See How You Score With The BMI Calculator
YOUR BODY MASS INDEX AND WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH
Most medical personnel will tell you that being overweight is unhealthy. A long list of ailments await those who are overweight or obese. These include increased risks of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes just to name a few. Yes, even as a young adult you are at risk for these.
Have you ever stopped to think however, that the definition of overweight means different things to different people?
For instance, a 5 foot 4 inch tall woman can be considered overweight at 160 pounds while a 6 foot 2 inch man is on the thin side at 160 pounds. How do you know what’s the ideal weight for you? One way is to put everything on the same scale by adjusting for height. This can be done using the Body Mass Index (BMI) calculation.
The BMI is used by doctors to assess patients that are overweight or obese. It does a very good job of describing relative weight for any given height and measures your overall total body fat content. It does not however, differentiate between people with too much fat and athletic, muscular body type people. Thus, you should really use BMI in conjunction with other body composition assessments.
The BMI is a more accurate measure of body fat than a height-weight table, but it does have some drawbacks. It actually overestimates body fat in people who are very muscular, such as body builders, or those who have lost a lot of muscle mass, such as the elderly or ill. High BMIs in pregnant or breastfeeding women, or people under 5 feet may also not reflect ‘fatness’.
Body Mass Index Calculator
If you scored in the ‘normal’ range, that’s great! If you scored over 25 or 30, read Healthy Dieting and speak to your health care provider, he or she is better to evaluate if you are indeed over underweight. Also, check out the Food Table Chart for nutrition guidelines, which are suited for everyone. Here are some other useful links…
- To Fitness and Nutriton – See Fabulous Foods for Fab You!
- Check Out “Eat To Win!” and “How Food Affects Your Sleep”.
- For much more – Visit the Comprehensive Nutrition Library and Video Center…