting U.S. Army Solders In Danger, By John Haltiwanger

MILITARY TIMES.COM – 10/3/18:  A Staggering Number Of Troops Are Fat And Tired, Report Says, By J.D. Simkins

ARMYTIMES.COM 10/10/18:  America’s Obesity Is Threatening National Security, According To This Study, Meghann Myers

CDC.GOV (Centers For Disease Control U.S. Dept. Health and Human Services):  Unfit To Serve: Obesity Is Impacting National Security

Military.com 9/3/19 The Navy Is The Fattest, But Obesity Rates Are Up Across The Services,  By Chad Garland

NBC NEWS.COM Oct. 26, 2013: The Real’ Shape Of The American Man: Dudes, You’re Porky!, By Bill Briggs

MilitaryTimes.com 7/21/20  The American Diet Is Now A National Security Threat, By Sarah Sicard

Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 25 years experience teaching exercise in New York City.  Read her complete bio, on the About Page.

Can My Muscles Turn Into Fat?

April 12, 2021

Fat and muscle are different types of body tissue. They each serve different functions. When you do strength training, your muscles get bigger and stronger. If you stop strength training, your muscles get smaller, and you’ll get weaker. Muscles don’t turn into fat.  The purpose of muscle is to move your body.

The function of fat tissue is to store reserve energy. If your body has too much fat, it means that you’re eating too much food, and not exercising enough, which results in weight gain.

 

Irene Pastore, is a Certified Personal Trainer, fitness blogger, health educator, and speaker. She has 23 years experience teaching exercise in New York City.  For her complete bio, visit the About Page.