Most people have heard of BMI (also know as the Body Mass Index), but have you ever wondered what exactly it is, and how exactly it works in terms of helping to gauge a healthy weight?
Well, to explain a little further… BMI is the relationship between your weight and your height which can potentially be used to estimate obesity and therefore the associated health risk as well.
The BMI calculation is somewhat of a rough estimate, albeit fairly accurate in giving an indication of the healthy weight range of individuals. It must be stressed however, that people with unusually high muscle tone, or athletes for example, must be careful in using this tool as it can not make the distinction between lean tissue and body fat. It is a simplistic, yet widely used tool by health professionals worldwide.
To illustrate: BMI can be defined as the individual's body weight divided by the square of his/ her height. This means that a very athletic female could weigh roughly the same as an overweight female of the same height, although the latter is clearly unhealthy, whilst the more muscular female is likely to be in much better shape, and be at risk of fewer health complications.
If you are interested in working out your own BMI, here is the easy formula:
Weight / (Height x Height) = BMI
You can work out your BMI using your weight in pounds and your height in feet, or alternatively using your height in centimeters and your weight in kilograms. Do not interchange these metrics otherwise you will get an inaccurate result.
In terms of that result, the BMI has been categorized to determine the weight levels of most individuals. For instance, if you do the calculation and your BMI falls below 18.5, then you are considered underweight. The healthy weight range is marked as those individuals who fall between 18.5-24.9, whilst those who fall between 25- 30 are deemed to be overweight. If a calculated BMI hits the 30 mark, you are quite likely to be dangerously overweight, or obese.
In the case of obesity, the associated health risks are so severe that it is recommended professional weight loss advice is sought. In such cases, it may even be recommended that a gastric band procedure is recommended in order to bring the weight down to a more acceptable level and seriously reduce the medical risks associated with obesity.
Well, to explain a little further… BMI is the relationship between your weight and your height which can potentially be used to estimate obesity and therefore the associated health risk as well.
The BMI calculation is somewhat of a rough estimate, albeit fairly accurate in giving an indication of the healthy weight range of individuals. It must be stressed however, that people with unusually high muscle tone, or athletes for example, must be careful in using this tool as it can not make the distinction between lean tissue and body fat. It is a simplistic, yet widely used tool by health professionals worldwide.
To illustrate: BMI can be defined as the individual's body weight divided by the square of his/ her height. This means that a very athletic female could weigh roughly the same as an overweight female of the same height, although the latter is clearly unhealthy, whilst the more muscular female is likely to be in much better shape, and be at risk of fewer health complications.
If you are interested in working out your own BMI, here is the easy formula:
Weight / (Height x Height) = BMI
You can work out your BMI using your weight in pounds and your height in feet, or alternatively using your height in centimeters and your weight in kilograms. Do not interchange these metrics otherwise you will get an inaccurate result.
In terms of that result, the BMI has been categorized to determine the weight levels of most individuals. For instance, if you do the calculation and your BMI falls below 18.5, then you are considered underweight. The healthy weight range is marked as those individuals who fall between 18.5-24.9, whilst those who fall between 25- 30 are deemed to be overweight. If a calculated BMI hits the 30 mark, you are quite likely to be dangerously overweight, or obese.
In the case of obesity, the associated health risks are so severe that it is recommended professional weight loss advice is sought. In such cases, it may even be recommended that a gastric band procedure is recommended in order to bring the weight down to a more acceptable level and seriously reduce the medical risks associated with obesity.
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