Tuesday, January 31, 2012

BODY MASS INDEX 101

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR BODY MASS. INDEX AND DETERMINE IF YOU HAVE A HEALTHY WEIGHT


Hi all, this is a tutorial on how to calculate your body mass index ( BMI ) so you can determine if you have the optimal weight or healthy weight.

I will also cover the general information on bmi to keep you informed so that you will know what the bmi is all about.

In this post, I'm going to cover :

• The general information and questions related to the BMI. This will come first, but if you only want to calculate your weight using bmi then you can stroll down to the second part with the steps.

• Step by step guide on how to calculate your bmi using kilograms per squared meters, using your home tools to calculate or simply use the link in the body of this post to calculate your bmi www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/bmi.php
WARNINGS:

• Bmi measurement is a good indicator for the average person from 25 to 65 years of age. But there are limitations. Bmi calculation does not take into consideration muscle mass or your overall body type ( there are 'apple' and 'pear' of body types).

• Recent research has shown that the waist to hip ratio measurement is much more better than bmi to determine whether an individual has too much body fat. Generally the waist to hip ratio should not exceed about 0.9 for the average men and 0.8 for women. Higher ratios indicate higher risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes.

• BMI SCALE:

Bmi less than 18 indicate underweight
Bmi of less than 18.5 indicate that you are thin for your health
Bmi of between 18.6 to 24.9 indicates you are at a healthy weight
Bmi of 25 to 29.9 indicates you are overweight for your health
Bmi of 30 indicates obesity

GENERAL INFORMATION AND QUESTIONS RELATED TO BMI

WHAT IS BODY MASS INDEX ( BMI ) ?

The body mass index is a measurement tool that compares your height to your weight and gives you an indication whether you are underweight, overweight, obese, at an optimal or healthy weight.

" Bmi provides a simple numeric measure of a person's ' thickness ' or ' thinness ', allowing health professionals to discuss over- and under-weight problems more objectively with their patients. www.wikiedia.org

WHO INVENTED BODY MASS INDEX?


The modern day body mass index is based on the work of a belgian mathematician called Lambert Adolphe Jacques quetelet who published the study of the average man entitled " a treaties on man and the development of his faculties"

ARE THERE ANY HEALTH ORGANISATIONS THAT RECOMMENDS BMI AS A WEIGHT LOSS MEASUREMENT?

Yes! There are;

The U.S. National heart, lung and blood institute and national health institutes and the world health organization recommends bmi to classify obesity.

DOES BMI HAVE ANY CLASSIFICATION ?

A bmi of less than 18.5 is underweight, normal weight is between 18.5 and 25, overweight is between 25 and obesity is greater than 30.

DOES BMI HAVE LIMITATIONS ?

There are certain limitations to the body mass index measurement.

Bmi does not make a distinction between fat and muscle. A person with a massive muscle may be classified into the unhealthy category range of bmi. But still be healthy and have little risk of developing heart diseases and diabetes.

DOES BMI CORRELATES WITH BODY FAT RATIO ?

Bmi does not directly measure body fat percentage

DISTRIBUTION OF BODY WEIGHT IN RELATION TO BMI ?

Is the distribution weight important?

Excess weight is not the only risk factor to your health as do the location of fat in your body. If fat is stored mainly around your waist, you are more likely to develop health problems than you would if you carry fat around your hips and thighs.

CAN BMI DETECTS IF MY BODY HAS EXCESS WEIGHT. AND WHAT ARE THE DANGERS OF IT?

The BMI measurement could detect excess body weight...

The dangers of excess weight can put you at risk of contacting diseases and serious illness. And it is very serious.

Extra weight can put you at the risk of the following health problems - type 2 diabetes ( high blood sugar), high blood pressure, heart diseases and stroke, some types of cancers, sleep apnea ( when breathing stops at short period during sleep, ostheoarthritis ( wearing away of joints), gall bladder disease, liver disease and irregular menstrual periods.

ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES TO BMI ?

The alternatives to bmi for calculating body weight ranges from waist to hip ratio, body waist measurement and body fat percentage measurement. Each of these will be covered in future post.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE ON HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR BMI

The basic formula for using BMI to calculate body weight is as follows:

Mathematically bmi = km/m2 ( kilometre per square. meter.

Bmi = ( body weight in kg)
( Body weight in meters)2. =
( Weight in kg)

Bmi formula = ( height in meters) * ( height in meters)

Example:

A person is 175 cm tall and has a weight of 70kg

Bmi =
70
1752
=

70
175*175

= 70
30625

= 22.66 ( normal weight)

Note that this is calculation using kilograms and health squared per meter.

If you find it difficult to use this method, then you can use this simple step to calculate your BMI:

Grab your bathroom measuring scale, yardstick or measuring tape, pencil, paper and calculator.

Now do the following :
Using bathroom scale and yardstick:

• Weigh yourself with your bathroom scale. Note that this calculated in pounds.

• Measure your height in inches using the yardstick or measuring tape. Stand against the wall and use a pencil to mark the top of your head, then measure.

Using your pencil, paper and calculator

• Take your height in inches and square the number

• Divide your weight in pounds with the result of your height in inches

• Multiply the answer with 703

The answer you get, is your body mass index.

If you are still confused or do not have the tools mentioned above, use this online calculator from www.dietandfitnesstoday.com

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If you have any question or you have any constructive criticism, please comment on that in the comment section.

Thank you for your time.

DISCLAIMER: the information contained in this post is for educational purposes only. It is not to replace your doctors recommendations.

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