Understanding BMI (Body Mass Index)

What Is BMI?

BMI or Body Mass Index is simply a measure of your weight relative to your height that gives an indication of your body fat content. It is often used as one of the risk factors in assessing your susceptibility to certain diseases and even death.

It does not, however, take other factors into consideration like a person’s level of muscularity, body frame, bone densities, fat proportions, water weight, etc. For instance, a muscular athlete can fall as overweight or even obese under the BMI calculation but muscles are more dense and heavier than fat

How Does BMI Calculator Work?

The formula for computing BMO dates back to the 1800s and is just a ratio of your body weight to your height. It was not until 1972 when a paper authored by Ancel Keys pointed to BMI as the best indicator of fat percentage to gauge a person’s fatness or thinness allowing health professional to discuss overweight and underweight condition more objectively.

But it is not on its own a diagnosis of a medical condition. A BMI of less than 18 may indicate a person to have anorexia nervosa or some other debilitating disease, and one above 30 may suggest obesity with the normal BMI within a range from 18.5 to 25. But these are merely numeric indication of body fat condition, not a medical diagnosis.

Calculate Your BMI

* Just enter your current weight and height (in metric or imperial) into the boxes below.

* Click the “Calculate BMI” button when you are ready to see the result.

* Refer to the BMI categories that tell you if you are underweight, normal, overweight or obese.

Pounds		Feet		Inches

Height(cm)

Weight(kg)

How Does Being Overweight Affect Health?

In general, overweight conditions due to excess fat increases your susceptibility to developing all sorts of diseases later on if not remedied. Being overweight itself is not bad as indicated above.

People who have overdeveloped muscles and a larger frame can have a high BMI, but they are hardly at risk to the same diseases that obese people face.

In addition, your BMI when taken with your waist circumference as well as your family history and lifestyles can provide a better assessment of your health risks. A waist circumference above 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women are generally regarded in the medical profession as the maximum limits before increasing your health risks as abdominal fat is also a health risk predictor. Smoking, drinking, a sedentary lifestyle and family history of heart disease or genetic predisposition also helps in assessing your health risks. Read More...Obesity Health Risk

Lose Weight Lower Health Risk

People who have high BMI falling into overweight or obese ranges would do well to start reducing their weight if the excess weight is not caused by a bodybuilder’s muscle.

Consult with your doctor who, with BMI information, waist measurement and armed with your family history and a simple medical check for blood pressure and cholesterol test can recommend the right diet supplement or drug as well as a suitable low fat diet and physical activity or exercise for you. It’s never too late. A weight loss of 10% of your body weight can go along way to minimizing the risk of contracting heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancers.

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