Oak Street Medical Blog

Dr. Andrew Gilchrist mountain biking

At Oak Street Medical, we do our best to walk the talk when it comes to fitness and wellness. As a healthcare clinic, our providers and staff understand the importance of regular exercise, eating healthy and striving to meet personal goals, and we encourage one another to adopt these healthy habits.

By promoting a culture of wellness, our hope is that patients will be inspired to follow in our footsteps and walk, run, bike, swim and play more often.

We know it's a constant challenge to stay motivated, especially during our long, wet winters. But we know you're up to the challenge! To provide you a little boost, we'll tell you what we here at Oak Street Medical do to stay healthy and fit.

Weight Loss

For a couple of years, Weight Watchers® came in once a week and worked with our staff; collectively, we lost hundreds of pounds. We also gave up our high-calorie group lunches and have since encouraged healthy brown-bagging.

The Eugene Marathon

Oak Street Medical has accounted for 20-30 entrants in the Eugene Marathon or half marathon every year, since its inception. Many of us train year-round to compete in this event. More than 20 Oak Street Medical staff and providers will be participating in the 2012 Eugene Marathon. We encourage you to join us; registration closes April 20.

Left: Beth Smith at a past Eugene Marathon.
Middle: Melanie Wayne at a past Eugene Marathon.
Right: Oak Street Medical women's softball team.

Smoke-Free Campus and employee policies

Oak Street Medical has a smoke free campus, because many studies show that employer policies that encourage workers to be tobacco free, drug free, eat well, and exercise more will help improve their health and morale, as well as decrease absenteeism and increase productivity. If you already have a smoke-free policy in place, that's great. If not, consider being an advocate for change at your place of employment.

Our Softball Team

Last year, several members of our staff formed a women's softball team, and we're looking forward to another great season. Consider forming a team at your work, whether it's softball, volleyball, soccer or another sport. The City of Eugene Athletics program, which helps coordinate local leagues, is a great place to start.

Dr. Lisa Emond in the water

Dr. Kraig Jacobson in the water.

Scuba and Snorkeling

Many of us here at Oak Street Medical participate in water activities, such as swimming, snorkeling and scuba. And there are many places in our community to get wet, including the YMCA, Willamalane Park Swim Center and several private athletic clubs.

Biking to work and to play

We have at least two doctors who regularly ride their bikes to work and also ride recreationally. Biking to work and using your bike to run errands is a great way to get where you need to go and get some quality exercise at the same time. It's also a great way to let off steam at the end of the day. There's even a bike map of Eugene to help get you started.

Left: Tracy Willemsen works our regularly at Oakway Fitness. You can even find a video of her on their website.
Middle: Dr. Jason Friesen running the Hood to Coast.
Upper right: Jennifer Schenk participates in marathons and triathlons.
Lower Middle: Dr. Andrew Gilchrist running the Portland Marathon in less than three hours.
Lower right: Dr. Sarah Kehl participating in a triathlon.

Get up, get out, get moving

We urge our patients to get out and enjoy all that Eugene has to offer, whether it's tackling your first half or full marathon, supporting Komen's Race for the Cure, taking a your dog for a walk, or riding your bike along any of Eugene's beautiful bike paths. You will likely see our providers and staff out there!

If you have questions about which physical activities may be right for you, contact us.

Jumping onto the scale will tell you how much you weight, but nothing more. Knowing where you fall on the body mass index (BMI), however, can serve as an excellent reference point for determining a healthy weight for one's height.

How do I calculate my BMI?

You can determine your BMI by divide your total weight in pounds (lbs) by your height in inches (in) squared, and then multiply that total by 703. Here is the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) formula and example:

Many websites have easy-to-use BMI calculators, such as the Mayo Clinic. Feel free to take a moment to check your BMI; the same test is used for both men and women.

A BMI below 18.5 is considered underweight, 18.5-24.9 is normal, 25.0-29.9 is overweight, and 30.0 and above is considered obese.

Research shows that when a person's BMI reaches "overweight" and "obese" levels, there is a greater risk for many diseases and health conditions, such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, certain types of cancers and more. BMI is also used as a measure of underweight, which may be an indication of an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

It should be noted that the BMI does not determine one's body fat content, but is a general referencing scale for healthy proportions of weight to height. There is a range for each category of weight to allow for differences in body density and structure. Since muscle is seven times denser than fat, those with a high muscle mass, such as athletes, may have a high BMI but not be obese.

What about BMI in children?

For children, there is a separate but equally important BMI calculation that is used. A child's weight status is determined using an age- and sex-specific percentile for BMI rather than the BMI categories used for adults, because children's body composition varies as they age. CDC Growth Charts are used to determine the corresponding BMI-for-age and sex percentile for children and adolescents (ages 2-19). Childhood obesity can have a harmful effect on the body in a variety of ways. To learn more, visit the CDC's website, which offers helpful information on health risks now and later in life.

Why is BMI important?

If you are seen by a doctor who has adopted Electronic Medical Records (EMR), your BMI will be automatically calculated when your height and weight are entered as part of your vital signs. In addition, it is required for some medical guidelines and to determine if excess weight is a health risk. To determine a person's risks, healthcare providers typically use other assessments such as family history, physical activity and other health screenings along with the BMI.

Are there other ways to measure a healthy weight?

Some people test their body fat through underwater weighing or caliper testing. If you visit us for a checkup, we can provide your BMI, based upon your height and weight. If you'd like to learn more about nutrition and exercise that will help you reach and maintain a healthy BMI, contact us. For online information, visit the USDA's website.